116-701: Stanley Mikita (born Stanislav Guoth ; May 20, 1940 – August 7, 2018) was a Slovak -born Canadian ice hockey player for the Chicago Black Hawks of the National Hockey League , generally regarded as the best centre of the 1960s. In 2017, he was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players . In 1961, he became the first Slovak-born player to win the Stanley Cup . Mikita was born as Stanislav Guoth in Sokolče , Slovak Republic , during
232-635: A West Slavic ethnic group and nation native to Slovakia who share a common ancestry , culture , history and speak the Slovak language . In Slovakia, c. 4.4 million are ethnic Slovaks of 5.4 million total population. There are Slovak minorities in many neighboring countries including Austria , Croatia , Czech Republic , Hungary , Poland , Romania , Serbia and Ukraine and sizeable populations of immigrants and their descendants in Australia , Canada , France , Germany , United Kingdom and
348-484: A Chicago player won the scoring title until Patrick Kane 's 106-point 2015–16 season. In his early years, Mikita was among the most penalized players in the league, but he then decided to play a cleaner game and went on to win the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for particularly sportsmanlike conduct combined with excellence twice. Mikita's drastic change in behavior came after he returned home from
464-468: A broken nose. Howe recalled "They always thought there was bad blood because I hit [Richard] once coming across the line and he spun like a rocket and fell down. He wasn't hurt that much and I started to laugh. But the laughter stopped when there were eight guys on me". Howe also had a rivalry with the Canadiens' centre Jean Béliveau , who wrote in his autobiography that "trying to strong-arm Gordie off
580-589: A campaign to establish a player's association to unite for fair wages against the NHL owners. This would be the nucleus of the movement that became the National Hockey League Players' Association . Howe's time playing with the WHA with his sons allowed the fledgling professional league to gain much-needed legitimacy and the ability to fill stadiums. The increased competition for hockey talent forced
696-767: A few skaters able to use the straight sticks of his era to shoot either left- or right-handed. As a young teen, he played bantam hockey with the King George Athletic Club in Saskatoon, winning his first championship with them in the 1942 Saskatchewan Provincial Bantam Hockey Finals. He received his first taste of professional hockey at age 15 in 1943 when he was invited by the New York Rangers to their training camp held at "The Amphitheatre" in Winnipeg , Manitoba . He played well enough there that
812-523: A few years). The relatively short existence of Great Moravia prevented it from suppressing differences which resulted from its creation from two separate entities, and therefore a common "Slovak-Moravian" ethnic identity failed to develop. The early political integration in the territory of present-day Slovakia was, however, reflected in linguistic integration. While dialects of the early ancestors of Slovaks were divided into West Slavic (western and eastern Slovakia) and non-West Slavic (central Slovakia), between
928-549: A goal, an assist, and a fight) was coined in reference to his penchant for fighting; however, Howe himself only recorded two such hat tricks in his career, on October 10, 1953, and March 21, 1954. Using his great physical strength, he was able to dominate the opposition in a career that spanned six decades (including one game with the Detroit Vipers of the IHL in 1997). In a feat unsurpassed by any hockey player, he finished in
1044-485: A golf pro at Kemper Lakes Golf Club . His other business interests, under Stan Mikita Enterprises, included making the small plastic sauce containers that accompany chicken nuggets at McDonald's. He owned Stan Mikita's Village Inn in the 1960s and 1970s, located in the Oakbrook Shopping Center, Oak Brook, Illinois. Mikita provided the foreword to the children's book My Man Stan by Tim Wendel. Mikita
1160-612: A major champion of Howe's legacy. A 23-time NHL All-Star , he shares the NHL record for seasons played with Chris Chelios , and his all-time NHL games played record of 1,767 was only surpassed in 2021 by Patrick Marleau . In 2017, Howe was named one of the " 100 Greatest NHL Players ". Howe made his NHL debut with the Red Wings in 1946 . He won the Art Ross Trophy for leading the league in points each year from 1950–51 to 1953–54 , then again in 1956–57 and 1962–63 , for
1276-522: A mentor to me,' But none of that mattered. Robbie had mussed up a Howe. Gordie Howe grew up on the prairie. He believed in prairie justice." Howe was named with sons Mark and Marty to the WHA version of Team Canada for an eight-game series against the Soviet Union. Playing on a line with son Mark and Ralph Backstrom , Howe contributed seven points in seven games at age 46. The Soviets won the series four wins to Canada's one, and with three ties. In
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#17327908191201392-586: A piece off one of his ears (it was stitched back on). Mikita's later years were marred by chronic back injuries, leading to his retirement as an active player on April 14, 1980. At that time, only Gordie Howe and Phil Esposito had scored more points in the NHL, and just six players had appeared in more games. Mikita was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983, and into the Slovak Hockey Hall of Fame in 2002. After retiring, Mikita became
1508-411: A reputation as one of the game's best faceoff men using his innovative curved stick, Mikita led the league in scoring four times in the decade, tying Bobby Hull 's year-old single-season scoring mark in 1966–67 with 97 points (a mark broken two years later by former teammate Phil Esposito and currently held by Wayne Gretzky ). The 1967–68 season, an 87-point effort from Mikita, was the last year
1624-401: A result, the NHL limited blade curvature to ½" in 1970. Mikita reportedly began the practice after his standard stick got caught in a bench door, bending the blade before he hit the ice; he soon was borrowing a propane torch from team trainers to create a deliberate curve. Mikita was also one of the first players to wear a helmet full-time, after a December 1967 game in which an errant shot tore
1740-458: A return to the ice for one shift. In so doing, he became the only player in hockey history to compete in six different decades at the professional level, having played in the USHL, NHL, WHA and IHL from the 1940s to 1990s. Howe's first 20 seasons came during an era when the schedule was only 70 games, scoring was difficult, and checking was tight; he never scored 50 goals in a single season . Howe
1856-658: A road trip. His wife told him that while their daughter, Meg, was watching the Black Hawks' last road game on television, she turned and said, "Mommy, why does Daddy spend so much time sitting down?" The camera had just shown Mikita in the penalty box again. During his playing career, in 1973, Mikita teamed up with Chicago businessman Irv Tiahnybik to form the American Hearing Impaired Hockey Association ( AHIHA ), to bring together deaf and hard-of-hearing hockey players from all over
1972-432: A rookie when he slashed Howe saying "he was an old man who didn't belong on the ice"; later in the season Howe exacted revenge with a check that gave Mikita a concussion. Bobby Hull recalled the times he and Howe played against each other saying 'I enjoyed every high-sticking minute of it', describing Howe as "strong as a bull and tougher than a night in jail". In the 1968 All-Star Game where Hull and Howe were teammates for
2088-514: A row). As Howe emerged as one of the game's superstars, he was frequently compared to the Montreal Canadiens ' Maurice Richard. Both were right wingers who wore #9, were regular challengers for the league scoring title, and could also play roughly if needed. Their first NHL match-up was in 1946, where Richard hit Howe with a hard check and an elbow to the chin. Howe and Richard never got to fight due to Sid Abel intervening. Abel received
2204-546: A score of 4–2. In game two, Gretzky and Mark Howe each scored a goal and Gordie Howe picked up an assist as the WHA won 4–2. WHA also won Game Three to ensure a clean sweep. When the WHA folded in 1979, the renamed Hartford Whalers joined the NHL. While the Red Wings still held Howe's NHL rights even though he had retired eight years earlier, the Whalers and Red Wings reached a gentleman's agreement in which Detroit agreed not to reclaim him. Howe had experienced dizzy spells in
2320-408: A total of six times, which is the second most in NHL history. He led the NHL in goal-scoring four times. He ranked among the top ten in the NHL scoring for 21 consecutive years. He set an NHL record for points in a season (95) in 1953, a record that was broken six years later. He won the Stanley Cup with the Red Wings four times and won six Hart Trophies as the NHL's most valuable player. He also led
2436-578: Is Tót (pl: tótok ), an exonym . It was originally used to refer to all Slavs including Slovenes and Croats , but eventually came to refer primarily to Slovaks. Many place names in Hungary such as Tótszentgyörgy , Tótszentmárton , and Tótkomlós still bear the name. Tóth is a common Hungarian surname. The Slovaks have also historically been variously referred to as Slovyenyn , Slowyenyny , Sclavus , Sclavi , Slavus , Slavi , Winde , Wende , or Wenden . The final three terms are variations of
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#17327908191202552-414: Is currently fourth on the NHL's all-time points list with 1850 total points (801 goals and 1,049 assists) after Wayne Gretzky , Mark Messier and Jaromír Jágr . Howe is still third on the all-time goals list, with only Gretzky and Alexander Ovechkin ahead of him. When career regular season goals from both the NHL and the WHA are combined, he ranks first in goals with 975, ahead of Gretzky's 940. At
2668-613: Is featured as a main character in the book. He became a goodwill ambassador for the Blackhawks' organization, and in fall of 2011, the Blackhawks raised a statue honouring Mikita at Gate 3½ at Chicago's United Center . For three decades the Blackhawks Alumni Association has hosted an annual golf tournament named in Mikita's honour. As of January 2022, Mikita ranks 15th in regular-season points scored in
2784-778: Is named for Gordie Howe in Traverse City , Michigan , where Howe lived from 1987 to 1999. Two of their sons, Marty and Mark , were his teammates on the WHA Houston Aeros and the New England (WHA)/Hartford (NHL) Whalers. Mark had a long NHL career, playing 16 seasons for the Hartford Whalers , the Philadelphia Flyers , and the Red Wings, and was one of the dominant two-way defencemen of the 1980s. He followed his father by being elected to
2900-626: Is only the second European captain in history of the NHL that led his team to win the Stanley Cup , winning it with the Boston Bruins in the season 2010–11 . For a list of the most notable Slovak writers and poets, see List of Slovak authors . There are approximately 5.4 million autochthonous Slovaks in Slovakia. Further Slovaks live in the following countries ( the list shows estimates of embassies etc. and of associations of Slovaks abroad in
3016-474: Is the Principality of Nitra , one of the foundations of later common ethnic consciousness. At this stage in history it is not yet possible to assume a common identity of all ancestors of Slovaks in the neighboring eastern territories, even if it was inhabited by closely related Slavs. The Principality of Nitra became a part of Great Moravia , a common state of Moravians (Czech ancestors were joined only for
3132-601: The National Hockey League (NHL) and six seasons in the World Hockey Association (WHA); his first 25 seasons were spent with the Detroit Red Wings . Nicknamed " Mr. Hockey ", Howe is often considered the most complete player ever to play the game and one of the greatest of all time. At his retirement, his 801 goals, 1,049 assists, and 1,850 total points were all NHL records that stood until they were broken by Wayne Gretzky , who himself has been
3248-650: The St. Catharines Teepees of the Ontario Hockey Association , Mikita was promoted to the parent Chicago Black Hawks in 1959–60 . In his second full year, in 1961 , the Black Hawks won their third Stanley Cup . The young centre led the entire league in goals during the playoffs, scoring a total of six. The following season was his breakout year. Mikita became a star as centre of the famed "Scooter Line", with right wing Ken Wharram and left wingers Ab McDonald and Doug Mohns . Combining skilled defense and
3364-533: The Toledo suburb of Sylvania, Ohio , at the age of 88. No cause was given. Howe's casket was brought to Joe Louis Arena , the then-home of the Detroit Red Wings, for a public visitation on June 14, 2016, that lasted from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. in honour of the #9 that Howe wore on his jersey. Wayne Gretzky , Scotty Bowman , and Detroit Tigers great Al Kaline acted as pallbearers. Howe's funeral, which
3480-515: The United States among others, which are collectively referred to as the Slovak diaspora . The name Slovak is derived from *Slověninъ , plural *Slověně , the old name of the Slavs ( Proglas , around 863). The original stem has been preserved in all Slovak words except the masculine noun; the feminine noun is Slovenka , the adjective is slovenský , the language is slovenčina and
3596-474: The University of Trnava , published a theory that nobility and burghers of Trenčín should not have same privileges as Hungarians, because they are descendants of Svatopluk 's people (inferior to Magyars). Neither Bencsik nor his Slovak opponent Ján Baltazár Magin put the continuity of settlement into serious question. Also, the first history of Slovaks written by Georgius Papanek (or Juraj Papánek), traced
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3712-406: The 17th century. His theory about the lack of population in the greater part of Slovakia covered by forests had already been scientifically refuted by Daniel Rapant (e.g. in O starý Liptov , 1934), and was proven wrong by numerous archaeological finds and rejected by Czechoslovak historiography. On the other hand, inter-war Slovak autonomists, opposing ethnic Czechoslovakism, dated the existence of
3828-488: The 1950s and early 1960s, the Red Wings began to slump in the late 1960s. When Howe turned 40 in 1967–68 , the NHL expanded from 6 to 12 teams and the number of scoring opportunities grew as the game schedule increased. Howe played the 1968–69 season on a line with Alex Delvecchio and Frank Mahovlich . Mahovlich was a scorer, and Delvecchio was a gifted playmaker. The three were dubbed "The Production Line 3", and at age 40, Howe scored 103 points, surpassing 100 points for
3944-409: The 21st century Roman Ondak, Blažej Baláž . The most important Slovak composers have been Eugen Suchoň , Ján Cikker , and Alexander Moyzes , in the 21st century Vladimir Godar and Peter Machajdík . The most famous Slovak names can indubitably be attributed to invention and technology. Such people include Jozef Murgaš , the inventor of wireless telegraphy; Ján Bahýľ , Štefan Banič , inventor of
4060-513: The 8-year-old Stan with them when they went back to Canada. His parents believed that there was a brighter future for him in Canada than in then Communist Czechoslovakia , whose borders (including the area of Slovakia) had been reinstated at the end of World War II. His aunt and uncle also gave him their surname, and he anglicized his first name to Stanley. He attended high school at St. Catharines Collegiate . After three starring junior seasons with
4176-606: The 8th and 9th centuries both dialects merged, thus laying the foundations of a later Slovak language. The 10th century is a milestone in the Slovak ethnogenesis . The fall of Great Moravia and further political changes supported their formation into a separate nation. At the same time, with the extinction of the Proto-Slavic language, between the 10th and 13th centuries Slovak evolved into an independent language (simultaneously with other Slavic languages). The early existence of
4292-504: The Canadiens. Late in the season, the Whalers signed Bobby Hull and put Howe, Hull and Dave Keon on the same line. One particular honour came when Wales Conference head coach Scotty Bowman selected Howe, Phil Esposito and Jean Ratelle to the mid-season All-Star Game —which was to take place in Detroit—as a nod to their storied careers before they retired. Howe had played in five decades of All-Star Games and he would skate alongside
4408-738: The Gary L. Davidson Trophy, awarded to the WHA's Most Valuable Player (the trophy was renamed the Gordie Howe Trophy the following year). Howe played with the Aeros until 1977 , when he and his sons joined the New England Whalers . After Marty's cheekbone was broken by Robbie Ftorek , in the next game Howe used his stick to cross-check Ftorek in the face. Writer Michael Farber recounted "Mark told Gordie, 'Dad, he's [Robbie] my friend, he's an old teammate on Team Canada, he has been
4524-467: The Germanic term Wends , which was historically used to refer to any Slavs living close to Germanic settlements. The early Slavs came to the territory of Slovakia in several waves from the 5th and 6th centuries and were organized on a tribal level. Original tribal names are not known due to the lack of written sources before their integration into higher political units. Weakening of tribal consciousness
4640-581: The Gordie and Colleen Howe Fund for Alzheimer's , in partnership with the University of Toronto 's aging and brain health facility at Baycrest Health Sciences . Howe met his wife, Colleen , at a bowling alley when she was 17 years old, and they were married four years later on April 15, 1953. In the midst of his playing career, Howe appeared as himself on the March 27, 1967, episode of the CBS game show To Tell
4756-619: The Hockey Hall of Fame in 2011. Their third son, Murray, is a radiologist in Toledo, Ohio , while their only daughter, Cathy, lives in Lubbock, Texas . Colleen Howe was one of the founders of the Detroit Junior Red Wings and represented both Gordie and Mark financially during their careers. She died in 2009 at age 76 after a long battle with Pick's disease . Howe's younger brother, Vic Howe , also played in
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4872-645: The Kingdom of Hungary positively influenced the development of common consciousness and companionship among Slavs in the Northern Hungary, not only within boundaries of present-day Slovakia. The clear difference between Slovaks and Hungarians made adoption of a specific name unnecessary and Slovaks preserved their original name (in Latin e.g. Slavus ), which was also used in communication with other Slavic peoples (Polonus, Bohemus, Ruthenus). In political terms,
4988-573: The Middle Ages, when some of the greatest masterpieces of the country's history were created. Significant figures from this period included the many Old Masters , among them the Master Paul of Levoča and Master MS . More contemporary art can be seen in the shadows of Koloman Sokol , Albín Brunovský , Martin Benka , Mikuláš Galanda , Ľudovít Fulla . Julius Koller and Stanislav Filko, in
5104-489: The NHL appearing in 33 games with the New York Rangers between 1950 and 1955. He died at the age of 85 in Moncton , New Brunswick , on January 31, 2015. Due to dementia, Howe spent most of his time after his wife's death residing with all four of his children on a rotating basis. While staying at his daughter's home, he suffered a major stroke on October 26, 2014. He died on June 10, 2016, at his son Murray's house in
5220-454: The NHL in goals, assists, and total points (86), and by winning the scoring title by 20 points. This was the first year of a four-year period of dominance by Howe which the NHL had never seen before. He won four straight scoring titles and in two of the years (1950–51 and 1952–53) he led the NHL in both goals and assists, which has only been done by five other players in history (a total of 10 times aside from Howe). In three of those years, he led
5336-515: The NHL in goals. In 1952–53, Howe became the first NHL player to score 90 points, finishing the season with 95 points and a career-best 49 goals which just missed tying the league record of 50 goals held by Maurice "Rocket" Richard (albeit in a 50-game season). Prior to Howe, no NHLer had led the NHL in points more than two times in a row. Only three other players have ever matched the feat of winning four straight scoring titles since— Phil Esposito , Jaromír Jágr , and Wayne Gretzky (who won seven in
5452-607: The NHL in playoff points six times. Howe retired for the first time in 1971 and was immediately inducted into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame that same year. He was then inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame the following year but came back two years later to join his sons Mark and Marty on the Houston Aeros of the WHA. Although in his mid-40s, he scored over 100 points twice in six years, won two straight Avco World Trophies (1974 and 1975), and
5568-424: The NHL in such a fashion that in 1949–50 , they finished one-two-three in NHL scoring. This was despite the fact Howe's career prime was during a defensive era, when scoring was difficult and checking was tight. However, as he was emerging as one of the top players in the league, Howe sustained the worst injury of his career - his skull was fractured and his cheekbone and nose were broken after his attempt to check
5684-617: The Rangers wanted Howe to sign a "C" form, which would have given that club his National Hockey League rights, and to play that year at the College of Notre Dame , a Catholic high school in Wilcox, Saskatchewan, that was known for producing good hockey players. However, Howe did not feel that was a good fit for him and wanted to go back home to play hockey with his friends; he declined the Rangers' offer and returned to Saskatoon. In 1944, Howe
5800-412: The Slovak nation to the time of Pribina (trials to document existence of Slovaks in early Slavic era, i.e. in the time of Samo's empire, are marginal and exist outside of modern mainstream Slovak historiography). After the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993, the formation of independent Slovakia motivated interest in a particularly Slovak national identity. One reflection of this was the rejection of
5916-683: The Slovaks began to transform into a modern nation from the 18th century under the idea of national romanticism . The modern Slovak nation is the result of radical processes of modernization within the Habsburg Empire which culminated in the middle of the 19th century. The transformation process was slowed down by conflict with Hungarian nationalism and the ethnogenesis of the Slovaks become a political question, particularly regarding their deprivation and preservation of their language and national rights. In 1722, Michal Bencsik , professor of law at
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#17327908191206032-606: The Summit Series, one against Sweden in Stockholm and one against Czechoslovakia in Prague. He also played several exhibition games for Czechoslovakia in summer 1967 when he came to his country of origin to visit his family. Mikita and teammate Bobby Hull were a well-known forward duo in the 1960s, gaining notoriety for using sticks with curved blades. Such sticks gave a comparative advantage to shooters versus goaltenders. As
6148-647: The Toronto Maple Leafs captain Ted Kennedy into the boards went awry during the 1950 playoffs. The severity of the fracture was such that he was taken to the hospital for emergency surgery in order to relieve the pressure on his brain. He missed the rest of the playoffs, but his dominant teammates were still able to win the Stanley Cup. The next season, 1950–51, Howe came back, responding to his severe injuries by playing in every game, by leading
6264-626: The Truth . He received two of four possible votes. Although hockey was not as popular as other sports in America in 1967, panellist Peggy Cass was a hockey fan and recognized Howe. She disqualified herself from voting. A middle school in Abbotsford, British Columbia , is named after Gordie and Colleen Howe, and a traffic bridge , campground, and football stadium are named after Gordie Howe in his hometown of Saskatoon , Saskatchewan . An arena
6380-453: The brief period it was in existence as a client state of Nazi Germany . He was raised in a small farming community until 1948, when he moved to St. Catharines , Ontario. He was adopted by his aunt and uncle, Anna and Joe Mikita, who had emigrated from Slovakia to Canada 20 years earlier and were childless. They came to Czechoslovakia to visit the Guoth family before Christmas in 1948 and took
6496-415: The change, Howe accepted it when he was informed "9" would entitle him to a lower Pullman berth on road trips. He quickly established himself as a great goalscorer and a gifted playmaker with a willingness to fight . Howe fought so often in his rookie season that head coach Jack Adams told him, "I know you can fight. Now can you show me you can play hockey?" The term " Gordie Howe hat trick " (consisting of
6612-568: The character of Ruby ( Retta ) steals an autographed Stanley Cup Finals game-worn Gordie Howe jersey from a sports bar only to have it appraised and learn that it is counterfeit. In 2023, a children's book called Gordie's Skate , written by Saskatchewan historian Bill Waiser , was published. The book shares the story of Howe's family acquiring a pair of skates during the Great Depression in Saskatchewan, and how Howe had to share
6728-595: The club for two more seasons, but after 25 years, a chronic wrist problem forced him to retire after the 1970–71 season and he took a job in the Red Wings front office. At the beginning of 1972, he was offered the job as first head coach of the New York Islanders , but declined it. By the end of his NHL career, Howe had won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player six times: 1952, 1953, 1957, 1958, 1960 and 1963—at that time
6844-564: The common Czechoslovak national identity in favour of a purely Slovak one. The first known Slavic states on the territory of present-day Slovakia were the Empire of Samo and the Principality of Nitra , founded sometime in the 8th century. Great Moravia (833 – 902-907) was a Slavic state in the 9th and early 10th centuries, whose creators were the ancestors of the Czechs and Slovaks. Important developments took place at this time, including
6960-502: The country is Slovensko . The first written mention of adjective slovenský (Slovak) is in 1294 ( ad parvam arborem nystra slowenski breza ubi est meta ). The original name of Slovaks Slověninъ / Slověně was still recorded in Pressburg Latin-Czech Dictionary (the 14th century), but it changed to Slovák under the influence of Czech and Polish (around 1400). The first written mention of new form in
7076-680: The country, and he founded the Stan Mikita School for the Hearing Impaired, inspired by a friend's deaf son who was an aspiring goalie. He also helped bring the Special Olympics to Chicago, bringing his family out to volunteer at races. Internationally, Mikita played two games of the Summit Series in 1972 for Canada against Soviet Union , both of them in Canada, as well as two exhibition games also during
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#17327908191207192-427: The creation of the united Czechoslovak nation , gained political support in inter-war Czechoslovakia. Like Karácsonyi, Czech historian Václav Chaloupecký assumed that northern and central parts of Slovakia remained uninhabited until the 13th century and that the south-western part was inhabited by Czechs. Yet, in 1946 Chaloupecký assumed that the Slovak nation emerged from neighboring Slavs and had been formed only in
7308-430: The current leader in Gordie Howe hat-tricks, Rick Tocchet , achieved the feat 18 times in his career. ) Howe was known for being a well-mannered and trusting person off the ice who never questioned the salary the Detroit Red Wings owners paid him. When it became public knowledge Howe had scored more than 600 goals for the organization before it reluctantly offered to pay him over $ 40,000, his linemate, Ted Lindsay , began
7424-440: The entire northern half of present-day Hungary. The territory of present-day Slovakia was split in two parts between the Kingdom of Hungary (under Hungarian rule gradually from 907 to the early 14th century) to Upper Hungary and Royal Hungary (under the Habsburgs from 1527 – 1848 (see also Hungarian Revolution of 1848 )) until the formation of Czechoslovakia in 1918. However, according to other historians, from 895 to 902,
7540-487: The film, even though it is set in Chicago. Howe had provided one to the filmmakers personally. Howe was featured in The Simpsons episode " Bart the Lover ". In it, a photograph of Howe is used by Bart Simpson to fool his teacher into thinking he is a grown man who has answered her personal ad. At the end of the episode, Howe's career statistics are shown. In Season 3 of the NBC television crime drama series Good Girls , in an episode entitled "The Eye in Survivor",
7656-418: The final season of the WHA, Howe had the opportunity to play with Wayne Gretzky in the 1979 WHA All-Star Game. The format of the game was a three-game series between the WHA All-Stars and Dynamo Moscow . The WHA All-Stars were coached by Jacques Demers , and Demers asked Howe if it was okay to put him on a line with Gretzky and his son Mark. In game one, the line scored seven points, as the WHA All-Stars won by
7772-480: The first place, and official data of the countries as of 2000/2001 in the second place ). The list stems from Claude Baláž, a Canadian Slovak, the current plenipotentiary of the Government of the Slovak Republic for Slovaks abroad (see e.g.: ): The number of Slovaks living outside Slovakia in line with the above data was estimated at max. 2,016,000 in 2001 (2,660,000 in 1991), implying that, in sum, there were max. some 6,630,854 Slovaks in 2001 (7,180,000 in 1991) in
7888-402: The first time, Hull said "it was nice finally having Gordie on my side. He was no fun playing against". Hull and Howe would also be rivals in the World Hockey Association (WHA), as members of the Winnipeg Jets and Houston Aeros , respectively, and would be reunited as teammates on the Hartford Whalers where they finished off their playing careers. After being consistent contenders through
8004-462: The former Habsburg monarchy (the Kingdom of Hungary was in personal union with the Habsburg monarchy from 1867 to 1918). People of Slovakia spent most part of the 20th century within the framework of Czechoslovakia , a new state formed after World War I. Significant reforms and post-World War II industrialization took place during this time. Slovak was strongly influenced by Czech during this period. The art of Slovakia can be traced back to
8120-490: The history of the NHL, and just three other players ( Steve Yzerman , Alex Delvecchio , and Nicklas Lidström ) have appeared in more games while playing for only one team over their careers. Mikita appeared as himself in a cameo role in the 1992 film Wayne's World , which featured a "Stan Mikita" doughnut shop, spoofing the Canadian doughnut chain Tim Hortons (co-founded by Hockey Hall of Fame member Tim Horton ). A restaurant named "Stan Mikita's" and closely resembling
8236-426: The ideal qualities of a forward . He is the only player to have competed in the NHL in five different decades (1940s through 1980s); he also played a shift in a 1997 game for the Detroit Vipers of the IHL , playing professional hockey for a sixth decade. He became the namesake of the " Gordie Howe hat trick ": a goal, an assist, and a fight in the same game, though he only recorded two such games in his career. He
8352-469: The insular NHL to seek players beyond its traditional North American sources and recruit professional European players and to expand into new cities to gain new fans. Wayne Gretzky was one of the players who elected to join the WHA instead of the NHL. Over the years, Howe became good friends with Gretzky, who had idolized him as a young player and who would later break many of Howe's scoring records and milestones. While Gretzky surpassed Howe statistically, it
8468-406: The latter part of the 1978–79 WHA season , and underwent an "extensive battery of tests" before deciding to play the 1979–80 NHL season . Howe played one final season, appearing in all 80 games of the schedule and helping his team to make the playoffs by scoring 41 points (15 goals and 26 assists). At 52 years and 10 days, Howe became the oldest man to play an NHL game where his Whalers lost 4–3 to
8584-607: The list, Gretzky and Orr were quoted as regarding Howe as the greatest player. In 2000, Howe was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame . On April 10, 2007, Howe was honoured with the unveiling of a new bronze statue in Joe Louis Arena , where the West Entrance is named the "Gordie Howe Entrance" in his honour. The statue is 12 feet (3.7 m) tall and weighs about 4,500 pounds (2,000 kg). The statue contains all of Howe's stats and history. Another statue of Howe
8700-424: The medieval Slovaks were a part of the multi-ethnic political nation Natio Hungarica , together with Hungarians (or, more exactly, Magyars), Slavonians, Germans, Romanians and other ethnic groups in the Kingdom of Hungary. Since a medieval political nation did not consist of ordinary people but nobility, membership of the privileged class was necessary for all these peoples ( nobiles Hungary ). Like other nations,
8816-658: The mission of Byzantine monks Cyril and Methodius , the development of the Glagolitic alphabet (an early form of the Cyrillic script ), and the use of Old Church Slavonic as the official and literary language. Its formation and rich cultural heritage have attracted somewhat more interest since the 19th century. The original territory inhabited by the Slavic tribes included not only present-day Slovakia, but also parts of present-day Poland, southeastern Moravia and approximately
8932-536: The modern parachute; Aurel Stodola , inventor of the bionic arm and pioneer in thermodynamics; and, more recently, John Dopyera , father of modern acoustic string instruments. Hungarian inventors Joseph Petzval and Ányos Jedlik were born of Slovak fathers. Slovakia is also known for its polyhistors , of whom include Pavol Jozef Šafárik , Matej Bel , Ján Kollár , and its political revolutionaries, such Milan Rastislav Štefánik and Alexander Dubček . There were two leading persons who codified Slovak. The first one
9048-583: The most of any player, and as of 2019 second only to Gretzky's nine. He also finished second or third in the voting for the Hart a further six times. Howe was named to the NHL's First All-Star Team 12 times and to the Second All-Star Team eight times. Howe was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1971. His number 9 jersey was retired by the Red Wings on March 12, 1972. One year later, Howe
9164-577: The movie's version opened in 1994 at the Virginia amusement park Kings Dominion and at Paramount Carowinds in Charlotte. On May 24, 2011, Mikita was diagnosed with oral cancer and began external beam radiation therapy. On January 30, 2015, the Chicago Tribune released this statement from his wife: "Stan has been diagnosed with suspected Lewy body dementia , a progressive disease, and
9280-479: The new capital of the kingdom, the importance of the territory, as well as other parts within the Kingdom fell, and many Slovaks were impoverished. As a result, hundreds of thousands of Slovaks emigrated to North America, especially in the late 19th and early 20th century (between cca. 1880–1910), a total of at least 1.5 million emigrants. Slovakia exhibits a very rich folk culture. A part of Slovak customs and social convention are common with those of other nations of
9396-545: The old Hungarians (Magyars), but Slovaks emerged later from other Slavs who came to the Kingdom of Hungary from neighbouring countries after the 13th century. János Karácsonyi assumed that central and northern Slovakia were uninhabited (1901) and in his next work "Our historical right to the territorial integrity of our country" (1921) he claimed that the remainder of the original Slavs were assimilated by Magyars and modern Slovaks are descendants of immigrants from Upper Moravia and Oder (the population density on these territories
9512-403: The only time in his NHL career by scoring 44 goals and a career-high 59 assists. Following his personal best 103-point season, conflict arose with the Red Wings after Howe discovered he was just the third-highest paid player on the team with a $ 45,000 salary. While team owner Bruce Norris increased Howe's salary to $ 100,000, he blamed Howe's wife, Colleen , for the demand. Howe remained with
9628-478: The pair with his sister. In 1993, a statue created by Michael Martin of Eston, Saskatchewan , was installed across from Midtown Plaza in Howe's hometown of Saskatoon, and then moved to what is now SaskTel Centre in 2005. Following his death, Howe's ashes along with wife Colleen were interred below the statue. In May 2015, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Michigan Governor Rick Snyder announced that
9744-557: The perfect example of the modern-day role of a power forward and someone who can play the 200-foot game . Howe's brawn and physical play inspired the coining of the " Gordie Howe hat-trick "—a goal, an assist and a fight—which is now a standard part of hockey's vocabulary. Ironically, Howe himself only achieved his namesake hat-trick twice in his long career, both in the early 1950s, because few players dared to fight him after Howe soundly defeated New York Rangers enforcer Lou Fontinato at Madison Square Garden in 1959. (For comparison,
9860-510: The puck in a corner was akin to wrestling with a telephone pole". The Red Wings and Canadiens faced off in four Stanley Cup Finals during the 1950s, and again in the 1966 final; Detroit prevailed in 1952 , 1954 and 1955 , but Montreal triumphed in 1956 and 1966. The Red Wings also had a fierce rivalry with the Chicago Blackhawks who defeated them in the 1961 Stanley Cup Finals . Chicago's Stan Mikita recalled one time as
9976-472: The restored Kingdom of Hungary (present-day Hungary, Romania , Serbia , and Croatia ) under Maria Theresia , and that is how present-day Slovak enclaves (like Slovaks in Vojvodina , Slovaks in Hungary ) in these countries arose. After Transylvania , Upper Hungary (present-day Slovakia) was the most advanced part of the Kingdom of Hungary for centuries, but in the 19th century, when Buda / Pest became
10092-486: The roots of the Slovaks to Great Moravia in Historia gentis Slavae. De regno regibusque Slavorum... (1780) ("History of the Slovak nation: On the kingdom and kings of the Slovaks"). Papánek's work became a basis for argumentation of the Slovak national revival movement. However, the Slovak national revival not only accepted the continuity of population but also emphasized it, thus proving that Slovaks are equal citizens of
10208-511: The same as his own No. 99. Howe's record of 1,767 NHL games played was surpassed in April 2021 by Patrick Marleau . However, combining his games played in the WHA, he holds the record for most regular season games played in the major leagues with 2,186. Howe played internationally on one occasion, at the 1974 Summit Series . In the 1986 film Ferris Bueller's Day Off , the character Cameron Frye wears Howe's Red Wings jersey throughout most of
10324-560: The second-youngest to ever play in an All-Star Game, 19-year-old Wayne Gretzky. The Joe Louis Arena crowd gave him a standing ovation twice, lasting so long he had to skate to the bench to stop people from cheering. He had one assist in the Wales Conference's 6–3 win. Howe was named to Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1975. In 1998, The Hockey News released their List of Top 100 NHL Players of All Time and listed Howe third overall, behind Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr . Of
10440-467: The state and neither a Hungarian "unique statesmanlike gift" nor Christianization was required for the foundation of the state. In 1876, Hungarian linguist Pál Hunfalvy published a theory about missing continuity between Slovaks and Slavs before the arrival of the Hungarians. Hunfalvy tried to prove that ancestors of Slovaks did not live in the territory of the present-day Slovakia before arrival of
10556-490: The territory of Slovakia, but stated that the Slovaks' origin was in sparse settlement of various Slavic groups strengthened by later colonization. According to Ferenc Makk, the medieval Moravians are not the ancestors of Slovaks and the majority of the Slovak people are descended from later Slavic newcomers. The opposite theory, supporting the supposed former common past of the Czech and Slovak nations , thus also legitimizing
10672-545: The territory of present-day Slovakia is from Bardejov (1444, " Nicoulaus Cossibor hauptman, Nicolaus Czech et Slowak, stipendiarii supremi "). The mentions in Czech sources are older (1375 and 1385). The change is not related to the ethnogenesis of Slovaks, but exclusively to linguistic changes in the West Slavic languages. The word Slovak was used also later as a common name for all Slavs in Czech, Polish, and also Slovak together with other forms. In Hungarian, "Slovak"
10788-508: The time of his retirement, Howe's professional totals, including playoffs, for the NHL and WHA combined, were first. He finished with 2,421 games played, 1,071 goals, 1,518 assists, and 2,589 points. However, Gretzky would later pass him in goals (1,072), assists (2,297) and points (3,369), but not in games played or games played with one team. After Howe's death, Gretzky called Howe "the greatest hockey player ever", and said that if it were up to him Howe's No. 9 would be retired for all NHL teams
10904-549: The top five in scoring for 20-straight seasons. Howe also scored 20 or more goals in 22 consecutive seasons between 1949 and 1971, an NHL record. Howe led Detroit to four Stanley Cup championships and to first place in regular-season play for seven consecutive years ( 1948–49 to 1954–55 ), a feat never equalled in NHL history. During this time, Howe and his linemates— Sid Abel and Ted Lindsay —were known collectively as "The Production Line" , both for their scoring and as an allusion to Detroit auto factories. The trio dominated
11020-525: The towns, as work-seeking colonists and mining experts from the 13th to the 15th century. Jews and Gypsies also formed significant populations within the territory. During the period, most of present-day Slovakia was part of Habsburg rule, but Ottoman ruled southern and southeasternmost parts of it. After the Ottoman Empire was forced to retreat from present-day Hungary around 1700, thousands of Slovaks were gradually settled in depopulated parts of
11136-419: The whole area of the present-day Slovakia became part of the rising Principality of Hungary, and became (without gradation) part of the Kingdom of Hungary a century later. A separate entity called Nitra Frontier Duchy , existed at this time within the Kingdom of Hungary. This duchy was abolished in 1107. The territory inhabited by the Slovaks in present-day Hungary was gradually reduced. When most of Hungary
11252-494: The world. The estimate according to the right-hand site chart yields an approximate population of Slovaks living outside Slovakia of 1.5 million. Other (much higher) estimates stemming from the Dom zahraničných Slovákov (House of Foreign Slovaks) can be found on SME . Gordie Howe Gordon Howe OC (March 31, 1928 – June 10, 2016) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. From 1946 to 1980, he played 26 seasons in
11368-516: Was Anton Bernolák whose concept was based on the dialect of western Slovakia (1787). It was the enactment of the first national standard language for the Slovaks. The second notable man was Ľudovít Štúr . His formation of Slovak had principles in the dialect of central Slovakia (1843). The best known Slovak hero was Juraj Jánošík (the Slovak equivalent of Robin Hood ). The prominent explorer and diplomat Móric Beňovský, Hungarian transcript Benyovszky
11484-524: Was Howe who had first set the standard for consistent, high-level play. Howe's number 9 has been worn as a tribute to him—Gretzky wore number 99 as a direct tribute to Howe since 9 was taken during the early parts of his career. Another milestone was reached in 1997 when Howe played professional hockey in a sixth decade. He was signed to a one-game contract by the Detroit Vipers of the International Hockey League and at age 69, made
11600-496: Was Slovak as well (he comes from Vrbové in present-day Slovakia and is e.g. listed as "nobilis Slavicus – Slovak nobleman" in his secondary school registration). In terms of sports, the Slovaks are probably best known (in North America) for their ice hockey personalities, especially Stan Mikita , Peter Šťastný , Peter Bondra , Žigmund Pálffy , Marián Hossa and Zdeno Chára . For a list see List of Slovaks . Zdeno Chára
11716-581: Was also opened to the public, was held on June 15, 2016, at Detroit's Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament . Howe's cremated remains, along with those of his wife Colleen, were returned to Canada for the last time and interred in Saskatoon in September 2016, at the base of his statue outside of SaskTel Centre . Howe's name and nickname, "Mr. Hockey", as well as his late wife's nickname as "Mrs. Hockey", are registered trademarks. Howe
11832-459: Was also referred to during his career as Power, Mr. Everything, Mr. All-Star, The Most, The Great Gordie, The King of Hockey, The Legend, The Man, No. 9, and "Mr. Elbows" (for his tough physical play). Howe is widely considered the most complete player in all of hockey history. Once Howe began dominating the NHL, NHL scouts were given new directives to discover players that played the way he did. Howe's strength, scoring ability, and speed exemplified
11948-464: Was conquered by the Ottoman Empire in 1541 (see Ottoman Hungary ), the territory of present-day Slovakia became the new center of the reduced kingdom that remained under Hungarian, and later Habsburg rule, officially called Royal Hungary. Some Croats settled around and in present-day Bratislava for similar reasons. Also, many Germans settled in the Kingdom of Hungary, especially in
12064-840: Was erected in downtown Saskatoon , Saskatchewan, on the corner of 20th Street and 1st Ave. He is depicted wearing a Detroit Red Wings sweater. The statue has since been relocated to the SaskTel Centre . In February 2011, various groups proposed naming the New International Trade Crossing bridge, a proposed bridge that will connect Detroit and Windsor by linking Highway 401 in Ontario with Interstate 75 and Interstate 94 in Michigan , in honour of Howe. On May 14, 2015, during an event attended by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper , it
12180-492: Was mildly dyslexic growing up but was physically beyond his years at an early age. Already six feet tall in his mid-teens, doctors feared a calcium deficiency and encouraged him to strengthen his spine with chin-ups. He began playing organized hockey at age eight. Howe quit school during the Depression to work in construction, then left Saskatoon at 16 to pursue his hockey career. Howe was an ambidextrous player, one of just
12296-417: Was named most valuable player in 1974. He made a brief return to the NHL in 1979–80 , playing one season with the Hartford Whalers , then retired at age 52. His involvement with the WHA was central to their brief pre- NHL merger success, forcing the NHL to recruit European talent and expand to new markets. Howe was most famous for his scoring prowess, physical strength, and career longevity, and he redefined
12412-530: Was noticed by Detroit Red Wings scout Fred Pinkney and was invited to their camp in Windsor, Ontario . He was signed by the Red Wings to a "C" form and assigned to their junior team, the Galt Red Wings . Due to the maximum number of Western players allowed by the league and the Red Wings' preference to develop older players, Howe's playing time with the team was initially limited. However, in 1945, he
12528-426: Was offered a contract to play with the Houston Aeros of the newly formed World Hockey Association (WHA), which had also signed his sons Mark and Marty to contracts. Dissatisfied with not having any meaningful influence in the Red Wings' office, he underwent wrist surgery to make a return to hockey possible, and he led his new team to consecutive league championships in 1974 and 1975. In 1974, at age 46, Howe won
12644-692: Was officially announced that the bridge would be known as the Gordie Howe International Bridge . Canadian actor Michael Shanks portrayed Howe in the television film Mr. Hockey: The Gordie Howe Story . The film aired April 28, 2013, on CBC Television in Canada, and on the Hallmark Channel in the US on May 5. After the death of his wife Colleen Howe in 2009, Howe turned his charitable activity towards degenerative diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer's , and founded
12760-577: Was probably accelerated by Avars , who did not respect tribal differences in the controlled territory and motivated remaining Slavs to join together and to collaborate on their defense. In the 7th century, Slavs founded a larger tribal union: Samo's empire . Regardless of Samo's empire, the integration process continued in other territories with various intensities. The final fall of the Avar Khaganate allowed new political entities to arise. The first such political unit documented by written sources
12876-595: Was promoted to the Omaha Knights of the minor professional United States Hockey League (USHL), where he scored 48 points in 51 games as a 17-year-old. While playing in Omaha, Frank Selke of the Toronto Maple Leafs noticed Howe's rights needed to be properly listed as Red Wings property. Having a good relationship with Detroit head coach Jack Adams , he notified Adams of the clerical error, and Howe
12992-414: Was quickly put on the team's protected list. Howe made his NHL debut on October 16, 1946, playing right wing for the Detroit Red Wings, scoring in his first game at age 18. He wore number 17 as a rookie. However, when Roy Conacher joined the Chicago Black Hawks after the 1946–47 season , Howe was offered Conacher's number 9, which he would wear for the rest of his career. Although he had not requested
13108-619: Was reported by the Boston University CTE Center, that upon performing a posthumous study of Mikita's brain, it was found that he suffered from stage 3 chronic traumatic encephalopathy , or CTE, at the time of his death. This marked Mikita as the first Hall of Famer to ever have been diagnosed with the disease. Statistics via HockeyDB Slovaks The Slovaks ( Slovak : Slováci [ˈsɫɔvaːt͡si] , singular: Slovák [ˈslɔvaːk] , feminine: Slovenka [ˈsɫɔvɛŋka] , plural: Slovenky ) are
13224-655: Was the inaugural recipient of the NHL Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008. Howe was born in a farmhouse in Floral, Saskatchewan , the son of Katherine (Schultz) and Albert Howe. He was one of nine siblings. When Gordie was nine days old, the Howes moved to Saskatoon , where his father worked as a labourer during the Depression . In the summers, Howe would work construction with his father. Howe
13340-454: Was too low in that time and large numbers of colonists coming from these areas was not possible ). The theory was then misused by inter-war Hungarian revisionists, who questioned continuity to support Hungarian claims on Slovakia. In 1982, when rich archaeological evidence proving the opposite was already available, a similar theory was published by Hungarian historian György Györffy . Györffy accepted that smaller groups of Slavs could remain in
13456-457: Was under the care of compassionate and understanding care givers". In June, 2015, it was stated that Mikita had no memory of his former life and was being cared for by his wife Jill. Mikita died at the age of 78 on August 7, 2018. He was survived by his wife, four children and nine grandchildren. Mikita’s ashes are interred at Bronswood Cemetery in Oak Brook, Illinois. On September 14, 2019, it
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