If you saw a 51-year-old man walking into a local Wendy’s today to grab a Frosty, you wouldn’t exactly peg him as a top-tier professional athlete. But in 1979, that was just a Tuesday for Gordie Howe.
Most people remember "Mr. Hockey" as the face of the Detroit Red Wings. They think of the 25 years he spent in the Motor City, the four Stanley Cups, and those six Hart Trophies. But honestly, the most surreal chapter of his life didn’t happen in Detroit. It happened in a mall. Specifically, the Hartford Civic Center, which was basically built into a shopping mall.
The Gordie Howe Hartford Whalers era is often treated like a weird footnote, or maybe a "victory lap" that went on a bit too long. It wasn’t. It was a gritty, high-stakes family reunion that saved a franchise and proved that biological aging is apparently optional if you're tough enough.
The Secret "Gentleman’s Agreement"
When the WHA folded in 1979, the NHL absorbed four teams: the Oilers, the Jets, the Nordiques, and the Whalers. There was a huge problem, though. The NHL had this "reclamation" rule. Any team that held the rights to a player before they jumped to the WHA could take them back.
Technically, the Detroit Red Wings still owned Gordie. He’d been retired for years before joining the WHA, but the paperwork was still there.
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Can you imagine the chaos? Hartford was trying to build a brand around the Howe family, and Detroit could have swooped in and snatched him away. Instead, a "gentleman’s agreement" was struck. Detroit agreed not to reclaim him. They knew Gordie wanted to play with his sons, Mark and Marty. Pulling him back to Detroit without his kids would have been a PR disaster and a personal insult to a legend.
So, at age 51, Gordie Howe officially returned to the NHL. Not in red and white, but in the iconic green and blue of the Hartford Whalers.
15 Goals at Age 52? Let’s Be Real.
People look at Howe's stats from that 1979-80 season and see 15 goals and 26 assists. They think, "Okay, he was a passenger."
Stop. Look at the context.
He played all 80 games. He didn't take nights off. He didn't hide in the shadows. He was out there taking elbows and giving them back. He actually finished the season with a +9 rating. For a 52-year-old (he hit that milestone in March of that season) playing on an expansion-level roster, that is statistically insane.
Why the Whalers Needed Him
The Whalers weren't just a hockey team; they were an experiment. Moving from the "rebel" WHA to the established NHL was a massive jump in competition.
- Leadership: They had a locker room full of kids and WHA vets who needed to know how to act in the "Big League."
- Attendance: The Whalers were playing their first 22 home games in Springfield because the Hartford Civic Center roof had literally collapsed a year earlier. They needed a draw.
- The Hull Factor: For a brief, flickering moment, the Whalers even had Bobby Hull. Seeing Howe and Hull on the same roster was like a fever dream for hockey fans who grew up in the 60s.
The Night in Detroit
The most emotional moment of the entire season happened on February 5, 1980. The NHL All-Star Game. It was held at the newly opened Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.
When Gordie was introduced, the ovation lasted so long that the players on the ice started getting restless. It wasn't just a "thank you" for the past. It was a "holy cow, you're still doing this" for the present.
Then, on March 12, the Whalers played the Wings in Detroit. This is where it gets cool. The Whalers' coach, Don Blackburn, started an all-Howe line. Gordie at center, Mark on the wing, and Marty on the wing. Marty was actually a defenseman, and the coach told him to change as soon as the puck dropped. Gordie, being Gordie, told his son: "Forget that. You're playing the whole shift with me."
They did. And the roof nearly came off the building.
The Final Goal (and the Ending Nobody Wanted)
Gordie’s final NHL goal didn't happen in the regular season. It happened in the playoffs.
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On April 9, 1980, the Whalers were getting hammered by the Montreal Canadiens. They lost 8-4. But in the third period, Mark Howe fed a pass to his dad. Gordie snapped a backhand past Denis Herron.
The Montreal fans—the most hockey-obsessed people on the planet—gave him a standing ovation. They knew they were watching the end of an era.
But here’s the kicker: Gordie didn't want to retire.
In the authorized biography And Howe!, it’s revealed that Gordie actually asked Whalers GM Jack Kelley if he could play one more season while serving as an assistant coach. Kelley said no. Gordie was so frustrated that he basically quit on the spot. The team called a press conference the next day to announce his retirement before he could change his mind.
It was a sour end to a sweet season. The Howe family felt like he was pushed out before he was ready.
Actionable Insights for Hockey Historians
If you’re looking to truly understand the Gordie Howe Hartford Whalers era, don't just look at the NHL stats.
- Check the WHA Years First: To understand why he was so good in 1979, you have to look at his 1977-78 season with the New England Whalers (the WHA version). He put up 96 points at age 49. The 1980 season wasn't a fluke; it was the tail end of a massive second wind.
- Watch the Mark Howe Footage: Mark wasn't just "Gordie’s son." He was a superstar. He led the Whalers in scoring that 1979-80 season with 80 points from the blue line. Gordie wasn't carrying his kids; they were carrying him, and he loved every second of it.
- Visit the Heritage: If you're ever in Hartford, the "Whaler Nation" culture is still alive. The connection between the city and the Howe family is why people still wear those green jerseys today.
Gordie Howe proved that "old" is a state of mind, but a "Gordie Howe hat trick" is forever. He left the NHL as the only player to compete in five different decades. While Detroit gave him his wings, Hartford gave him his sunset—and he made sure that sunset was as loud and physical as possible.