DETROIT – Murray Howe recalled the time he asked his famous father what he wanted him to say when it came time to deliver the hockey icon’s eulogy.
“Say this,” Gordie Howe told his youngest of four children, “finally … the end of the third period.” Then the greatest player in Red Wings’ history added, “I hope there’s a good hockey team in heaven.”
Any celestial team with Mr. Hockey on the roster should automatically receive an upgrade to great.
But the best all-around player to ever lace up a pair of skates, Howe was remembered Wednesday for being more than a great hockey player; perhaps the best the world has ever known.