HHOF Pictures

[Robert Gordon Orr]

How else would you explain a "9" on his sweater? Sawchuk is the only Detroit goalie of the Gordie Howe era to have a number that contained either "9" or "6".

1) You can clearly see part of the uniform of a Toronto player under the goalies glove, so it's hardly a warmup. Also a giveaway is the way the crowd follows the action

2) I highly doubt it that Sawchuk switched his catching glove from left to right, so I think you can eliminate Sawchuk from the equation

3) I also think that it's not a 9, even if it looks that way. Compare the overall shape of the number to Gordie Howe's number 9. The jersey is wrinkly in a way that I think it's another number. It's either Crozier or Edwards.

One way is to compare the goalie pads between the three goalies, Crozier, Edwards and Sawchuk worn that season.

There's another photo from that same game on the HHOF site.

Howe, Gordie -- Gallery -- Honoured Player -- Legends of Hockey

 

[Pasha71]

If it's not Sawchuk, then we don't know if it's 1968/69.

 

[Weztex]

- The Red Wings switched to red gloves in the 1967-68 season.

- Gordie wore an A during the 1970-71 season. The Leafs also changed their uniforms that same year (see other picture of the same game: Howe, Gordie -- Gallery -- Honoured Player -- Legends of Hockey). So our time frame is 3 seasons (68, 69, 70)

- Between 67-68 and 69-70, the Wings didn't play the Leafs in the playoffs. So that is a regular season game.

- Between 67-68 and 69-70, only two Wings goalies catching right played a RS game. Roger Crozier and Roy Edwards

- In this time frame, Crozier wore 2 numbers (1, 30) while Edwards only wore 30. So what we're seeing here is probably the top a folded zero.

- Crozier wore 30 in 67-68. He only played at Maple Leafs Garden on Mar. 9 1968 and on Dec. 21 1968 (split)

- In the 2 seasons he wore 30, Edwards played 6 in Toronto. (Dec. 21 1968, Jan. 18 1969, Mar. 22 1969, Nov. 22 1969, Feb. 21 1970, Mar. 11 1970)

- Bruce Gamble was in net for every single of those games. Those sideburns are totally Gamble.

So this leaves us with one of those :

Mar. 9 1968
Dec. 21 1968
Mar. 22 1969
Nov. 22 1969
Feb. 21 1970
Mar. 11 1970


Edit

Howe, Gordie -- Gallery -- Honoured Player -- Legends of Hockey

In this picture taken from the same spot, you can spot some of the same people in the stands with different clothes. We can probably assume that those were season tickets owners. If those two photograph were shot during the same season, it would be 1969-70 since Dave Keon is captain. So one of those two games would be a good bet.

Feb. 21 1970
Mar. 11 1970

 

[Killion]

How else would you explain a "9" on his sweater? Sawchuk is the only Detroit goalie of the Gordie Howe era to have a number that contained either "9" or "6".

I see. So he was in fact ambidextrous & would randomly switch his glove hand with his blocker? And in 20yrs no one ever noticed?..... Brilliant. I like it. Wow. Who knew? Explains a lot. Legend of Terry Sawchuk just went Inter------Stellar. Forget Dr Strangeglove, Wild Biil.... Or.... Maybe the photographer developed the negative in reverse somehow? Like the plate is somehow flipped? Similar to what you see on youtube sometimes when someones pirated a film & in posting it, like an American movie, everything in reverse. Guy driving a car on the right hand side rather than left but the films shot in the States, American car, roads. Ever seen that? Most annoying.

 

[DJ Man]

I think I see Henry Kissinger watching the game, third plexiglass panel from the left. That places it during the Nixon administration.

 

[Weztex]

I think I see Henry Kissinger watching the game, third plexiglass panel from the left. That places it during the Nixon administration.

I get that this is sarcasm, probably directed towards my post. But hey, at least I tried to help the OP. You know like...the purpose of this thread. But glad that you helped. I wish I had done that much.

 

[Killion]

I get that this is sarcasm, probably directed towards my post. But hey, at least I tried to help the OP. You know like...the purpose of this thread. But glad that you helped. I wish I had done that much.

Now now Weztex.... were all friends, just havin some fun here with the Mystery Photo. I enjoyed DJ Man's posts as have others. Lighten up. We Can Work it Out....

 

[Tarantula]

I think I see Henry Kissinger watching the game, third plexiglass panel from the left. That places it during the Nixon administration.

Damn, that does look like Kissenger.

Looks like game footage from the crowds reaction. Doubt the goalie has a 9 in his number, I think that 9 is a combo of 2 folded numbers, it looks like it is on a angle compared to the shoulder patch on Gordie's 9. The goalies 9 would be on a angle. Has to be a combo of a 2 digit number.

 

[Ceremony]

View attachment 147837

Well, the fans don't seem to be that interested, so you're right, it might be the warm-up.

A look back at Gordie Howe's hockey career states:

Gordie Howe skating behind the net during a game against the Maple Leafs. (The Hockey Hall of Fame)

I suppose "during a game" might include the warm-up...

It looks like there's a Toronto player in the corner, so I doubt that's warm-up.

 

[DJ Man]

I get that this is sarcasm, probably directed towards my post. But hey, at least I tried to help the OP. You know like...the purpose of this thread. But glad that you helped. I wish I had done that much.

No intent to disparage your analysis, just an observation. I couldn't see a need to add a funny face icon, but maybe I should have.

 

[tarheelhockey]

- The Red Wings switched to red gloves in the 1967-68 season.

- Gordie wore an A during the 1970-71 season. The Leafs also changed their uniforms that same year (see other picture of the same game: Howe, Gordie -- Gallery -- Honoured Player -- Legends of Hockey). So our time frame is 3 seasons (68, 69, 70)

- Between 67-68 and 69-70, the Wings didn't play the Leafs in the playoffs. So that is a regular season game.

- Between 67-68 and 69-70, only two Wings goalies catching right played a RS game. Roger Crozier and Roy Edwards

- In this time frame, Crozier wore 2 numbers (1, 30) while Edwards only wore 30. So what we're seeing here is probably the top a folded zero.

- Crozier wore 30 in 67-68. He only played at Maple Leafs Garden on Mar. 9 1968 and on Dec. 21 1968 (split)

- In the 2 seasons he wore 30, Edwards played 6 in Toronto. (Dec. 21 1968, Jan. 18 1969, Mar. 22 1969, Nov. 22 1969, Feb. 21 1970, Mar. 11 1970)

- Bruce Gamble was in net for every single of those games. Those sideburns are totally Gamble.

So this leaves us with one of those :

Mar. 9 1968
Dec. 21 1968
Mar. 22 1969
Nov. 22 1969
Feb. 21 1970
Mar. 11 1970


Edit

Howe, Gordie -- Gallery -- Honoured Player -- Legends of Hockey

In this picture taken from the same spot, you can spot some of the same people in the stands with different clothes. We can probably assume that those were season tickets owners. If those two photograph were shot during the same season, it would be 1969-70 since Dave Keon is captain. So one of those two games would be a good bet.

Feb. 21 1970
Mar. 11 1970

This is great stuff.



By the by, did they always keep the green light on during play during that era? A small detail I've never noticed before.

 

[Tarantula]

Or is it a weird reflection? Man, some of you guys got bionic eyes!!!

 

[tarheelhockey]

Or is it a weird reflection? Man, some of you guys got bionic eyes!!!

It's easier to see in the other HHOF photo linked a few posts up. Definitely an active green light.

 

[Killion]

By the by, did they always keep the green light on during play during that era? A small detail I've never noticed before.

Good eye tarheel. That "green light"?Ectoplasm.
Visitors. Them. You see Dead People apparently.

all....

 

[Elvis P]

Good eye tarheel. That "green light"? Ectoplasm. Visitors. Them. You see Dead People apparently. ...

There are some former posters I miss. I was gonna pm @Canadiens1958 (rest in peace) and @Killion the other day. Maybe @tarheelhockey will enjoy this post.

He was the best. He could stop on a dime and leave you nine cents change. Howie was in a class by himself. And when he couldn’t skate around you, he’d go right over you.
-Francis “King” Clancy (Joe Pelletier, GreatestHockeyLegends.com)

​

Driving himself the way he drove his players later, Shore had also acquired more than 900 stitches in his face and body, several fractures in his back, hip, collarbone, nose and jaw, and a mouth minus every tooth.
-Stan Fischler (Sports Illustrated) March 13, 1967

Charlie Conacher was a great skater.

​

There are goals, and there are Richard goals.
-Dick Irvin (Herbert Warren Wind, Sports Illustrated) December 6, 1954

Doug Bentley - A Bentley brothers' reunion.

The Punch Line

​

He was built to be a hockey player. He was strong as an ox. Howe was mean as a rattlesnake and you treaded lightly when you came around him. He had a very heavy shot and a soft touch. Old school hockey. That was Gordie Howe.
-Red Wings and Maple Leafs forward Paul Henderson (Sportsnet.ca) June 10, 2016

Jean Beliveau
​

He’s great. He’s got the greatest shot I’ve ever seen in hockey and he’s a fine man.
-Maurice Richard (Dave Stubbs, NHL.com) January 1, 2017

​

The best part about coming to Chicago was that Bobby Hull was on my side,” But I still had to face him and his shot in practice. The idea was not to stop that thing, but to avoid getting killed. Every once in a while, Bobby would fire the puck and it would fly into the stands at the Stadium. If the cleaning ladies were up there, you should have seen them scatter. They looked like Olympic sprinters.
-Glenn Hall (Bob Verdi, NHL.com) January 1, 2017

The Scooter Line

Danny O’Shea, Ian Young, and Bobby Orr
​

All that Bobby did was change the face of hockey all by himself. Bobby was as fast as he needed to be in a particular situation. No matter how fast an opponent was, Bobby could skate faster than him if he needed to in the framework of a play. If he was caught up the ice and the other team had an odd-man rush, that’s when you saw his truly great speed. Very seldom did he not get back to have a hand in breaking up the play. To have seen his ultimate speed, you would have needed to play faster than any in hockey history.
-Phil Esposito (Dave Stubbs, NHL.com) January 1, 2017

Ken Dryden​

 

[tarheelhockey]

There are some former posters I miss.

Indeed, old threads with C58 and Killion banter make me a little sad. Time moves on, new people move into the neighborhood, but it still feels like the ghosts never leave.