Mark Howe

If you are a sports fan with a touch of gray hair here and there, the next sentence may be difficult to read. Thursday is Gordie Howe's 83rd birthday. Yes, time flies, much like Howe did on the ice for all those 26 seasons in the NHL and the six more he played in the World Hockey Assn. It seems less possible that he could have reached this milestone because he was still playing in 1980 for the NHL's Hartford Whalers. "At 51, in his last season, he was playing nine to 10 minutes a game," says his son Mark.

Times columnist Helene Elliott rates the pluses and minuses in the NHL from the last week: + Congratulations to Ed Belfour, Doug Gilmour, Mark Howe and Joe Nieuwendyk on their Hockey Hall of Fame inductions Monday. Congrats also to Terry Jones of the Edmonton Sun, winner of the Elmer Ferguson Award for excellence in hockey journalism, and Detroit's Mickey Redmond, winner of the Foster Hewitt Award for outstanding contributions as a broadcaster. + Boston center Tyler Seguin, the No. 2 pick in the 2010 draft, has 11 goals, matching the total from his rookie season.

Mark Howe signed a two-year contract to play for the Detroit Red Wings, the team on which his father, Gordie, became a hockey legend.

The Hockey Hall of Fame again snubbed the late Pat Burns and coaching innovator Fred Shero in selecting four players for induction in November. Goaltender Ed Belfour, third in career victories with 484 and twice a winner of the Vezina trophy as the NHL's top goalie, was elected in his first year of eligibility and said he was "just flabbergasted. " He began his career with the Blackhawks and called his trade from Chicago to San Jose after a contract dispute "the worst day of my career," yet went on to win the Stanley Cup with Dallas in 1999.

The Flyers signed defenseman Mark Howe and left winger Derrick Smith to new contracts, with Howe's deal making him the highest-paid player on the team. Howe said he will earn $1.925 million for the next three years. He said he has a two-year contract with an option year that will pay him $1.7 million up front over the next three years, with the other money deferred. "It's more money than I ever dreamed I'd ever make in my life," the three-time All-Star player said.

Times columnist Helene Elliott rates the pluses and minuses in the NHL from the last week: + Congratulations to Ed Belfour, Doug Gilmour, Mark Howe and Joe Nieuwendyk on their Hockey Hall of Fame inductions Monday. Congrats also to Terry Jones of the Edmonton Sun, winner of the Elmer Ferguson Award for excellence in hockey journalism, and Detroit's Mickey Redmond, winner of the Foster Hewitt Award for outstanding contributions as a broadcaster. + Boston center Tyler Seguin, the No. 2 pick in the 2010 draft, has 11 goals, matching the total from his rookie season.

Gordie Howe played professional hockey for so many years that in the last few seasons of his career, most of his teammates were old enough to be his sons. As a matter of fact, two teammates were his sons. Mark and Marty Howe played with their father for seven seasons, including six in the old World Hockey Assn., before he retired--at 52--as the most prolific scorer in hockey history.

The Hockey Hall of Fame again snubbed the late Pat Burns and coaching innovator Fred Shero in selecting four players for induction in November. Goaltender Ed Belfour, third in career victories with 484 and twice a winner of the Vezina trophy as the NHL's top goalie, was elected in his first year of eligibility and said he was "just flabbergasted. " He began his career with the Blackhawks and called his trade from Chicago to San Jose after a contract dispute "the worst day of my career," yet went on to win the Stanley Cup with Dallas in 1999.

If you are a sports fan with a touch of gray hair here and there, the next sentence may be difficult to read. Thursday is Gordie Howe's 83rd birthday. Yes, time flies, much like Howe did on the ice for all those 26 seasons in the NHL and the six more he played in the World Hockey Assn. It seems less possible that he could have reached this milestone because he was still playing in 1980 for the NHL's Hartford Whalers. "At 51, in his last season, he was playing nine to 10 minutes a game," says his son Mark.

Mark Howe signed a two-year contract to play for the Detroit Red Wings, the team on which his father, Gordie, became a hockey legend.

The Flyers signed defenseman Mark Howe and left winger Derrick Smith to new contracts, with Howe's deal making him the highest-paid player on the team. Howe said he will earn $1.925 million for the next three years. He said he has a two-year contract with an option year that will pay him $1.7 million up front over the next three years, with the other money deferred. "It's more money than I ever dreamed I'd ever make in my life," the three-time All-Star player said.

Gordie Howe played professional hockey for so many years that in the last few seasons of his career, most of his teammates were old enough to be his sons. As a matter of fact, two teammates were his sons. Mark and Marty Howe played with their father for seven seasons, including six in the old World Hockey Assn., before he retired--at 52--as the most prolific scorer in hockey history.