Bettman: NHL To Come Up With 'Enduring And Permanent' Tribute To Gordie Howe
DETROIT (CBS Detroit) -- The sporting world has spent the past week mourning the loss of Mr. Hockey.
Many have started to brainstorm ways the NHL can immortalize Gordie Howe's contributions to hockey -- from retiring his No. 9 jersey across the league to naming an arena or trophy after him.
League commissioner Gary Bettman said Thursday that the league will, in fact, come up with a lasting tribute to Howe, writes NHL.com's Dave Stubbs.
"We're going to come up with something that's an enduring testament to Gordie," Bettman said. "There will be something that appropriately celebrates his life and creates a lasting tribute to his immortality. It will be something that will be special and enduring and permanent."
Thousands of fans joined some of hockey's legends at Joe Louis Arena this week to pay their respects to Howe.
"Gordie is the foundation of the modern game," Bettman said. "He was somebody who not only excelled on the ice and demonstrated what it took to be a hockey player, but somebody who was the consummate ambassador for the game."
Howe died on June 10 at age 88. He played for the Detroit Red Wings from 1946 through 1971 and is the only player to see game time in six different decades.
