Wayne Gretzky Gordie Howe: Throwback photo of Gordie Howe & young Wayne Gretzky throws fans into frenzy - "Wayne was lucky he didn't get the infamous elbow that day"

Throwback photo of Gordie Howe & young Wayne Gretzky throws fans into frenzy - "Wayne was lucky he didn't get the infamous elbow that day"

By Abhishek Dilta

Modified Jun 26, 2023 08:55 GMT

Throwback photo of Gordie Howe & a young Wayne Gretzky throws fans into a frenzy. Image Credit (r/nhl/ Reddit) — Throwback photo of Gordie Howe & a young Wayne Gretzky throws fans into frenzy. (Image Credit (r/nhl/Reddit)

Wayne Gretzky, arguably the greatest player in NHL history, has great admiration and affection for hockey legend Gordie Howe who "The Great One" considers his favorite and the greatest hockey player of all time.

Gordie Howe was a great source of inspiration for Gretzky as he pursued a career in hockey. Recently an image of the two greats pictured together, which is believed to be taken during the time when "The Great One" was just ten, is making rounds on Reddit.

In the viral photo, Mr. Hockey, Howe, is pictured with his hockey stick playfully hooked around the chin of young Gretzky, who later went on to become one of the best in NHL history. "The Great One" recalled being the luckiest person to be part of the golden moment with Howe.

The image is still considered one of the best ever captured in the history of hockey. Fans were quick to notice the golden image and flooded the post with their reactions. One user said:

"Kid don't ever take the puck from me again" - When Wayne Gretzky faced Gordie Howe in a game of hockey

"The Great One" once recalled the first time he faced Gordie Howe in a hockey game.

During the 1978-79 season, Wayne Gretzky had the opportunity to play against his idol Gordie Howe for the first time when Mr. Hockey was playing for the New England Whalers of the World Hockey Association.

Gretzky was only 18 when he was up against his idol, Gordie Howe, who was 50. Later in the game, "The Great One" had a face-to-face battle with his idol in which he stole the puck from the latter's stick, which appeared to irritate Mr. Hockey as Wayne Gretzky shared the incident (vial NHL.com):

Gordie Howe passed away at the age of 88 on June 10, 2016. Wayne Gretzky was among the players to attend his funeral in Detroit. Howe is the third leading goal scorer in NHL with 801 goals.

He played 25 seasons for the Detroit Red Wings and one with the Hartford Whalers in the NHL accounting for a total of 1,767 games.

About the author

Abhishek is an NHL writer at Sportskeeda with over 2 years of sports reporting experience and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delhi. He became a fan of ice hockey after watching NHL fight videos on YouTube, which led to him professionally writing about the sport and his continued interest in all things hockey.

A fan of the Boston Bruins, Abhishek considers their incredible comeback win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2013 playoffs as the most iconic moment in the NHL. His admiration for the six-time Stanley Cup winners also comes from the team’s storied history, distinctive black and gold uniform and their success in the sport. His all-time favorite NHL players are Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, for their ability to perform at the highest level consistently.

Abhishek ensures his reporting is fair and balanced by being well-researched in his details, which he expects to be relevant, up-to-date and in line with ethical standards. His specialties are doing detailed match analysis and covering fan reactions.

Abhishek enjoys music, traveling and going on walks with his three German Shepherds in his free time, along with learning about horticulture.

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