Hockey legend Gordie Howe (1928–2016), born in Floral, Saskatchewan, played for 32 years—spanning five decades (1946–1980)—longer than any professional athlete in any team sport.

When “Mr. Hockey” retired in 1980, he held nearly every NHL scoring record: most goals (801), most assists (1,049), and most games played (1,767). “If you’ve lost a game and learned nothing,” he once said, “then you’ve truly lost.”

Howe’s passion for hockey began when he was six. He used newspapers for shin pads and old tennis balls for pucks. At 18, he joined the Detroit Red Wings—and just three years later survived a life-threatening head injury crashing into the boards. It was the first of many injuries.

He endured over 400 stitches, a broken nose, broken ribs, and multiple surgeries. In 1999, he was diagnosed with skin cancer. Still, he never stopped moving. “You find that you have peace of mind when you know you gave one hundred percent—win or lose.”

His wife Colleen said, “You name it, he’s had it.” Yet he kept showing up. With grace. With grit. With love for the game.

Wayne Gretzky recalled, “They always tell you not to meet your heroes. But Gordie… he was better than I ever imagined.”