How physical was Gordie Howe?

[Eye of Ra]

Was his tough style exaggerated? Did he hit alot?

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[Moose Head]

More Messier than Cam Neely. He was called ‘Elbows’ for a reason. He was very physical for a star player, but a bit dirty.

 

[The Panther]

It seems that Gordie Howe rarely fought. And his hitting wasn't huge open-ice body-rockers than stunned the crowd.

I think (based on what I've read, recollections by opponents, etc.) is that Howe was the master of the subtle (unseen by referee) painful revenge-elbow, hit, butt-end, push, etc.

 

[NyQuil]

He was very dirty because he was his own enforcer.

If anyone ever took liberties with him, he’d get them back with a stick or an elbow when the refs weren’t looking.

With no instant replay, he would usually get away with it, and would wait patiently for the opportunity, even months or seasons later.

In general, he would rarely initiate but rather retaliate in kind. An exception was rookies where he would usually challenge them in their first game to test their mettle with some intimidating conversation or stick jabs.

He was a pretty solid player physically so trying to hit him was always going to be challenging.

But there are plenty of stories of him sticking guys in the face which seems pretty insane by today’s standards but was fairly common in those days.

 

[Sadekuuro]

From what I've read, he was wild as a youngster, but by the time he acquired his reputation as a top predator he was given a wide berth without actually having to engage very often.

 

[mobilus]

After he called to tell his parents that he made Red Wings, his mother said, “I’m worried.” His father answered, “Don’t worry, Gordie can take care of himself.” His mother replied, “I’m not worried about Gordie, I mean the other players.”