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Travel keeps Mr. Hockey young:
Gordie Howe in Calgary to promote charity tourney, which runs at Canada Olympic Park this weekend

Allen Cameron, Calgary Herald April 13, 2012

Understand, Marty Howe had ambitions of having his 84-year-old dad take it a little easier.

But Gordie Howe, apparently would have none of it.

The effects of age have clearly caught up with Mr. Hockey — he won’t speak to the media, nor will he speak in public. But he will shake countless hands, pose for countless pictures and spread unlimited goodwill.

“I started running his company five or six years ago and I had this brainstorm that I would charge a little more (for his appearances) and we would do a little less so that we could go fishing,” said Marty on Friday at the Gordie Howe and Friends Luncheon at the downtown Westin, the kickoff event to the second annual Scotiabank Calgary Pro-Am for Alzheimer’s. “But he was bored out of his mind. So I changed the whole thing and went right back to charging less and going to more stuff. He probably does close to 60 events a year. I’ve been home 10 days in the last three months with all the travelling he does.

“And everybody thinks it’s really hard on him. But I think it’s actually what keeps him going and keeps him younger. He livens up. He loves these things, he really does. He loves talking to the people. I can’t stop him from doing it, I can tell you that. The only way he’s going to stop is when he can’t do it anymore. And hopefully that’s not for a long time.”

Being out in public is one thing, of course, but the cause is near and dear to the Howes’ heart. Colleen Howe — Gordie’s wife, and the mother to his sons and former World Hockey Association teammates Marty and Mark, died in 2009 after being diagnosed with Pick’s Disease, a neurological disorder similar to Alzheimer’s. The Scotiabank Pro-Am stages fundraising tournaments across the country, with funds going to the Gordie and Colleen Howe Fund for Alzheimer’s, with this year’s Calgary event, which runs today and Sunday at the WinSport Ice Complex, expected to raise around $1.4 million.

‘Well, it adds a purpose,” said Marty. “And it’s great, to have your name associated with something that’s helping people . . . We were happy to put our name on this when they came to us, and when my mom passed away, it was always something that was a perfect fit for us. And coming to these cities in Canada, getting to Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, the turnouts are always great. It’s fun getting out of the States and getting to where they actually know about hockey. . . . Calgary, it feels like home for Gordie, being from Saskatchewan. It makes things familiar for him and I know he enjoys it.”

The tournament has attracted 350 participants, and NHL alums such as Lanny McDonald, Bryan Trottier, Tiger Williams and Gary Roberts were being matched with amateur teams Friday night in time for the opening games today at 9 a.m., with an all-star game set for today at noon. And while Mr. Hockey won’t be on the ice, he’ll be in the building, doing what he still loves to do: be around people.

“Sometimes he recognizes the faces, sometimes he doesn’t, but he loves telling his stories and talking to the people,” said Marty. “And he loves seeing the kids; he’s always tweaking their ears or doing something like that.

“He could literally do an event every day if he was still doing speeches. . . . It’s nice that he’s still known after all these years and he’s still recognizable with that same hairdo —just a little greyer.

“And,” added Marty with a smile, the same sharp elbows.”

Dean
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Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
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