On the Fly, theScore's NHL roundtable series, continues. This week, we're sharing personal thoughts about what Gordie Howe meant to us as hockey fans.
Josh Gold-Smith: Gordie Howe's myriad accomplishments and unmatched longevity are impressive enough on their own, but to me, his legacy will be defined by his remarkable character.
He was a hero to so many, not just because he was one of the greatest to ever play the game, but because of how he played it and how he lived.
What I always find amazing about Howe is that he had the rare distinction of being both intensely feared and fully respected by his opponents. He was a fierce competitor at the rink, but he was humble and hilarious off the ice.
Related: 9 unforgettable Gordie Howe stories
You had to be tough to play in Howe's heyday and he had no obligation to be a model citizen, but every account I've ever seen or heard implies he was nothing but genuine and kind to everyone he met.
He personified hockey and embodied all of the very best qualities of those who play it.
Sean O'Leary: I never saw him play, nor met him, but I got chills down my spine the moment I learned Gordie Howe died.
An icon, a legend, a hero, whatever you want to call him, Mr. Hockey is front and center in the lore of the sport, and his legacy is unforgettable.
As a fan who could never truly experience what he was like on the ice, all I can do is study, honor, and appreciate everything he brought to the game.
His Prairie-bred strength allowed him to be the toughest player in the league for five decades, shattering record after record, until his biggest fan - No. 99 - came along.
He inspired his teammates, he inspired fans, and he inspired Wayne Gretzky. In one way or another, Gordie Howe has impacted the entire hockey community, and for that, I thank him.
Ian McLaren: My hockey idol as a kid was Bobby Orr, a hockey heritage passed down to me from my father.
Orr, of course, is widely regarded as the greatest defenseman of all time, and today represents a plethora of fine young talent as an agent. That Orr believes Gordie Howe is "the best that ever played" speaks volumes about the impact Mr. Hockey had on the game over the course of his career, and continues to have down through the generations.
My favorite Howe story revolves around Orr's NHL debut against the Detroit Red Wings, wherein he was laid out by a elbow delivered by none other than Howe.
In Orr's own words, from Darren Yourk of the Globe and Mail:
Before I went by the net I threw a pass out. I was kind of looking over my shoulder at my pretty pass and the next thing you know I was lying on the ice. It was some guy by the name of Howe. I think he wanted to let the kid know that he was the king. It was a great lesson: Don't be watching your pretty passes when certain guys are on the ice, especially Gordie.
Whether one is old enough to have seen him play or not, all fans of the game were impacted in some way by Mr. Hockey, even if only through the (sometimes literal) impression he left in the lives of those we have loved to watch over the years, and continue to admire today.
Respected and revered in life, Howe will be forever remembered.
There truly won't ever be anyone like him to hit the ice again.
