That One Time a Heckler Wouldn't Let Gordie Howe on the Team Bus. It Ended with a Fist to his Face.

CambieKev

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Aug 26, 2019
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I was going through some old clippings.

Gordie Howe was known as a gentleman off the ice and a terror on it. There appeared to be one incident in 1964, though, when a fan got in the way of his boarding of the team bus. That fan must have thought he was invincible, or that Gordie wouldn't be his same, fearsome self off of the ice.

A short scuffle ensued.

It's maybe the only tale I've read of Gordie taking his toughness off the ice. That fan then tried to sue for $25,000.

Howe's retelling of events:

"This guy got in the way and said to me, 'the refs call 'em right for you?' I said, sure. All right. He said, 'oh, he didn't call 'em right, huh?' He wasn't making much sense...

I asked him if he was looking for trouble. Then he stepped into me and I let him have a light punch on the nose. I took another step toward the bus and he hit me on the back of the head...

So I put down both travelling bags and let him have a good one."
- Gordie Howe, March 1964 ("Sawchuk Back," The Vancouver Sun, Mar. 31, 1964).


Dempsey Sues: SPORT BRIEFS
The Province (1956-2010); Vancouver, British Columbia [Vancouver, British Columbia]02 Apr 1964: 13.

...

MISCELLENEOUS: ... and just to carry on the special in spring suits, a Chicago Black Hawk fan is suing Detroit Red Wings' star Gordie Howe for $25,000 damages for a punch in the mouth which "humiliated and embarrassed him."

...
Frankly Speaking
Eric Whitehead. The Province (1956-2010); Vancouver, British Columbia [Vancouver, British Columbia]20 Apr 1964: 15.

...

"The respect for Howe, on and off the ice is tremendous," said Detroit's John Walter [of the Detroit News], who'd skipped into New York between games. Whereupon Walter told a story that never did hit the news wires.

"It was just after a Detroit-Chicago game, in Detroit, and a fan, who probably had some money on the Hawks and lost it, was giving Howe a bad time outside the arena. He jostled Gordie between insults, jostled him again, and then Gordie took over. He quietly punched this idiot right on the nose and knocked him down.

"Naturally, this idiot goes running to a lawyer, and lays a charge against Howe. The preliminary hearing comes up before a judge who, as justice would have it, is a hockey fan.

"The judge hears the fellow's story through, thinks it over, and says:

"'I must warn you that I am slightly prejudiced in this case, but because of this I will lean over backward to believe your story of unprovoked assault. However, I happen to know the alleged assailant's character, and I must say that if he punched you on the nose, you must have thoroughly deserved it. Case dismissed.'"

"Then," said Walter, "the judge added: 'I think you should consider yourself very fortunate that the alleged assailant did not punch you on the nose as hard as he is able. Mr. Howe is a very powerful young man."

...
Fist in Face Worth $25,000, Figures Fan
Doug Peden, Sports Editor. The Victoria Daily Times (1884-1971); Victoria, British Columbia [Victoria, British Columbia]02 Apr 1964: 12.

CHICAGO (AP) - A Chicago Black Hawk fan sued Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League and their star, Gordie Howe, Wednesday for $25,000 damages for a punch in the mouth.

Robert Rosenthal, 20, charged in his circuit court suit that "Howe's unprovoked attack humiliated, embarrassed and held him up to public ridicule."

In Detroit on Monday, Howe said he punched "an abusive Chicago Black Hawks fan a good one" as the Red Wings were leaving Chicago Stadium after their 5-4 victory over the Hawks Sunday night.

On Monday, Rosenthal attempted to obtain a warrant against Howe, but Judge John Sullivan of Monroe Street court refused to grant one.

"On the basis of the evidence you've given me," Judge Sullivan said, "any judge in my opinion would find Mr. Howe not guilty, since you admitted that you provoked him."

Rosenthal's suit said a cut he received on his lip required eight stitches and had become infected and swollen to three times its normal size.
"On the basis of the evidence you've given me, any judge in my opinion would find Mr. Howe not guilty, since you admitted that you provoked him." - Judge John Sullivan, March 1964 (Doug Peden, Victoria Daily Times, Apr. 2, 1964).
Sawchuk Back in Goal For Wings Tonight - Howe Punches Fan
The Sun (1959-1973); Vancouver, Canada [Vancouver, Canada]31 Mar 1964: 17.

Detroit scoring ace Gordie Howe punched a Chicago fan and was backed up by a Chicago judge.

The incident occurred at Chicago Stadium Sunday night as the Wings were leaving to catch a bus.

...

The fan, Robert Rosenthal, appeared in Monroe Street Court with a swollen mouth and said eight stitches were needed to close the wound. He asked for a warrant to have Howe arrested.

Judge John Sullivan, after hearing Rosenthal's story, said:

"I will not perform a useless act. On the basis of the evidence you've given me, any judge in my opinion would find Mr. Howe not guilty, since you admitted you provoked him."

Howe's version of the incident was this:

"This guy got in the way and said to me, 'the refs call 'em right for you?' I said, sure. All right. He said, 'oh, he didn't call 'em right, huh?' He wasn't making much sense.

"I asked him if he was looking for trouble. Then he stepped into me and I let him have a light punch on the nose. I took another step toward the bus and he hit me on the back of the head.

"So I put down both travelling bags and let him have a good one."
Columnist Stephen Smith wrote a little bit about it earlier this year.

gordie howe, 1964: you want a punch in the mouth? - puckstruck
In the aftermath of Rosenthal’s dismissal at court, his mother, whose name may have been Veronica but is given in at least one account as Veronia, mentioned that lawyers would be consulted. Sure enough, before the week was out, just in time for Howe’s birthday, Rosenthal filed a lawsuit seeking US$25,000 for damages from number 9 and the Red Wings, claiming “Howe’s unprovoked attack humiliated, embarrassed, and held him up to public ridicule.” He noted, too, that his wound had become infected and swollen to three times its regular size.

Howe and/or Wings may have settled the suit — whatever happened, the incident vanished from the press.
As for the NHL, president Clarence Campbell said he’d investigate, though he didn’t expect anything to come of it. “I’m not too excited about it,” he said, “and I doubt there’ll be any league action against Howe. After the game is over and he’s out of the rink, it’s not really an NHL affair, although these incidents can’t do anything for our public image.”

Of all the players to pick on...

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tarheelhockey

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I think Howe was the ultimate Jekyll and Hyde. Typically, you get the mild-mannered Dr. Jekyll, but put him on the ice or give him any provocation, and may God rest your soul.

Howe grew up in a place and time where life was mean to people who couldn’t fight for themselves. Being a gentleman and a willing brawler weren’t mutually exclusive.
 

Professor What

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Howe grew up in a place and time where life was mean to people who couldn’t fight for themselves. Being a gentleman and a willing brawler weren’t mutually exclusive.

I'm definitely aware of that. Howe just seemed to take it to the extreme on both ends.

He failed third grade twice and endured relentless teasing gir his perceived lack of intelligence (he was actually dyslexic), and he started fighting to put an end to that. Yet, that same boy would hop home and cry on his mother's lap over those scholastic struggles. Later, he went to the NHL looking for fights as a way to make a name for himself, promoting Jack Adams to ask him, "I know you can fight, but can you show me you can play hockey?" Yet, the guy on the ice looking for a fight was also the guy who would have always given the shirt off his back to anyone who needed it. He truly was the best combination of a hockey player, especially in that age, and a human being.
 

TheMoreYouKnow

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Imagine the hoopla that would ensure if that happened to a NHL player today. Don't think the whole "it happened outside the building so it's not really the NHL's business" talking point would work particularly well today.
 

BadgerBruce

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Aug 8, 2013
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I’ve posted at least a version of this story in the past, but I’ll repeat it in condensed form here because it speaks so clearly to Mister Hockey’s character.

In the early/mid 80s, I helped out for a week or so at a hockey school in Peterborough, Ontario. Lots of NHL stars there, even Don Cherry.

So it’s the last day and we decided to videotape the kids having games. There were 5-6 groups of kids so we are talking pretty much the whole day to get through everybody. Exhausting.

A buddy is operating the camera and I’ve got the lists of all the kids names so I could at least attempt some play-by-play. These videos were intended to be keepsakes for the kids and their families.

Anyway, a few of the NHL stars joined me to say a few words during the first game but none stuck around for more than 5 minutes.

And then Gordie Howe walked into the building completely unannounced.

Two of his grandsons were at the camp and he’d made the drive from Michigan to pick them up and take them home.

He joined me in the booth. Stayed 4 straight hours. Asked to look at the player lists so he could say at least one nice thing about all of them. NHL stars pulling in a decent buck to be there for the kids wouldn’t do it. Gordie just volunteered. No hesitation, no charge, my pleasure.

There are still men like that. Orr, for one, has a fair bit of generous and selfless Gordie in him. But the numbers are shrinking.
 

Professor What

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I think something that demonstrates the kind of person Howe was when his son Murray gave his eulogy, he said that up until his last meal, he would never eat anything until he had offered it to everyone else. With his mind succumbing to dementia, it went to a base state of looking out for others, even if it was something simple.

I remember very well that I shed tears when Howe died. My deep love of hockey and its history had much to do with that, but knowing the kind of person he was I think only added to it.

I think the guy that Mr. Hockey punched should have considered himself honored to have been taught a lesson in such a way by such a man.
 

The Panther

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He joined me in the booth. Stayed 4 straight hours. Asked to look at the player lists so he could say at least one nice thing about all of them. NHL stars pulling in a decent buck to be there for the kids wouldn’t do it. Gordie just volunteered. No hesitation, no charge, my pleasure.
And that after how many years of being lied to and ripped off by the Red Wings' management? Great story.
 

tarheelhockey

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I'm definitely aware of that. Howe just seemed to take it to the extreme on both ends.

He failed third grade twice and endured relentless teasing gir his perceived lack of intelligence (he was actually dyslexic), and he started fighting to put an end to that. Yet, that same boy would hop home and cry on his mother's lap over those scholastic struggles. Later, he went to the NHL looking for fights as a way to make a name for himself, promoting Jack Adams to ask him, "I know you can fight, but can you show me you can play hockey?" Yet, the guy on the ice looking for a fight was also the guy who would have always given the shirt off his back to anyone who needed it. He truly was the best combination of a hockey player, especially in that age, and a human being.

I read him as a man who was assertive but not violent by nature. His penchant for violence seemed to be a learned trait, ingrained early in life as part of being raised in an environment that preyed mercilessly on weak men, and reinforced by the do-or-be-done-unto culture of pro hockey. A lot of good-natured men experience similar contradictions with violence in other urban blue-collar ways of life.

There seems to be a sharp divide between the Shores and Cleghorns (men who grew up in the merchant class and seemed to seek out recreational violence for a sort of pleasure) and the Richards and Howes (working class men for whom violence was just another obstacle in daily life).
 
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Filthy Dangles

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Love it, thanks for sharing. Dumb sport fans think they are invincible, especially today behind the glass and computer screen. Glad to hear he didn't have to pay anything to the tool.

This reminds me of Tie Domi going on Spittin Chiclets and how he had to spend 6 figures on legal council for the penalty box incident with the fan. Domi eventually brought him and his family to a playoff game in Toronto and the guy stopped with the lawsuits.

 
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VanIslander

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Sep 4, 2004
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True story.

My dad was a mechanical engineer for a mining company in Northern Manitoba and Ontario in the early 1960's when his two roommates (housing was sparse, they shared a big apartment) drank his booze one day. My dad was livid and said the next time they touch his drink, he'll throw them head first out the door. A couple of weeks later he comes home to find them both into his stash and he picks them up and throws them down the stairs. One broke his collar bone and the other cracked his ribs and broke a leg. My dad said if they ever came toward him again, he will know why.

The judge heard from everyone and found everyone at fault. The thieves got off with injuries incurred and my dad got his only jail term: 30 days of cleaning the church floor in the local prison: as soon as he scrubbed and waxed the floors by cloth on his knees, ... he had to do it all over again.

Years later, on the streets of Winnipeg, one of the two men was walking up Main when he saw my dad and suddenly crossed the street and looked away.

My dad was born 3 years after Gordie Howe. They are cut from the same cloth. Think Clint Eastwood (born mere months before my dad). Nice, soft spoken guys, funny and friendly, but guys you do not mess with.

I was born into a waaay different generation. Joe Sakic is my age and was on my street in Burnaby as a kid. Pierre Turgeon is my age.

Gordie's generation has passed us guys.

Oh, sure mean jerks and pompous brawlers have been here since. But the character of that noble, tough but fair generation has gone.
 

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