Gordie Howe

Born in rural Saskatchewan in 1928, Gordie Howe grew up during the Depression and left school during his early teens to work with his father. However, his adeptness at hockey got him out of Canada at age 15. At first, he was courted by the New York Rangers, but he turned them down. The next year, the Detroit Red Wings invited him to their training camp, and he signed a deal that had him play for the junior league Galt Red Wings and, a year later, the minor league Omaha Knights. At age 18, Howe made his NHL debut with the Red Wings in 1946. Within a few years, he began to dominate the league, earning the nickname "Mr. Hockey." In 1950, he led the Red Wings to the first of four Stanley Cup victories during his time there. Throughout his 25 years with the Red Wings, he was selected for 22 All-Star games and earned numerous awards and accolades. He retired, for the first time, at the end of the 1971 season at the age 43. But after a season doing little in the Detroit front office, Howe returned to play hockey in the fledgling World Hockey Association alongside his two sons: Mark and Marty. The league folded and he played for the Hartford Whalers for one season, making him the oldest player to ever play in the NHL at age 52. He finally retired - for real this time - and held a slew of NHL records when he did. Howe battled with dementia and health issues as he approached his 80s and eventually passed away at the age of 88 in 2016.