​Chicago Blackhawks goalie Tony Esposito and defenseman Keith Magnuson work to slow Detroit Red Wings right wing Gordie Howe during a 1970 season matchup. The era’s clash between the two Original Six rivals highlighted Howe’s enduring dominance and the grit of the Blackhawks’ netminders. Tony Tomsic contributed the photo for USA TODAY NETWORK.
The Gordie Howe International Bridge finally received the go-ahead from U.S. and Canadian officials, paving the way for a mile-and-a-half span connecting Detroit and Windsor to open on Monday, July 27. Business and government leaders on both sides of the border have long considered the bridge a crucial economic artery. Once completed, the Howe Bridge will join the Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel as a key crossing over the Detroit River.
In 2015, then-Michigan Governor Rick Snyder and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that the crossing would bear Gordie Howe’s name, honoring the hockey icon revered on both sides of the border. Howe, born in Floral, Saskatchewan, in 1928, began his professional hockey career with the Detroit Red Wings in 1946 and spent 25 seasons with the team, guiding them through a storied era in the early to mid-1950s. His long association with the Red Wings made him a hero in Detroit and in Canada.
“I sincerely hope that this bridge, bearing his name, will continue this proud legacy by accelerating the flow of people, merchandise and services between our great nations for years to come,” Harper said in 2015.
Howe was celebrated for more than just his on-ice prowess. Reporters noted his kindness toward fans, his graciousness to players who followed, and his deep love for the sport—so much so that he returned from retirement in the 1970s to play for the Houston Aeros and New England Whalers in the World Hockey Association. Howe’s career spanned five decades in the NHL, and in the 1979-80 season he came back to play for the Hartford Whalers at age 52, making his mark late in life. His longevity allowed him to share the ice professionally with two of his sons, Mark and Marty.
Howe played for the Detroit Red Wings from 1946 to 1971, guiding the franchise to four Stanley Cup championships: 1950, 1952, 1954 and 1955. He became the longest-serving player in Red Wings history, with a statue later erected at Joe Louis Arena and then moved to Little Caesars Arena. The team retired his No. 9 in 1972, the same year he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
His nickname was straightforward: Mr. Hockey. By the time he left the Red Wings, Howe had amassed 801 goals and 1,850 points, records that stood as NHL benchmarks for years. Howe’s talent was matched only by his toughness; in a 1950 playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, he sustained a fractured skull, underscoring the grit that defined his era.