Gordie Howe’s parents were humble farmers from Floral, Saskatchewan, Canada, who couldn’t afford to attend an NHL game and therefore, had never had a chance to see their son play professional hockey.
Gordie’s team, the Detroit Red Wings, decided one year to celebrate their star’s time with the team and so before one game, they surprised No. 9 with a huge gift at centre ice, covered in wrapping paper and tied up with a bow. A startled Howe, a man known for his shyness, skated out to where the big gift sat and after a few speeches, was instructed to find out what was under all that gift wrap.
So Gordie tore away at the paper and it didn’t take long for him and all the people in the stands to realize that Mr. Hockey was the owner of a brand new car. That was nice surprise number one.
The bigger shock and the one that brought Gordie to tears came when the back doors to the vehicle opened and out stepped his Mom and Dad.
The Red Wings didn’t always treat Gordie Howe that well and underpaid him for years. But on this occasion, they really came through.
As a big fan, this is my favourite Gordie Howe story. It shows how a little bit of class from a big organization can serve as inspiration in a sometimes hardened world.
©2012 Jim Hagarty
