From one legend to another, Phil Esposito recalls his interaction with Gordie Howe, and why he considers him to be the 'greatest all-around player ever.'
Howe may have been the best all round player and Mr. Hockey but Phil Esposito was THE absolute leader of the most important team to EVER play, the 72 Summit team. He and Paul Henderson and their legendary efforts for Canada will NEVER be forgotten!!
I met Gordie Howe in Saskatoon in 1991. He shook my hand. His hands were like powerful claws. It is then that I understood where his powerful wrist shots come from.
Esposito has a long memory. I would guess he might still be mad at the NHL for how they handled the Tampa Bay franchise. He was mad at the Bruins for years for being traded to the Rangers even though he had Sinden's word Espo would be a Bruin as long as he wanted. Long memory on Espo. An Italian memory doesn't forget a slight. Sometimes it never really forgives either.
Espo's reputation I think suffered because of playing with Orr. In other words, I think many ppl thought Espo wouldn't have scored as many goals as he did (including the then-record 76 that he scored in one season) if not for Orr, but then even in his mid-to-late 30s he was scoring 30-40+ goals a year for 4-5 years without Orr while playing for the NYR. So obviously Espo was legit without Orr. Plus there are few characters like Espo in hockey.
Well presented,,no argument from here. I met Gordie Howe at a signing and l asked him for an elbow,,,"l never waste a good elbow" was his reply,,,lol Class act.,,,thank you Phil
Words of respect and admiration from a great hockey player about the greatest all around player number 9 Gordie Howe of the Detroit Red Wings. I got to see him play and also got his autograph on an LA Kings program many yess ago. Certainly a hero of mine. As a teen in Detroit I hitchhiked to the Olympia in the dead of winter to see him play and waited outside in the cold to see him and the Red Wings board a waiting bus to go to their next game out of town. Memories like that are not forgotten.
Wow so amazing to hear a first hand account! Game #2 and he’s elbowed by Gordie Howe. Wow. That’s the coolest thing ever. What a fantastic player Espo was too. Holy cow!
I've been watching the NHL since 1963. I'm a 🇨🇱Texian🇨🇱 and we didn't have NHL teams here until the North Stars moved to Dallas circa '93. I used to watch the NHL on TV, and my favorite team to watch was the Montreal Canadiens, but I watched all of the teams. The NHL was pretty easy to keep up with then because there were only 6 teams. The legendary Gordie Howe was considered the Babe Ruth of ice hockey and it was always a thrill to watch him when Detroit played on TV. When he joined Houston of the new World Hockey Assn it was very exciting to say the least. It was fun to go to the games and watch Mr. Hockey and his two sons play. I know that the WHA wasn't the NHL but the league had some great players and Houston won the league championship twice in a row thanks to the Howes and many other great players on the team. God bless our pro hockey heroes from a by-gone era 🏒
Phil for me - Russian - is everything good linked to NHL: power, passion, endless will for struggle , leadership and of course skills - fantastic skills! Since 09.1972. For me he is the face of Canadian hockey (In spite that my favourite Canadian player forever is Bobby Hull :-) ) I admire the wholehearted respect with which he speaks about Gordy Howe! Thank's Phil!
@@beorlingo the same was in the USSR after '72. Then after Red Army - NY Rangers they started feeling sorry since he could do absolutely nothing. The respect appeared in '77 world championship when he spent about 40 minutes in the decisive game and fought as it life important
@@russhook6595 I have NO doubt Russ. Especially since it is he and Tony who put team Canada on their backs in 72. Phil as its leader and Tony as its solid second in command. Had it NOT been for Tony we would've been laughed out of that series because Dryden was not up to the task and had only 1 decent game. The Russians solved him before they stepped on the ice, kept shots low and made him look very ordinary. But they had no answer for Tony. And while he was keeping them OUT Phil was leading like a General at the other end. I am SO grateful to have watched Phil play all those years in Boston growing up. His departure along with Vad in 75 is the reason alot of us to this day DESPISE Harry Sinden.
@@russhook6595 Well that was personal I'm sure. Phil and Ivan did not like each other so you knew SOMEONE was leaving town. Had that trade NOT happened I'm Convinced The Hawks wouldve owned the 70's. Between Makita, The Hull Bros, The Espo Bros, Hodge, Stanfield, Maki, etc they wouldve been near impossible to beat
@@rf396 Yup, and after that trade fiasco, I experienced over 50 years of frustration supporting the Indian Head! Most fans actually think that these coaches and GMs know wtf they are doing! L0L I played the game almost 60 years and nothing could be further from the truth. Hockey is a TEAM game and why the Habs won more Cups.(refs backed them too) The '66 Final Richard put the winning goal in with his hand, against Red Wings. Hawks had a very strong team in the 60s-70s but too many EGOS methinx. 2010 win was nice but NOT the same as OLD TIME HOCKEY.
When talking hockey and the greatest players ever to play the game, Gordie Howe's name naturally comes up. I got thinking about his longevity and consistency, and it made me search for an analog in another pro team sport. I finally settled upon the late great Henry "Hammerin' Hank" Aaron in baseball. There are plenty of similarities between them, more than you might think at first glance. Gordie Howe held the career scoring records until Wayne Gretzky came along. Total goals, total points, assists. But he never scored fifty goals in a season, and only surpassed one-hundred points in a season once. He played in an era when points were tough to come by, and since the league was small, the level of competition was elite for that time. Howe piled up his ridiculous career stats by being consistent year-after-year, decade-after-decade and by playing hockey longer than anyone had ever done before. No other player has played into his fifties as Howe did, who was fifty two when he finally hung 'em up for good. Henry Aaron did not have a career as long as Gordie Howe, but he did have a long career - playing more than twenty years as a major-league baseball player, and remaining a productive player into his forties. Like Howe, he managed to avoid serious injury over his career - even the best players in any sport need luck, too. Henry Aaron never topped fifty HRs in a season, but he hit forty or more like clockwork over his career, as well as hitting for average and driving in runs consistently. A perennial All-Star. Other players tended to dominate the headlines for a time - Mays, Mantle, DiMaggio, Williams, McCovey, Jackson, et al. but none was as-consistent year-in-and-year-out as Aaron - which is why he broke Babe Ruth's career home record. Both of these athletes are beloved today by fans of their respective sports, and both are distinguished in part by their amazing consistency over an extended period of time. Other players may have been more-spectacular for a certain period of time, and even more-productive, but very few indeed have managed to put up such sterling results year-after-year, decade-after-decade. The mark of a true champion.
You missed the single attribute that both had, the immense character they displayed both on the field/ice and in their private lives. They were beloved by their fans because of how they treated the fans.
That was an interesting and fairly accurate comparison between Howe and Aaron. One of Howe's most impressive feats was the fact that the most points he ever scored in one season was 103 in 1968. He was 40 years old. When most players of any sport are past their prime by the time they reach their mid 30's, Howe had his peak season at the age of 40.
Gordie was the greatest. When I was much younger, I remember Gordie and Al Kaline had a home run hitting contest at the old Briggs Stadium in Detroit. Gordie won. They are building a new bridge across the Detroit River. It will be named the "Gordie Howe International Bridge". I can not think of a better name.
I met Gordie at an Eatons store in Winnipeg. He was the face of Truline, Eatons sporting goods brand. Wrists, hands, and forearms of steel. The kind you get spending days tossing bags of cement around. Soft spoken but he would crush you on the ice.
What a fun, REAL GUY Espo was and is...GREAT player on top of it! Love his story about getting traded from the B's to the Rangers with Orr blocking the window...What a wit Cherry has, look it up!
Espo has character and is not too fond of Vancouver. That's where he was when he got the news he was traded to New York. Apparently he trashed his room at the Bayshore Inn that day. lol
Phil's got a great point. Gordie played the game right or left handed as he chose, and he could play goal, too. He was on the blueline for his first pro try-out: he _chose_ defense for the occasion. In fact it was in goal that he was noted when he was just a kid. He could literally do it all. He was a 'right wing' for most fans, but he could have played any position and on any side of the rink.
Gordie was pretty proud of his goalie skills. I read that he like to brag about a save he made with his elbow when the Wings had pulled Roger Crozier late in a game. Imagine how careful slot players would have been if Howe was stationed between the pipes!
Terry Sawchuck from WINNIPEG baby.....! Career high and NHL Record of "103 SHUTOUTS". In 21 seasons. Actually the record is now 125 Martin Brodeur in 24 seasons. That's just amazing!!!!! (Yeah I know the game is played differnt today but man that's still amazing even for back then) (Also they were saying years ago it was 105 now they say 103) GO JETS GO !!!!!
Yes, but Mr. Zero played 295 fewer games than Brodeur (making it a little easier to see, since seasons don't really show the difference, since Sawchuk played 70 games...a full schedule...only three times, while Brodeur played 70+ 11 times). Give Sawchuck 295 more games, with his average shutout per game, and you likely add 31 more shutouts. He is Mr. Zero for a reason.
@@johnnylightning1967 Considering Gretzky,Esposito,Hull,Lindsey,Lameau,Orr,Bowman...... all agreed Howe was the greatest ever. I think you might be wrong.
@@johnnylightning1967 - Maybe at certain things, but not everything. Howe and Gretzky are tough to compare because they were such different kinds of players. Gretzky - perhaps better than any other major star in the game - took his in-born talents and made the most of them. Not gifted with a superlative physique like a Howe or a Hull, he compensated for it by becoming smarter and being able to read the game better than anyone else on the ice. Though he finished, by his own admission, last in the Oilers' depth chart for strength & fitness done every off-season, it didn't seem to matter. Gretzky slipped checks and when he did get hit, managed to survive well-enough to remain injury-free for most of his twenty-year career. Gretzky was the greatest point-producer in the history of the NHL. His career goals mark will probably be eclipsed - if not by Ovie then maybe by Conner McDavid - but it is fairly sure that no one will touch his ridiculous total points or assists numbers. He won when it counted, too, notching multiple cups during the Oiler dynasty years. On the debit side, though, Gretzky comes across as under-developed in terms of the physical and defensive sides of the game. Granted, he wasn't being paid big bucks to win face-offs or kill penalties or the like, but he was mediocre at best defensively, just as those Oilers teams were during the Go-Go 1980s. They didn't care if they won 2-1 or 9-8, as long as they won. I don't know what Edmonton paid their goalies then, but I bet it wasn't enough. I was surprised to see that the Great One was never awarded a Selke, or far as I can tell, even nominated for one. That's a debit on his otherwise spotless record. Gretzky was not at all a physical player and did not have the commanding physical presence of someone like a Gordie Howe or a Bobby Hull or for that matter, Bobby Orr. He fought very seldom, and was protected by hired guns paid for that purpose, on every team for which he played. Gretzky had no fear going into the corners and took and made hits, but he isn't remembered for that. That's not who he was. So he's never going to be mistaken for Scott Stevens or someone like that. The lack of physicality and maybe the commitment to defense are what cost him in evaluating him as the prototypical well-rounded player along the lines of a Howe, Hull, Orr or the like. Which is why I say that if you are designing the prototypical goal-scorer and point-producer, then #88 is your man, but if you are designing the prototypical well-rounded player who can do everything well, then maybe you chose someone like Howe or Orr or someone like that.
I crossed paths with Howe in Saskatoon ...dead winter ...Gordie was wearing a spring jacket ...it was on a downtown sidewalk ...I remember with pride, and wonder :)))
Your my idol Mr Esposito...I use to take the green line to the garden just to watch you sir play...it was always Esposito then orr to this 7 year old...
When he scored 49 goals and 95 points in 70 games, the league scoring average was so low that his scoring prorated to 99 goals and 192 points in the Gretzky 1980's era. He was a Top 5 NHL scorer for 21 years. Think about that and at age 50 scored 99 points in the WHA. Remarkable!
I met them in an airport in Toronto 1982 I was carrying my equipment going up to Thunderbay I was traded from Toronto up to Thunderbay and I sat down and had a 10 minute conversation with him and he was so genuine so nice
@@toddjohnson271 I would agree if you take the total package including durability and an ability to play great up to age 50 and even at age 52 he was the second leading playoff scorer for the Whalers against the Canadians. Mark Howe and Mike Rogers scored 3 points in the 3 game series and Gordie scored 1 goal and 2 points in the 3 games. Marty Howe also scored 1 goal and 2 points in that series against Montreal. The Howe's last hurrah together in the 1980 playoffs. In 3 games against Montreal they scored 3 goals and 7 points. Mark age 24, Marty age 26 and Gordie age 52. What a remarkable family and the youngest Murray is a Doctor. He is head of Sports Medicine Imaging for Toledo Radiological Associates and Promedica Health System's Sports Care program. Here is a little on Dr Murray Howe: Dr. Murray Howe awoke on Father’s Day 2016 with a heavy heart. He missed his beloved dad - Gordie Howe - the NHL legend who died a few days earlier at the age of 88. Howe, 57, wanted to talk to him. Tell him how much he loved him and the impact he had on his life and the world. For Murray Howe, the youngest of Gordie and Colleen Howe’s three sons (they also have a daughter), his memories were less tied to his dad’s ice time and more about moments he spent with family and in the community. And watching him with the public who simply couldn’t get enough of talking to him, shaking his hand or getting a picture with him. Gordie Howe always obliged. It was that Father’s Day when he decided to write down his memories and came up with nine lessons his dad had taught him. He decided to put it in a book, an exercise that took nine months. “Nine Lessons I’ve Learned from my Father” is the title of his new book, which debuts this week (published by Penguin Books). Murray Howe never played in the NHL, though he did play the sport growing up. His brothers, Mark and Marty, went on to play in World Hockey Association and NHL. Howe and wife Colleen, a trailblazer in her own right as one of the first female talent agents who handled contracts for her family, excelled after his hockey career ended. They held hockey schools, opened businesses, made public appearances and much more. Murray Howe was cut by University of Michigan's hockey team as he juggled his medical studies at the Ann Arbor campus. I asked how his dad reacted when he was cut by the team. “Dad was relieved. The only thing that was important to my parents was that the Howe kids were happy. Mr. Hockey could sense that I was losing my love for the game,” Howe said. Howe’s mom, who died in 2009, used to tell him he’d be a writer. He dabbled at it during college, even winning the prestigious Avery Hopwood Freshman essay award at U-M. Howe, who is a sought-after speaker on sports medicine, health and wellness, and hockey, learned much from his father. Things he wanted to impart to others about living your life and focusing on what matters most. Perhaps it was because Gordie Howe was bullied when he was young - he had a learning disability and couldn’t read - that he was so kind to others. Katy Howe was steadfast, telling her son to keep working hard and that amazing things were ahead for him. Indeed they were in Saskatchewan. “There wasn’t much to do during the winter so he began playing ice hockey,” said Murray Howe. Gordie Howe did learn to read but it required monumental effort. He mostly learned by listening. “He still was the smartest man I ever met,” Murray Howe said. The elder Howe also was the toughest. One memory stands out from 2011. The elder Howe, who was in his 80s, had one regret, Murray Howe told me: That he lost touch with his friends and family in Saskatchewan, the Canadian province where he grew up. So Howe decided to take his dad for a trip back home, which concluded with some fishing at Twin Falls Lodge in northern Saskatchewan. It was near Lac la Ronge, one of Gordie’s favorite angling spots. It was a remote area with lots of cliffs, trails and lakes. They fished with a member of the Cree Indian tribe as their guide. The third day, Gordie and Murray Howe decided to go hiking on their own - a trek that suddenly became treacherous as the path was narrow (less than eight inches wide) with a steep drop off . Gordie lost his footing and began tumbling down the 30-foot drop to the lake below. “The only thing that stopped him were two trees,” said Howe, who climbed down the path to get to his dad. “He was bleeding profusely from his cuts as he was on blood thinners,” Howe explained. His dad’s athleticism, pain tolerance and ability to stay calm helped. “Any other 80-year-old would have been in serious shape after that tumble,” Howe said. They climbed their way back up - grabbing shrubs and other things - as they made their way back up to the trail. The next morning, Howe asked his dad if they should stay home and rest and skip their last day of fishing. “He grabbed his fishing pole and said ‘you can stay if you’d like.’ ” The Cree Indian guide was with him. “We both knew this would likely be his last time fishing,” Murray Howe said. This was from the Detroit Free Press. It's only part of the article but I wanted to share it and the impact that Gordie had on his family and the man that he was. Colleen was the business person, Gordie was the player and taught leadership and love and strength. What a great Father! RIP Gordie!
Esposito was a monster. Wherever he went on the ice it was his ice. Great hands accurate shot, size speed and toughness all in plenty supply. A modern era coach can only dream of the list of attributes Esposito brought to the rink with him throughout his career. A proven elite level goal scorer a leader with a level of passion unrivalled in all of sport. It is with absolute amazement how you can tell Esposito idolised Gordie Howe. I wish I could have seen Gordie Howe play in the 50s with Ted Lindsey and Sid Abel they must have destroyed some teams back then 5 cups in the 50s is no small thing, five cups for any team in under 8 years is a dynasty by today's standards
Gordie was a great hockey player, and more importantly, an amazing human being. There has been a lot written about him in terms of how nice he was to everyone. And I can say from experience as a ten year old sharing the ice with him, he stood taller than anyone I have ever met.
I'm not picking on women but it suddenly struck me how unlikely it would be to see a woman EVER talking fondly about another woman who elbowed her in the face 6 seconds after meeting.
@@tuckercarlsonsmicropenis1283 Pathetic. Women are different when it comes to physical confrontations. That's fine and there's nothing wrong with it, it just is what it is. Virtue signal much?
By some measures Phil Esposito may have been the most prolific scorer in the NHL that being scoring the most goals while the league average was the lowest. What a great shot at the end of this with Howe and Espositio in All Star garb.
I'd take Espo or Beliveau to centre my 1st line any day, over #99. Gretzky's stats are undervalued AFAIAC. He was protected by the refs/League like no other player was in the history of NHL. I can't stand his wimpy arse-kissing fans either. I never hear much about the 76 Canada Cup team, and that team was THE BEST TEAM EVER ASSembled! BAR NONE! I quit my work-camp job up north to watch that, bc Hull and Orr were both playing for Canada.
@@nswanberg OK Thanx Swanny! lol That's the nickname I had for him. I can't remember his first name. BTW, I was born in Windsor, ON. but left in 1959 for the West Coast at a young age.
OK Swanny! U R very close to The Soo! No wonder U R an Esposito fan? My neighbour was from The Soo, and he was a Bruins fan, me Blackhawks! That made the Bruin/Hawks games more fun to watch. We only got playoff games back then on TV, but not many.
Marvin Pearce -I’m going to let you in on a little secret, Phil says Howe’s the best all-around player but ask him who’s the best player; he’ll tell you it was Orr.
Ok so tell me this if Howe and orr are on the ice together whose got the puck !!!!ORR, orr has the puck and Howe is chasing him with the rest of his team and not having much luck.ok so now tell me which one of those all around categories is Howe gonna be using while chasing orr for the puck .oh it must be the one where off goes to the bench for a res
@@5inthehole I've never seen Phil say Bobby was the best .only the best d man. And quite frankly I find it extremely ungrateful considering Esposito without ORR would never have won a single scoring title period and he would have maybe half the total goals and no Stanley cup rings nada none
Thanks Phil, Gordie,s my favorite and great story, but you where no slouch either, you made become a bruins fan. You my first sniper that I liked. Thanks for your great HOF career
If I had to pick 1 player from that era too play today, with all that medical technology and off season training it would be Orr. His first step speed was of the charts along with his skill. The others would adjust and do well also. But Orr would dominate today’s game.
@@hannover5551 I agree. Sadly, today's NHL hockey discourages creativity. That probably led Gretzky and Lemieux to retirement. Players have become like powerful, well-tuned robots following the scientific approach.
@@jeancorriveau8686 well said. Average players became coaches. They teach the styles that kept them in the league. Defensive style. Obviously, the equipment etc... the greatest era was 1969-1994.
Espo is such a great storyteller, and such a talent. He was never a "natural" star, but really developed his skills through a lot of work to become unstoppable in the slot. He scored COUNTLESS goals with 1-2 defenders mugging him in the slot. And what he did for Team Canada in 1974 vs the USSR was beyond MVP....
From Eddie Shack …… “My first NHL rookie game was at the Olympia Arena in Detroit. I was skating, gazing around in the warmup and this Red Wing player skated up to me and said “Son, I have heard a lot about you, you stay away from me, and I will stay away from you.” Shack “I said Yes Sir, Mr Howe!”
Strange Phil didn’t admit Bobby Orr was the greatest all-round player since when Phill played with Bobby his +/- value totaled +306 and when he didn’t play with Bobby his +/- value was -54. Bobby raised all his teammates level of play including the goalies. But everyone is entitled to his or hers own opinion.
I saw that too...And Espo shrugged it off saying...hell, everybody called me that...what a lovable guy Espo is. Keeps it real about himself, and other's too...refreshing honesty...what a rare thing in this neurotic world.
Ya, 20 consecutive all star teams, 4 scoring championships, 4 Stanley Cups usually impress people but he was a Hall of Famer after 5 seasons so dont ever think the longevity was the reason he is remembered.
I’m the biggest Gretzky fan ever and he’s my GOAT. But, I totally agree with Phil, how can you not argue Howe was the greatest all around player when he was as tough as he was and had the respect of every other player, as well as his offensive and defensive greatness, not too mention his career longevity. Bobby Orr too can be thrown in there as arguably the greatest as well. And Lemieux probably the most pure talented player to ever play the game. Those 4 though are definitely the greatest of all time, it’s really just a matter of choosing ur favourite and making ur argument.
But Espo isn't saying that Howe is the GOAT. He is saying that Howe was the best "all around" player of all time, meaning he had all areas covered better than any other player. I think had Orr been more durable he might have been equal or better. Also, expansion makes all the difference in the world.
SO many great players from ALL of hockey's past. Here's a trivia question. Which defenseman has won the most Hart trophies? If you said Orr, you are wrong. It was Eddie Shore with 4, (Orr had 3). I'm not saying Shore was better than Orr; I would take Orr over any other defenseman. I am saying that Shore was fantastic in his day but is probably not known by many fans today. Another great defenseman was Doug Harvey who basically quarterbacked the greatest NHL dynasty, the Canadiens in the late 50's. For me, I chose HOWE as GOAT though there are others a strong argument can be made for, including Orr, Gretzky, and Lemieux.
@Willie Gordon You are mistaken... Who is Mark Thomas? Potvin and Larry were great defensive defenseman. Bobby at his prime 1967-1973 was the best skater, shooter, passer, on power play. He was the fastest ... He had 6 gears. He could skate in 1st and jump to 6th and leave all behind like mcdavid did to the leafs last week. (Jan 2020). Bobby could carry the puck for 30 seconds and nobody could take it away. In a game in Oakland, he was hit at his own blue line, and dropped a glove. He then skated to the opponent goal, came back picked up his glove then went and scored, all on the same shift. Alll players applauded him even the Oakland Seals players.
I remember one time at a game at the old Chicago Stadium Tony Esposito went to sweep the puck out of the crease and he missed the puck. Howe just happened to be standing right there and he just tapped the puck into the open net. Tony was not to happy!
Phill is giving Howe his proper respect while trying not to dis Bobby and this is the right thing to do but if his life depended on it I think he would choose 5 Orrs over 5 Howes... I would. Bobby was just more skilled in every way.
I,m a little surprised that he didn’t say bobby oar who he played with for years and with all due respect to Gordie,there is no comparison. Bobby is the greatest of all time. Hands down.
Phil Esposito is one of the most beloved and respected NHL players of all time.
I just love the emotion Phil has on his face for Gordie.
Phil is so humble not once tooting his own horn. Phil you rank up there too !!!
Orr is the same way..
Howe may have been the best all round player and Mr. Hockey but Phil Esposito was THE absolute leader of the most important team to EVER play, the 72 Summit team. He and Paul Henderson and their legendary efforts for Canada will NEVER be forgotten!!
I met Gordie Howe in Saskatoon in 1991. He shook my hand. His hands were like powerful claws. It is then that I understood where his powerful wrist shots come from.
Gone, Never Forgotten.
R.I.P Mr. Hockey. Gordie Howe.
When the bridge is finished he never will be.
Amen
why does the nhl not use Espo more...guy is gold.
I was thinking the same thing
He does Tampa Bay games on radio..
Esposito has a long memory. I would guess he might still be mad at the NHL for how they handled the Tampa Bay franchise. He was mad at the Bruins for years for being traded to the Rangers even though he had Sinden's word Espo would be a Bruin as long as he wanted. Long memory on Espo. An Italian memory doesn't forget a slight. Sometimes it never really forgives either.
Saids to much...
What did he saids too much?
Phil is maybe the greatest personality the NHL has ever seen!!! Not to mention one he'll of a GREAT player! Love hearing his stories!
Ronnie James DIO him and Bobby Hull I would agree
Juan HEAL of player you mean??? lol ALL TIME BEST ALL STAR TEAM...Hull Espo Howe up front. Orr, Potvin on D. Glen Hall in goal.
You can have Gretzky!
Espo isn't all round. I saw him fight Horton in 1967 in the Semis. He was traded shortly after heavily-favored Hawks LOST that series.
Espo's reputation I think suffered because of playing with Orr. In other words, I think many ppl thought Espo wouldn't have scored as many goals as he did (including the then-record 76 that he scored in one season) if not for Orr, but then even in his mid-to-late 30s he was scoring 30-40+ goals a year for 4-5 years without Orr while playing for the NYR. So obviously Espo was legit without Orr. Plus there are few characters like Espo in hockey.
I can listen to Espo talk hockey all day
Well presented,,no argument from here.
I met Gordie Howe at a signing and l asked him for an elbow,,,"l never waste a good elbow" was his reply,,,lol
Class act.,,,thank you Phil
Words of respect and admiration from a great hockey player about the greatest all around player number 9 Gordie Howe of the Detroit Red Wings. I got to see him play and also got his autograph on an LA Kings program many yess ago. Certainly a hero of mine. As a teen in Detroit I hitchhiked to the Olympia in the dead of winter to see him play and waited outside in the cold to see him and the Red Wings board a waiting bus to go to their next game out of town. Memories like that are not forgotten.
Wow so amazing to hear a first hand account! Game #2 and he’s elbowed by Gordie Howe. Wow. That’s the coolest thing ever. What a fantastic player Espo was too. Holy cow!
I've been watching the NHL since 1963.
I'm a 🇨🇱Texian🇨🇱 and we didn't have NHL teams here until
the North Stars moved to Dallas circa '93.
I used to watch the NHL on TV, and my favorite team to watch was the Montreal Canadiens, but I watched all of the teams. The NHL was pretty easy to keep up with then because there were only 6 teams.
The legendary Gordie Howe was considered the Babe Ruth of ice hockey and it was always a thrill to watch him when Detroit played on TV.
When he joined Houston of the new
World Hockey Assn
it was very exciting to say the least.
It was fun to go to the games and watch Mr. Hockey and his two sons play. I know that the
WHA wasn't the NHL but the league had some great players and Houston won the league championship twice in a row thanks to the Howes and many other great players on the team.
God bless our pro hockey heroes from a by-gone era 🏒
God Espo is such a fantastic human . I could listen to him talk for days
Bless You, Phil Esposito. Your A True,Gentleman and Legend Yourself.❤
If Phil is a gentleman, Donald Duck is Nobel laureate
@@beorlingo he was nice to me !
RIP Mr. Hockey thanks for the memories
Growing up in Detroit I remember seeing #9 a few times. He is the G.O.A.T
Growing up in Toronto, I remember seeing #9 play two time. He definitely is the GOAT!
Great tribute by a hometown guy, rest easy Howe.
Phil for me - Russian - is everything good linked to NHL: power, passion, endless will for struggle , leadership and of course skills - fantastic skills! Since 09.1972. For me he is the face of Canadian hockey (In spite that my favourite Canadian player forever is Bobby Hull :-) ) I admire the wholehearted respect with which he speaks about Gordy Howe! Thank's Phil!
In Sweden he is seriously hated.
@@beorlingo the same was in the USSR after '72. Then after Red Army - NY Rangers they started feeling sorry since he could do absolutely nothing. The respect appeared in '77 world championship when he spent about 40 minutes in the decisive game and fought as it life important
If Phil says so, gotta go with it. Love Espo. From Flyers fan.
And Phil survived the Broad Street Bullies too, winning 2 Cups in the process.
Espo ..I will always remember how you lead team canada in 72.I love you man! You owned that slot!!
Phil You are STILL Loved and will ALWAYS BE Loved in Boston!
He is still LOVED in Canada too!
@@russhook6595 I have NO doubt Russ. Especially since it is he and Tony who put team Canada on their backs in 72. Phil as its leader and Tony as its solid second in command. Had it NOT been for Tony we would've been laughed out of that series because Dryden was not up to the task and had only 1 decent game. The Russians solved him before they stepped on the ice, kept shots low and made him look very ordinary. But they had no answer for Tony. And while he was keeping them OUT Phil was leading like a General at the other end. I am SO grateful to have watched Phil play all those years in Boston growing up. His departure along with Vad in 75 is the reason alot of us to this day DESPISE Harry Sinden.
@@rf396 And I was so pissed that IDIOT Tommy Ivan traded a HOFer, and 2 other stars, for Pit Martin, a minor league goalie, and a D-Man who failed.
@@russhook6595 Well that was personal I'm sure. Phil and Ivan did not like each other so you knew SOMEONE was leaving town. Had that trade NOT happened I'm Convinced The Hawks wouldve owned the 70's. Between Makita, The Hull Bros, The Espo Bros, Hodge, Stanfield, Maki, etc they wouldve been near impossible to beat
@@rf396 Yup, and after that trade fiasco, I experienced over 50 years of frustration supporting the Indian Head! Most fans actually think that these coaches and GMs know wtf they are doing! L0L I played the game almost 60 years and nothing could be further from the truth. Hockey is a TEAM game and why the Habs won more Cups.(refs backed them too) The '66 Final Richard put the winning goal in with his hand, against Red Wings. Hawks had a very strong team in the 60s-70s but too many EGOS methinx. 2010 win was nice but NOT the same as OLD TIME HOCKEY.
When talking hockey and the greatest players ever to play the game, Gordie Howe's name naturally comes up. I got thinking about his longevity and consistency, and it made me search for an analog in another pro team sport. I finally settled upon the late great Henry "Hammerin' Hank" Aaron in baseball. There are plenty of similarities between them, more than you might think at first glance.
Gordie Howe held the career scoring records until Wayne Gretzky came along. Total goals, total points, assists. But he never scored fifty goals in a season, and only surpassed one-hundred points in a season once. He played in an era when points were tough to come by, and since the league was small, the level of competition was elite for that time. Howe piled up his ridiculous career stats by being consistent year-after-year, decade-after-decade and by playing hockey longer than anyone had ever done before. No other player has played into his fifties as Howe did, who was fifty two when he finally hung 'em up for good.
Henry Aaron did not have a career as long as Gordie Howe, but he did have a long career - playing more than twenty years as a major-league baseball player, and remaining a productive player into his forties. Like Howe, he managed to avoid serious injury over his career - even the best players in any sport need luck, too. Henry Aaron never topped fifty HRs in a season, but he hit forty or more like clockwork over his career, as well as hitting for average and driving in runs consistently. A perennial All-Star. Other players tended to dominate the headlines for a time - Mays, Mantle, DiMaggio, Williams, McCovey, Jackson, et al. but none was as-consistent year-in-and-year-out as Aaron - which is why he broke Babe Ruth's career home record.
Both of these athletes are beloved today by fans of their respective sports, and both are distinguished in part by their amazing consistency over an extended period of time. Other players may have been more-spectacular for a certain period of time, and even more-productive, but very few indeed have managed to put up such sterling results year-after-year, decade-after-decade. The mark of a true champion.
You missed the single attribute that both had, the immense character they displayed both on the field/ice and in their private lives. They were beloved by their fans because of how they treated the fans.
That was an interesting and fairly accurate comparison between Howe and Aaron. One of Howe's most impressive feats was the fact that the most points he ever scored in one season was 103 in 1968. He was 40 years old. When most players of any sport are past their prime by the time they reach their mid 30's, Howe had his peak season at the age of 40.
Gordie was the greatest. When I was much younger, I remember Gordie and Al Kaline had a home run hitting contest at the old Briggs Stadium in Detroit. Gordie won. They are building a new bridge across the Detroit River. It will be named the "Gordie Howe International Bridge". I can not think of a better name.
My two childhood heros! Detroit was great back then.
I met Gordie at an Eatons store in Winnipeg. He was the face of Truline, Eatons sporting goods brand. Wrists, hands, and forearms of steel. The kind you get spending days tossing bags of cement around. Soft spoken but he would crush you on the ice.
I agree with him. All around, everything considered including his longevity and resistance to injury.
The veneration that all these players had, and still have,
for Gordie, from Orr to Espo to Hull to Gretzky, is something to behold.
What a fun, REAL GUY Espo was and is...GREAT player on top of it! Love his story about getting traded from the B's to the Rangers with Orr blocking the window...What a wit Cherry has, look it up!
Espo has character and is not too fond of Vancouver. That's where he was when he got the news he was traded to New York. Apparently he trashed his room at the Bayshore Inn that day. lol
Phil's got a great point. Gordie played the game right or left handed as he chose, and he could play goal, too. He was on the blueline for his first pro try-out: he _chose_ defense for the occasion. In fact it was in goal that he was noted when he was just a kid. He could literally do it all. He was a 'right wing' for most fans, but he could have played any position and on any side of the rink.
Yep.
Gordie was pretty proud of his goalie skills. I read that he like to brag about a save he made with his elbow when the Wings had pulled Roger Crozier late in a game. Imagine how careful slot players would have been if Howe was stationed between the pipes!
This is why he is MR. HOCKEY 🏒🥅
Terry Sawchuck from WINNIPEG baby.....!
Career high and NHL Record of "103 SHUTOUTS". In 21 seasons.
Actually the record is now 125 Martin Brodeur in 24 seasons.
That's just amazing!!!!! (Yeah I know the game is played differnt today but man that's still amazing even for back then)
(Also they were saying years ago it was 105 now they say 103)
GO JETS GO !!!!!
Yes, but Mr. Zero played 295 fewer games than Brodeur (making it a little easier to see, since seasons don't really show the difference, since Sawchuk played 70 games...a full schedule...only three times, while Brodeur played 70+ 11 times). Give Sawchuck 295 more games, with his average shutout per game, and you likely add 31 more shutouts. He is Mr. Zero for a reason.
still way worse than Hasek
Respect has to be earned in the NHL and both Esposito and Howe earned it in spades.
Wayne was very protected...Howe protected himself and was a part time enforcer..
Mario was also protected by guys like McSorely and Ulf Samuelsson and Rick Tochett.
Gretzky was the best
@@johnnylightning1967 Considering Gretzky,Esposito,Hull,Lindsey,Lameau,Orr,Bowman...... all agreed Howe was the greatest ever. I think you might be wrong.
@@BBBYpsi never got to see Howe play at his best, but did get to watch Gretzky from the his beginning and he was in a league of his own
@@johnnylightning1967 - Maybe at certain things, but not everything. Howe and Gretzky are tough to compare because they were such different kinds of players.
Gretzky - perhaps better than any other major star in the game - took his in-born talents and made the most of them. Not gifted with a superlative physique like a Howe or a Hull, he compensated for it by becoming smarter and being able to read the game better than anyone else on the ice. Though he finished, by his own admission, last in the Oilers' depth chart for strength & fitness done every off-season, it didn't seem to matter.
Gretzky slipped checks and when he did get hit, managed to survive well-enough to remain injury-free for most of his twenty-year career. Gretzky was the greatest point-producer in the history of the NHL. His career goals mark will probably be eclipsed - if not by Ovie then maybe by Conner McDavid - but it is fairly sure that no one will touch his ridiculous total points or assists numbers. He won when it counted, too, notching multiple cups during the Oiler dynasty years.
On the debit side, though, Gretzky comes across as under-developed in terms of the physical and defensive sides of the game. Granted, he wasn't being paid big bucks to win face-offs or kill penalties or the like, but he was mediocre at best defensively, just as those Oilers teams were during the Go-Go 1980s. They didn't care if they won 2-1 or 9-8, as long as they won. I don't know what Edmonton paid their goalies then, but I bet it wasn't enough. I was surprised to see that the Great One was never awarded a Selke, or far as I can tell, even nominated for one. That's a debit on his otherwise spotless record.
Gretzky was not at all a physical player and did not have the commanding physical presence of someone like a Gordie Howe or a Bobby Hull or for that matter, Bobby Orr. He fought very seldom, and was protected by hired guns paid for that purpose, on every team for which he played. Gretzky had no fear going into the corners and took and made hits, but he isn't remembered for that. That's not who he was. So he's never going to be mistaken for Scott Stevens or someone like that.
The lack of physicality and maybe the commitment to defense are what cost him in evaluating him as the prototypical well-rounded player along the lines of a Howe, Hull, Orr or the like. Which is why I say that if you are designing the prototypical goal-scorer and point-producer, then #88 is your man, but if you are designing the prototypical well-rounded player who can do everything well, then maybe you chose someone like Howe or Orr or someone like that.
I crossed paths with Howe in Saskatoon ...dead winter ...Gordie was wearing a spring jacket ...it was on a downtown sidewalk ...I remember with pride, and wonder :)))
Thanks for sharing Phil!
That was awesome Phil, you are definitely one of the greats also, thank you...👍
Your my idol Mr Esposito...I use to take the green line to the garden just to watch you sir play...it was always Esposito then orr to this 7 year old...
When he scored 49 goals and 95 points in 70 games, the league scoring average was so low that his scoring prorated to 99 goals and 192 points in the Gretzky 1980's era. He was a Top 5 NHL scorer for 21 years. Think about that and at age 50 scored 99 points in the WHA.
Remarkable!
I met them in an airport in Toronto 1982 I was carrying my equipment going up to Thunderbay I was traded from Toronto up to Thunderbay and I sat down and had a 10 minute conversation with him and he was so genuine so nice
Luckily I am a MIND-READER and know WHO U R talking about!
www.hockey-reference.com/players/h/howego01.html Howe never cracked 50! He was too busy cracking heads!
And he was an enforcer that played great two way. Best all around guy.
@@toddjohnson271 I would agree if you take the total package including durability and an ability to play great up to age 50 and even at age 52 he was the second leading playoff scorer for the Whalers against the Canadians. Mark Howe and Mike Rogers scored 3 points in the 3 game series and Gordie scored 1 goal and 2 points in the 3 games.
Marty Howe also scored 1 goal and 2 points in that series against Montreal.
The Howe's last hurrah together in the 1980 playoffs.
In 3 games against Montreal they scored 3 goals and 7 points.
Mark age 24, Marty age 26 and Gordie age 52.
What a remarkable family and the youngest Murray is a Doctor. He is head of Sports Medicine Imaging for Toledo Radiological Associates and Promedica Health System's Sports Care program.
Here is a little on Dr Murray Howe:
Dr. Murray Howe awoke on Father’s Day 2016 with a heavy heart. He missed his beloved dad - Gordie Howe - the NHL legend who died a few days earlier at the age of 88.
Howe, 57, wanted to talk to him. Tell him how much he loved him and the impact he had on his life and the world.
For Murray Howe, the youngest of Gordie and Colleen Howe’s three sons (they also have a daughter), his memories were less tied to his dad’s ice time and more about moments he spent with family and in the community.
And watching him with the public who simply couldn’t get enough of talking to him, shaking his hand or getting a picture with him. Gordie Howe always obliged.
It was that Father’s Day when he decided to write down his memories and came up with nine lessons his dad had taught him.
He decided to put it in a book, an exercise that took nine months.
“Nine Lessons I’ve Learned from my Father” is the title of his new book, which debuts this week (published by Penguin Books).
Murray Howe never played in the NHL, though he did play the sport growing up. His brothers, Mark and Marty, went on to play in World Hockey Association and NHL.
Howe and wife Colleen, a trailblazer in her own right as one of the first female talent agents who handled contracts for her family, excelled after his hockey career ended. They held hockey schools, opened businesses, made public appearances and much more.
Murray Howe was cut by University of Michigan's hockey team as he juggled his medical studies at the Ann Arbor campus.
I asked how his dad reacted when he was cut by the team. “Dad was relieved. The only thing that was important to my parents was that the Howe kids were happy. Mr. Hockey could sense that I was losing my love for the game,” Howe said.
Howe’s mom, who died in 2009, used to tell him he’d be a writer. He dabbled at it during college, even winning the prestigious Avery Hopwood Freshman essay award at U-M.
Howe, who is a sought-after speaker on sports medicine, health and wellness, and hockey, learned much from his father. Things he wanted to impart to others about living your life and focusing on what matters most.
Perhaps it was because Gordie Howe was bullied when he was young - he had a learning disability and couldn’t read - that he was so kind to others.
Katy Howe was steadfast, telling her son to keep working hard and that amazing things were ahead for him.
Indeed they were in Saskatchewan.
“There wasn’t much to do during the winter so he began playing ice hockey,” said Murray Howe.
Gordie Howe did learn to read but it required monumental effort. He mostly learned by listening.
“He still was the smartest man I ever met,” Murray Howe said.
The elder Howe also was the toughest.
One memory stands out from 2011. The elder Howe, who was in his 80s, had one regret, Murray Howe told me: That he lost touch with his friends and family in Saskatchewan, the Canadian province where he grew up.
So Howe decided to take his dad for a trip back home, which concluded with some fishing at Twin Falls Lodge in northern Saskatchewan. It was near Lac la Ronge, one of Gordie’s favorite angling spots.
It was a remote area with lots of cliffs, trails and lakes. They fished with a member of the Cree Indian tribe as their guide.
The third day, Gordie and Murray Howe decided to go hiking on their own - a trek that suddenly became treacherous as the path was narrow (less than eight inches wide) with a steep drop off .
Gordie lost his footing and began tumbling down the 30-foot drop to the lake below.
“The only thing that stopped him were two trees,” said Howe, who climbed down the path to get to his dad.
“He was bleeding profusely from his cuts as he was on blood thinners,” Howe explained.
His dad’s athleticism, pain tolerance and ability to stay calm helped.
“Any other 80-year-old would have been in serious shape after that tumble,” Howe said.
They climbed their way back up - grabbing shrubs and other things - as they made their way back up to the trail.
The next morning, Howe asked his dad if they should stay home and rest and skip their last day of fishing.
“He grabbed his fishing pole and said ‘you can stay if you’d like.’ ”
The Cree Indian guide was with him.
“We both knew this would likely be his last time fishing,” Murray Howe said.
This was from the Detroit Free Press. It's only part of the article but I wanted to share it and the impact that Gordie had on his family and the man that he was.
Colleen was the business person, Gordie was the player and taught leadership and love and strength.
What a great Father!
RIP Gordie!
Esposito was a monster. Wherever he went on the ice it was his ice. Great hands accurate shot, size speed and toughness all in plenty supply. A modern era coach can only dream of the list of attributes Esposito brought to the rink with him throughout his career. A proven elite level goal scorer a leader with a level of passion unrivalled in all of sport. It is with absolute amazement how you can tell Esposito idolised Gordie Howe. I wish I could have seen Gordie Howe play in the 50s with Ted Lindsey and Sid Abel they must have destroyed some teams back then 5 cups in the 50s is no small thing, five cups for any team in under 8 years is a dynasty by today's standards
after Bobby the Bruins were still good. and still had playoff success the following years
Very well said Espo!
It's hard to argue with Espo on this one. Phil the Thrill for the win!
What an awesome video! Respect.
Awesome interview
Great story and Phil was my idol as well as Gordie and Bobby Hull!
Will never argue with that summation!
Loved listening to the Bruins on the radio as a kid hoping Phil Esposito would score a goal
0:11 Wow, Orr vs Howe.
Can I just say, I love this film format. It makes those players at that time look legendary but you can see them clearly.
Gordie was a great hockey player, and more importantly, an amazing human being. There has been a lot written about him in terms of how nice he was to everyone. And I can say from experience as a ten year old sharing the ice with him, he stood taller than anyone I have ever met.
#9 Forever!
rip Mrs hockey. I never forget you you passaway on my 37 bday.
Esposito is a great story teller
Such a great storyteller.
I'm not picking on women but it suddenly struck me how unlikely it would be to see a woman EVER talking fondly about another woman who elbowed her in the face 6 seconds after meeting.
You think that’s PICKING on women? Many people (a lot of women) think women are much smarter than men....don’t GIVE them the evidence!
@@tuckercarlsonsmicropenis1283 Welp, U know what they say, "Women, U can't live with em, U can't blow their heads off!"
Where does this even come from seeing as women don’t skate out in the nhl anyway
@@inlonging Women play hockey. Doesn't have to be in the NHL.
@@tuckercarlsonsmicropenis1283 Pathetic. Women are different when it comes to physical confrontations. That's fine and there's nothing wrong with it, it just is what it is.
Virtue signal much?
That’s something coming from Phil because he was one hell of a hockey player himself..man could that guy score goals….👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Had the pleasure of meeting Espo & he is QUITE the character & a very nice guy.
Howe was his childhood idol ... go from there . Orr was , is , probably always will be the BEST . Don't forget Lemieux !
No doubt about it. #9!!
two greats in that last picture of them
Interesting To Note!
Great photo there at the end
Espo tells the best stories
Very cool
By some measures Phil Esposito may have been the most prolific scorer in the NHL that being scoring the most goals while the league average was the lowest. What a great shot at the end of this with Howe and Espositio in All Star garb.
I'd take Espo or Beliveau to centre my 1st line any day, over #99. Gretzky's stats are undervalued AFAIAC. He was protected by the refs/League like no other player was in the history of NHL. I can't stand his wimpy arse-kissing fans either. I never hear much about the 76 Canada Cup team, and that team was THE BEST TEAM EVER ASSembled! BAR NONE! I quit my work-camp job up north to watch that, bc Hull and Orr were both playing for Canada.
I knew a Swanberg in Vancouver in the early 90s.
@@russhook6595 My father's family hails from Chatham in Michigan's upper pennisula. 3 of my 4 granparents were off the boat from Sweden.
@@nswanberg OK Thanx Swanny! lol That's the nickname I had for him. I can't remember his first name. BTW, I was born in Windsor, ON. but left in 1959 for the West Coast at a young age.
OK Swanny! U R very close to The Soo! No wonder U R an Esposito fan? My neighbour was from The Soo, and he was a Bruins fan, me Blackhawks! That made the Bruin/Hawks games more fun to watch. We only got playoff games back then on TV, but not many.
Occasionally we get freaks of nature, Howe was one of them.
M. Ael Donald J Trump is another .
@@chrave1956 He's not a freak of nature,
he's more like a freak against nature.
@@justplainbrad7713 Great reply!
Yeah...but DJT still beats Socialism any day of the week
Phil got it right...best ALL-AROUND player.
messier a close second
Orr 1a
Marvin Pearce -I’m going to let you in on a little secret, Phil says Howe’s the best all-around player but ask him who’s the best player; he’ll tell you it was Orr.
Ok so tell me this if Howe and orr are on the ice together whose got the puck !!!!ORR, orr has the puck and Howe is chasing him with the rest of his team and not having much luck.ok so now tell me which one of those all around categories is Howe gonna be using while chasing orr for the puck .oh it must be the one where off goes to the bench for a res
@@5inthehole I've never seen Phil say Bobby was the best .only the best d man. And quite frankly I find it extremely ungrateful considering Esposito without ORR would never have won a single scoring title period and he would have maybe half the total goals and no Stanley cup rings nada none
Esposito's a TRUE GENTLEMAN!
Bobby Orr by far was the best all around player
Thanks Phil, Gordie,s my favorite and great story, but you where no slouch either, you made become a bruins fan. You my first sniper that I liked. Thanks for your great HOF career
Gordie Howe was in the top 5 scorers of the league 20 years in a row. That tells how strong he was.
If I had to pick 1 player from that era too play today, with all that medical technology and off season training it would be Orr. His first step speed was of the charts along with his skill. The others would adjust and do well also. But Orr would dominate today’s game.
@@hannover5551 I agree. Sadly, today's NHL hockey discourages creativity. That probably led Gretzky and Lemieux to retirement. Players have become like powerful, well-tuned robots following the scientific approach.
@@jeancorriveau8686 well said. Average players became coaches. They teach the styles that kept them in the league. Defensive style. Obviously, the equipment etc... the greatest era was 1969-1994.
Espo is such a great storyteller, and such a talent. He was never a "natural" star, but really developed his skills through a lot of work to become unstoppable in the slot. He scored COUNTLESS goals with 1-2 defenders mugging him in the slot. And what he did for Team Canada in 1974 vs the USSR was beyond MVP....
I think you meant to say the 72 summit series!
How gracious. Phil you're not far behind.
Scotty Bowman said the same.....if you can pick a team with 6 of the same player, it's Gordie Howe.
Right On
From Eddie Shack ……
“My first NHL rookie game was at the Olympia Arena in Detroit. I was skating, gazing around in the warmup and this Red Wing player skated up to me and said “Son, I have heard a lot about you, you stay away from me, and I will stay away from you.”
Shack “I said Yes Sir, Mr Howe!”
Espo was outstanding! What possessed Chicago to let him go? With him, Hawks could have won more Cups in the 60s and early 70s!
either Espo or Mikita had to go. The Hawks picked the wrong one to go, as Mikita was all about finished then!
Phil should do alot more story telling shows for the NHL, would be great color commentator.
I use to watch gordie. He was a great player and one tough s.o.b.
Gordie the Great is still the all time professional goal scorer 975, WHA/NHL. Gretzky number 2, 940.
Phil Esposito is on my who would you like to have dinner with list. he's an entertaining guy
Howe is the embodiment of hockey.
Number 4 ..greatest all round player of all times.
He makes a great case ..
Strange Phil didn’t admit Bobby Orr was the greatest all-round player since when Phill played with Bobby his +/- value totaled +306 and when he didn’t play with Bobby his +/- value was -54. Bobby raised all his teammates level of play including the goalies.
But everyone is entitled to his or hers own opinion.
Agreed !
Most talented? No. Fastest, smartest, hardest, most skillful? No. But best of all combinations? Agreed. Gordie Howe. Mr. Hockey.
They cut off Philt 2:37. Gordie said, "What did you say woppo?"
PC tyranny.
Pfsif Yup. You can see it clearly that they skipped.
I saw that too...And Espo shrugged it off saying...hell, everybody called me that...what a lovable guy Espo is. Keeps it real about himself, and other's too...refreshing honesty...what a rare thing in this neurotic world.
Gary Simard Even now still the censors at work telling us what we can hear
Irish wit He said even his teammates called him that
Howe has longevity which made his career and stats look impressive.
Ya, 20 consecutive all star teams, 4 scoring championships, 4 Stanley Cups usually impress people but he was a Hall of Famer after 5 seasons so dont ever think the longevity was the reason he is remembered.
Worked with guy who had a one day call up with the Bruins. His claim to fame was getting hit by Gordy in the corner. RIP Jim Macavoy.
I’m the biggest Gretzky fan ever and he’s my GOAT. But, I totally agree with Phil, how can you not argue Howe was the greatest all around player when he was as tough as he was and had the respect of every other player, as well as his offensive and defensive greatness, not too mention his career longevity. Bobby Orr too can be thrown in there as arguably the greatest as well. And Lemieux probably the most pure talented player to ever play the game. Those 4 though are definitely the greatest of all time, it’s really just a matter of choosing ur favourite and making ur argument.
But Espo isn't saying that Howe is the GOAT. He is saying that Howe was the best "all around" player of all time, meaning he had all areas covered better than any other player. I think had Orr been more durable he might have been equal or better. Also, expansion makes all the difference in the world.
God it’s fun to argue. Boston has two gods. Bobby Orr and wait a minute, oh yeah Ted Williams
Rocket Richard was not a bad player too! LOL
Gretzky was a big pussie,he was an old woman's bra,get outta here ..
Phil looks great got his age (I think he is 79 or 80.. so 76 in this clip)
If I were starting a team Orr would be my first pick and Howe would be my second.
Well, regardless of which one you picked, the other likely would be taken by the next team. I would hope that I got the second pick, for sure.
@Willie Gordon But they never did, did they? Potvin and Robinson played against Orr and neither held a candle to Orr.
SO many great players from ALL of hockey's past. Here's a trivia question. Which defenseman has won the most Hart trophies? If you said Orr, you are wrong. It was Eddie Shore with 4, (Orr had 3). I'm not saying Shore was better than Orr; I would take Orr over any other defenseman. I am saying that Shore was fantastic in his day but is probably not known by many fans today. Another great defenseman was Doug Harvey who basically quarterbacked the greatest NHL dynasty, the Canadiens in the late 50's. For me, I chose HOWE as GOAT though there are others a strong argument can be made for, including Orr, Gretzky, and Lemieux.
@Willie Gordon You are mistaken... Who is Mark Thomas? Potvin and Larry were great defensive defenseman. Bobby at his prime 1967-1973 was the best skater, shooter, passer, on power play. He was the fastest ... He had 6 gears. He could skate in 1st and jump to 6th and leave all behind like mcdavid did to the leafs last week. (Jan 2020). Bobby could carry the puck for 30 seconds and nobody could take it away. In a game in Oakland, he was hit at his own blue line, and dropped a glove. He then skated to the opponent goal, came back picked up his glove then went and scored, all on the same shift. Alll players applauded him even the Oakland Seals players.
I agree! Hull would be my third pick.
I think the only one that could rival Gordie, was Orr. Orr could skate, kill penalty’s, power play, fight, score.
I remember one time at a game at the old Chicago Stadium Tony Esposito went to sweep the puck out of the crease and he missed the puck. Howe just happened to be standing right there and he just tapped the puck into the open net. Tony was not to happy!
The Gordie Howe hat trick - a goal, an assist, and a fight.
Phil knows Bobby Orr was the greatest period
Pavel Bure was a nuclear version of Number 4 Bobby Orr??!!!
elvicare35 hahhhaha. Not even close
orr the best
Howe played over 5 decades and was consistently good.
Willie Gordon A bum
#9 Nothing more needs to be said.
Phill is giving Howe his proper respect while trying not to dis Bobby and this is the right thing to do but if his life depended on it I think he would choose 5 Orrs over 5 Howes... I would. Bobby was just more skilled in every way.
He's right.
Why is Howe's #9 not retired league wide?
That wasnt done then and so many top players were still wearing #9 on other teams.
I,m a little surprised that he didn’t say bobby oar who he played with for years and with all due respect to Gordie,there is no comparison. Bobby is the greatest of all time. Hands down.
he made it a point to say that Gordie was the best all around player & he is right on that