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Elbows Up! Gordie Howe Is Once Again Having A Moment. Here Are Five Books About Him

Hockey’s colossus is once again having a moment. Here are five books that explain the eternal Mr. Hockey phenomenon.

“Call me old AGAIN.” A 50-plus-year-old Gordie Howe in what might be one of the best hockey uniforms of all time. Photo credit: Capitals Outsider

Recently, the term “Elbows Up” has been taken up as a patriotic slogan in Canada in response to draconian U.S. tariffs, and nobody perhaps embodied the term more than Gordon “Gordie” Howe, affectionately known as “Mr. Hockey.” (When you’re the best at doing something, you tend to get named after it.) The shy boy from Saskatoon who began his professional hockey career in 1946 at age 18 played until he was an unbelievable 52 years old. He was also well-known for whacking opponents the entire time, most specifically with a certain elbow. He died in 2016 at age 88, but his legend perseveres, so much so that he’s the namesake of an international bridge between Canada and the U.S.

“I am not the one or the two.” Howe doing his thing circa late 1970s. Photo credit unknown.

When not attempting to dismantle “Boom Boom” Geoffrion’s face, straight up knocking Bobby Orr over, or engaging in other ways to “protect his livelihood,” Howe assembled some of the most intimidating statistics in the sport; many of his records stood until the 1980s. Let’s visit some literature that best explains the originator of the “Elbows Up” movement.

1. Gordie: A Hockey Legend by Roy Macskimming — This 2003 book is a great introductory primer to the world of Mr. Hockey, starting with his challenging childhood in Depression-era Saskatoon, where temperatures regularly dipped from cold to downright frigid. If you need a starting point to learn about Howe and what he meant to professional sports during his prime, this is a good one.
2. Nine Lessons I Learned from My Father by Murray Howe — This is a very touching reminiscence written by Howe’s youngest son, Murray, after Howe’s 2016 passing. Much of the literature here (including this piece, to an extent) focuses on Howe’s intensity and competitiveness, but Murray’s memoirs add a much-needed human dimension to the legend of Mr. Hockey. It’s nice to see Howe as a doting grandfather and family man, contrasting his often terrifying on-ice persona.
3. The Rebel League: The Short and Unruly Life of the World Hockey Association by Ed Willes — During the 1970s, Howe made an incredible comeback at age 45, two years after retiring from the Detroit Red Wings — this time, with two of his sons, Mark and Marty. Howe played with the Houston Aeros, winning the Avco Cup in 1974, and went on to play with the New England (later Hartford) Whalers. This book tells the story of the entire WHA’s history, which could only have happened during the loud, flashy 1970s. I’m a little biased, but the Whalers also had the best theme music of any team ever in professional sports.
4. Gordie Howe’s Son: A Hall of Fame Life in the Shadow of Mr. Hockey by Mark Howe and Jay Greenberg — This autobiography of Mark Howe, Gordie’s second son and teammate, obviously discusses their father-son relationship at length and underscores how Gordie nurtured a future Hall of Famer (Mark, who went on to have his own long, impressive career). Again, if you like the WHA, there are some fantastic stories about hockey’s “rebel league.”
5. Mr. Hockey: My Story by Gordie Howe — This is Howe’s own story about his rise from homesick rookie to superstar, interspersed with legendary anecdotes (such as the time a severe head injury almost permanently took him out in 1950…and he was awake during the brain surgery to correct it. He was also back on the ice within weeks). If you’d like to hear the story from the man himself, it's a must-read.

Honorable Mention: Puckstruck: Distracted, Delighted, and Distressed by Canada’s Hockey Obsession by Stephen Smith — While this book doesn’t focus on Howe entirely (indeed, we get a whole section on the yin and yang of Ken Dryden, the sport’s only intellectual pinup) it’s a marvelous read and a fun, stream-of-consciousness romp through a century-plus of hockey. The writer also runs one of my favorite hockey history blogs, and you should check it out.

Gordie Howe receives a much-deserved standing ovation upon returning to Detroit in 1980 to play in that year’s All-Star Game. Video credit: davey boy phelan (Davey2Lighters) on YouTube.

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Emily Carney also writes about spaceflight. Star Bound: A Beginner’s Guide to the American Space Program, from Goddard’s Rockets to Goldilocks Planets and Everything in Between by Emily Carney and Bruce McCandless III is now available wherever books are sold.