Detroit Red Wings

Howe’s kids compare their Red Wings legend father to Ovechkin

Parallels between Howe and Ovechkin are evident

Published

1 year ago

December 22, 2022

Bob Duff

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin remains in seach of goal No. 801, which will tie him for second place on the NHL all-time list with Red Wings legend Gordie Howe. The two people probably best-suited to making the comparison, Gordie’s sons Mark and Marty Howe, were recently drawing parallels between their dad and Ovechkin.

“They’re both big, powerful men,” Mark Howe old NBC Washington. Another point Mark felt both players share is an ability to intimidate with their physical presence.

“That creates a little room,” Mark said. “My dad’s theory was you let people know you’re on the ice and you make them pay a price. That gave you a little more room. And with a little room, you have more time. It makes a huge difference in goal scoring.”

The Ovechkin boys meeting the Howe boys pic.twitter.com/DlM6I2XYqC

— Al Koken (@RealSmokinAl) December 20, 2022

Like their dad, the Howes see a genial nature in Ovechkin, a trait, again similar to Mr. Hockey, that evaporates once he dons skates.

“He was the nicest person you’d ever meet on the ice,” Marty Howe said of his dad. “You didn’t want to meet him in the corner on the ice.

“Back in the day, shedding (another player’s) blood, you could do that three times before you got kicked out. And he did that quite a few times.”

Legacy of Red Wings Mr. Hockey Will Live On

There’s one factor that the Howe boys felt was a certainty. No matter how many goals Ovechkin ends up scoring, it will do nothing the lessen that legendary stature of their father. Gordie Howe played in the NHL at the age of 52. He posted a career-high 103 points with Detroit in 1968-69 at the age of 43. Howe scored 786 of his 801 NHL goals with the Red Wings over a 20-year span from 1946-47 through the 1970-71 season.