Mr. Hockey Now Faces His Greatest Challenge

It will most likely come and go without fanfare, and I suppose that's only natural -- though next year better be a different story. Two elbows say so.

Gordie Howe, Mr. Hockey himself, turns 79 this Saturday. Only now he's more of Mr. Caregiver.

Howe's wife, Colleen, for so many years the family matriarch and artisan of the Howe Empire, is suffering from dementia, and needs constant care. Gordie has spoken to various outlets, like The Hockey News and others, about the situation, and often you can almost hear the despair and frustration in his words as you read them.

When I saw Howe on January 2nd, the night the Red Wings retired Steve Yzerman's jersey, he seemed in good spirits. The shoulders were still looking strong, in their familiar slope. He joked with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. He playfully elbowed a Fox Sports Detroit crew member while posing for a photograph. And he spoke eloquently and in praise of Yzerman, whose night it was.

But he is starting to show signs, finally, of the age that is relentless in its pursuit. The caregiving task is certain to be hastening that progression. Howe is starting to look a little tired, and can you blame him?

Later that night, I ran into Dr. John Finley, who was the Red Wings' team physician for decades.

Had he heard the quote once uttered about him by Howe, I wondered?

It goes like this. When asked who had the hardest shot in the league, Howe said, "Dr. Finley."

The doctor laughed heartily when I recounted the quote to him. And yes, he'd heard it, but not for a long time.



Whenever I look at Red Wings defenseman Chris Chelios, 45, and think about Howe when he finished with the Wings in 1971 at age 43, I'm taken by the different lifestyles both men have led. It's obvious Chelios has played in an era with better weight facilities, air travel, and more of an emphasis on overall physical conditioning. Howe, at 43, looked older than Chelios does now at 45. But Howe began in the 1940s, when train was the method of travel, the game was more brutal on the ice, and helmets were unheard of.

Howe finished his career with the Hartford Whalers in 1980, at age 52. The line he played on included Bobby Hull on left wing and Dave Keon at center. The Geritol Line. But in that final season, Howe played in all 80 games and scored 15 goals. And he had one more shot at the Canadiens in the playoffs, but the Whalers were blasted out in the first round, 3 games to 0. His last NHL game was April 11, 1980, when Chelios was 18 and about to graduate from high school.

But today, Howe battles forces much tougher than Louie Fontinanto in the corner or Rocket Richard in front of the net. Harder to conquer than Jacques Plante in net. More taxing than endless train trips to Montreal or Toronto or New York.

Mr. Hockey is now Mr. Caregiver. Even at age 79 you can be a rookie again.