In one of the most legendary careers in NHL history and the most legendary career in franchise history, Gordie Howe "only" spent 25 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings. To put that into perspective, he played for one team between his age-18 and age-42 seasons.
If that doesn't impress you, then maybe the fact he played without ever wearing a helmet for that long will, and you can say the same for his days with the Houston Aeros and New England/Hartford Whalers. That'll never happen again, and it makes it even more iconic.
Howe finally called it quits after his age-51 season in what was a return to the NHL since the Whalers were one of those old WHA teams that merged for the 1979-80 season and beyond. So that was it, right? Howe would finish his career playing across a remarkable five decades that spanned from the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, and even into the 80's.
Put Gordie Howe's legendary career length into perspective for just a moment
I mean, if I were to write a book on the sports and entertainment industry that spanned throughout Gordie Howe's legendary NHL career, think about how much the world itself had changed between 1946-47 and 1979-80. Yeah, no wonder, when I first started getting interested in NHL history, that Howe was the first player who jumped off the screen.
I took one look at his long career and thought I'd seen a typo. But nope. He literally played hockey until he was 51, and still played well in that last season, scoring 15 goals and 41 points in 80 games. But then, after more than a decade away from the game, Mr. Hockey returned for one final shift in the 1990s.
No, it wasn't in the NHL, but it was pro hockey nonetheless. Because during the '90s, a league called the IHL existed and they had a team in Detroit called the Vipers. Yeah, that's a cool name and one that's so underused in pro sports that there's not a word in the English language that I can utter to express my disappointment.
Anyway, during that final appearance, the Vipers faced off with the Kansas City Blades in October 1997 at the Palace in Auburn Hills (one of the all-time best names for an arena), and Howe, 69 years old at the time, started the game and skated for a 46-second shift.
It was enough to claim a sixth decade of professional hockey
Sure, it was only one shift, and no, Howe didn't get involved in anything other than a minor bump from Iain Fraser and a puck deflection off the leg. But it was still enough to, technically, claim a sixth decade playing a pro sport.
For casual fans, it may've been insignificant, but for the Motor City and fans who either watched Howe play or knew what made him a legend, oh, this was one of the most significant, iconic, and unforgettable moments in sports history.
And, unless someone else, like Sidney Crosby, for example, is interested in playing another decade or so, chances are, this is something you'll never see happen again in sports. And it makes that moment over in Auburn Hills even more iconic.
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