Syd Howe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Syd Howe |
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| Hockey Hall of Fame, 1965 | |||
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| Born | September 28, 1911 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
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| Died | May 20, 1976 (aged 64) Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
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| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) | ||
| Weight | 170 lb (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb) | ||
| Position | Left wing | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Ottawa Senators Philadelphia Quakers Toronto Maple Leafs St. Louis Eagles Detroit Red Wings |
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| Playing career | 1929–1946 | ||
Syd Howe was a famous Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played for 17 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). Syd played for several teams, including the Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Quakers, Toronto Maple Leafs, St. Louis Eagles, and especially the Detroit Red Wings. He was born on September 18, 1911, and passed away on May 20, 1976.
Contents
Syd Howe's Hockey Journey
Syd Howe played in the NHL from 1929 to 1946. He spent most of his career with the Detroit Red Wings. This is where he became a true star and won many championships. Syd Howe helped the Red Wings win the Stanley Cup three times!
Early Days and Junior Hockey
Growing up in Ottawa, Ontario, Syd Howe loved to skate. He often skated on Patterson's Creek and the Rideau Canal with his brother, Lawrence 'Pete' Howe. Syd played high school hockey for Glebe Collegiate.
In 1926, he joined the Ottawa Gunners junior team. In 1928, Syd and his Gunners teammates made history. They were the first Ottawa club to reach the Memorial Cup finals. They played against the Regina Monarchs but lost the series. Syd was a top scorer during those playoffs, getting nine goals and 13 points.
Joining the NHL and Moving Teams
Syd Howe started his NHL career with his hometown Ottawa Senators in 1929. He then played for the Philadelphia Quakers for one season. The Quakers were only in the league for one year.
When the Senators stopped playing for a season, Syd joined the Toronto Maple Leafs. He played only a few NHL games that year. He spent most of his time with the Syracuse Stars in a different league.
Syd returned to the Senators the next year. In 1934, the team moved to St. Louis and became the St. Louis Eagles. Syd Howe is the only player to have played for both the Philadelphia Quakers and the St. Louis Eagles. In February 1935, the Eagles sold Syd to the Detroit Red Wings. This is when his career really took off!
Success with the Detroit Red Wings
Syd Howe became a key player for the Detroit Red Wings. On March 25, 1936, he was on the ice during the longest game in NHL history. It was a playoff game against the Montreal Maroons. The game went into six overtime periods! The Red Wings won that game and went on to win the Stanley Cup that spring. They won another Stanley Cup in 1937.
In 1939, Syd's 1937 Stanley Cup ring was stolen from a train. It was missing for many years. In 2024, the ring appeared in an online auction. His family was able to buy it back!
Syd Howe made history again on March 19, 1940. He scored a goal just 25 seconds into overtime. This gave the Red Wings a 2-1 win over the New York Americans. This was the fastest overtime goal in NHL history for 29 years!
On February 3, 1944, Syd set another record. He scored six goals in one game against the New York Rangers. This amazing feat has only been matched twice since then. He was also named one of the best left wingers in the NHL in 1945.
Syd's Amazing Skills
Syd Howe was a very well-rounded player. He could play as a left winger or a center. He also helped his team by killing penalties and even playing defense when needed. People who watched him play said he spent an incredible amount of time on the ice.
In his NHL career, Syd scored 237 goals and made 291 assists. This gave him a total of 528 points in 691 games. In the playoffs, he had 17 goals and 27 assists for 44 points in 70 games. He won the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in 1936, 1937, and 1943.
After his last NHL game in 1946, Syd Howe was the last active player who had played for both the Philadelphia Quakers and the original Ottawa Senators. He later returned to Ottawa to play for the Senators again, but in a different league.
Interestingly, another famous player named Gordie Howe joined the Red Wings the season after Syd left. They were not related. This meant the Red Wings had a star player named Howe on their team for 37 years in a row!
Syd Howe was honored for his great career. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1965. He passed away on May 20, 1976, at the age of 64.
Awards and Achievements
Syd Howe achieved many great things in his hockey career:
- 1936 - Stanley Cup champion
- 1937 - Stanley Cup champion
- 1943 - Stanley Cup champion
- 1965 - Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
Career Statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1927–28 | Ottawa Gunners | OCHL | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1927–28 | Ottawa Gunners | M-Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 8 | 9 | 4 | 13 | 6 | ||
| 1928–29 | Ottawa Rideaus | OCHL | 15 | 7 | 1 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1929–30 | Ottawa Rideaus | OCHL | 11 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1929–30 | London Panthers | IHL | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1929–30 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 12 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1930–31 | Philadelphia Quakers | NHL | 44 | 9 | 11 | 20 | 20 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1931–32 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NHL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1931–32 | Syracuse Stars | IHL | 45 | 9 | 12 | 21 | 44 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1932–33 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 48 | 12 | 12 | 24 | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1933–34 | Ottawa Senators | NHL | 41 | 13 | 7 | 20 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1934–35 | St. Louis Eagles | NHL | 36 | 14 | 13 | 27 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1934–35 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 14 | 8 | 12 | 20 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1935–36 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 48 | 16 | 14 | 30 | 26 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 2 | ||
| 1936–37 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 42 | 17 | 10 | 27 | 10 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 0 | ||
| 1937–38 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 47 | 8 | 19 | 27 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1938–39 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 48 | 16 | 20 | 36 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 | ||
| 1939–40 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 48 | 14 | 23 | 37 | 17 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 1940–41 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 48 | 20 | 24 | 44 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 0 | ||
| 1941–42 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 48 | 16 | 19 | 35 | 6 | 12 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 0 | ||
| 1942–43 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 50 | 20 | 35 | 55 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 1943–44 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 46 | 32 | 28 | 60 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | ||
| 1944–45 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 46 | 17 | 36 | 53 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 1945–46 | Indianapolis Capitals | AHL | 14 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1945–46 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 26 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1946–47 | Ottawa Senators | QSHL | 24 | 19 | 21 | 40 | 4 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | ||
| NHL totals | 698 | 237 | 291 | 528 | 212 | 70 | 17 | 27 | 44 | 10 | ||||
See also
- List of players with 5 or more goals in an NHL game
