Gordie Howe an iconic Canadian ice hockey player led the Detroit Red Wings to four Stanley Cup wins and numerous first-place finishes.
Playing an unmatched 1767 NHL games over 32 seasons he was celebrated for his skill and toughness earning the nickname “Mr. Hockey.”
Howe won multiple MVP and top scorer awards.
After retiring he briefly returned to play with his sons ended his career with record points and goals and later entered the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Here are some of the top quotes by Gordie Howe.
Best Gordie Howe Quotes
I don’t want to retire, because you stay retired for an awfully long time. ~ Gordie Howe.
I like to think that I’m a family man first and a professional athlete second. ~ Gordie Howe.
The first time I met Wayne Gretzky… he never said anything back. ~ Gordie Howe.
To me, hockey was always tremendous fun. That’s what kept me going for so long. I simply love to play hockey. ~ Gordie Howe.
My philosophy is never start talking about ‘if,’ ‘and,’ ‘but’ or the past, because 90 percent of what follows will be negative. ~ Gordie Howe.
If you make it anywhere in life, you owe that success to the people along the way who stuck up for you, or made sacrifices for you, and gave you a push when you needed it. In my case, those people were my family. ~ Gordie Howe.
It’s not easy to retire. No one teaches you how. I found that out when I tried it the first time. I’m not a quitter. ~ Gordie Howe.
All hockey players are bilingual. They know English and profanity. ~ Gordie Howe.
I always tell kids, you have two eyes and one mouth. Keep two open and one closed. You never learn anything if you’re the one talking. ~ Gordie Howe.
Famous Gordie Howe Quotes
I’m aware that not everyone approved of how I played, but I don’t think any apologies are in order. Early in my career, I decided that it was worth it to do whatever was necessary to earn the extra split second it takes to make a pass or shoot the puck. ~ Gordie Howe.
You find that you have peace of mind and can enjoy yourself, get more sleep, and rest when you know that it was a one hundred percent effort that you gave – win or lose. ~ Gordie Howe.
I still believe it is important that children have a chance to play other sports because they all offer learning experiences. Soccer is a growing sport and would be a good complement to hockey. ~ Gordie Howe.
People say I’m henpecked. Well, let them say it. ~ Gordie Howe.
You’ve got to love what you’re doing. If you love it, you can overcome any handicap or the soreness or all the aches and pains, and continue to play for a long, long time. ~ Gordie Howe.
Top Gordie Howe Quotes
I wish I had more opportunities to play for Canada when I was younger, but pros just never had the chance in those days. It was just set up that way. ~ Gordie Howe.
Rocket had that mean look on, every game we played. He was 100 percent hockey. He could hate with the best of them. ~ Gordie Howe.
I would say it is important to have a good education, as hockey is a career that does not last many years, and you need to be prepared for this. ~ Gordie Howe.
There’s always something in the game you wish you would have done different. That’s why players improve, because they learn from what they did before. They might have been guessing before, but now they know. ~ Gordie Howe.
It doesn’t matter whether I’m in an NHL arena, at a local rink, or on a sheet of ice in the middle of a baseball stadium: when I’m around the game, I feel at home. ~ Gordie Howe.
You can always get someone to do your thinking for you. ~ Gordie Howe.
I might have some quibbles with the way the game is played today, but at its core, I know that hockey will always be hockey no matter what year the calendar reads. ~ Gordie Howe.
Popular Gordie Howe Quotes
It’s been said that, while growing up, I ate meals with my skates on. It’s true. ~ Gordie Howe.
I helped put in a rink in Cadillac, Michigan, when my wife was very healthy. She helped them put it in and the rink is going full-bore the last time I was there. ~ Gordie Howe.
Growing up during the Depression, we didn’t have much, but we had each other, we had our friends, and that was pretty much all we needed. I was aware that some people had more, but those who did, shared. ~ Gordie Howe.
That was Dad. Don’t take any dirt from anybody. ~ Gordie Howe.
The kid looks good in his first game. ~ Gordie Howe.
If Colleen Howe had been a hockey player, she would have been a centremen. I can see her as a centreman because you can do what you want and go wherever you want to go. ~ Gordie Howe.
Growing up, I probably raised a bit more hell than I should have. ~ Gordie Howe.
If I learned one thing by playing professional hockey for thirty-two years, it’s that you have to love what you do. And that’s not just true for sports. ~ Gordie Howe.
So these were the 32 top Gordie Howe quotes and sayings.
If you like these quotes and sayings, then you can also read my other posts on Golda Meir quotes and George Bush quotes.
