GOAT Index

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Gordie Howe: the case for the GOAT

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    Gordie Howe: the case for the GOAT

    RW · Red Wings · Born 31 March 1928, Floral, Saskatchewan, Canada · Died 2016 · Career 1946–1980

    "Mr. Hockey" was a powerful, ambidextrous right winger who starred for the Red Wings for 25 seasons, then played in the WHA alongside his sons before a final NHL season with Hartford.

    Career highlights

    Why Gordie Howe could be the GOAT

    Howe combined elite scoring with a brutal physical game and absurd durability, finishing top five in league scoring for 20 straight seasons. He held the NHL goals and points records for decades and was still scoring at 52. No other legend matched his blend of longevity, toughness and skill.

    What fans say

    Gordie Howe is #21 of 25 in the fan ranking, with a 0–2 head-to-head record from 23 NHL votes. See the full NHL GOAT ranking

    Gordie Howe head to head

    How the ranking works. Every head-to-head vote is a result, like a game. The standings use a Bradley–Terry model, the same idea behind chess ratings: beating a highly rated legend counts for more than beating a long shot. Ratings are shown on a chess-style scale centred on 1500.

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