Syd Howe

Lore & Background

Syd Howe grew up in Ottawa, Ontario, skating on Patterson's Creek and the Rideau Canal with his brother Lawrence 'Pete' Howe. He played for Glebe Collegiate high school and the Lansdowne Park Juveniles in 1926 before joining the Ottawa Gunners junior team. With the Gunners, he became part of the first Ottawa club to reach the Memorial Cup finals in 1928, losing to the Regina Monarchs. Howe joined the NHL with his hometown Ottawa Senators for the last 12 games of the 1929–30 season and was loaned to the Philadelphia Quakers for their only season (1930–31). He holds the unique distinction of being the only man to play for both the Philadelphia Quakers and the St. Louis Eagles.

Howe was on the ice at 2:25 a.m. on March 25, 1936, when Mud Bruneteau scored in the sixth overtime period to give Detroit the win in the longest game in league history. The Red Wings won the Stanley Cup that spring and again in 1937. In 1939, his 1937 Stanley Cup ring was stolen from a train; it reappeared in an online auction in 2024 and was bought back by his descendants. On March 19, 1940, Howe scored 25 seconds into overtime to win a playoff game, his most cherished moment, and that goal stood as the fastest overtime goal in NHL history for 29 years. He set the modern-day NHL record by scoring six goals in a game on February 3, 1944, versus the New York Rangers, a record twice equaled but never bettered in over fifty years of play.

Reader's Guide

Syd Howe's significance lies in his consistent scoring and versatility over 17 NHL seasons. He was a leading scorer of his era, finishing runner-up to Charlie Conacher for the scoring title in 1934–35 with 47 points in 50 games despite playing much of the season with the last-place St. Louis Eagles. He became the NHL's all-time leading point scorer on March 8, 1945, surpassing Nels Stewart's record of 515 points, and held the record with 528 points until Bill Cowley surpassed him in 1947. Howe was an all-around player, shifting between left wing and centre, killing penalties, and playing defence when needed. He was named to the NHL Second Team All-Star squad as a left winger in 1945 and played in the 1939 benefit All-Star game for Babe Siebert. Upon playing his last NHL game in 1946, Howe was the last active player who had played for the Philadelphia Quakers and the original era of the Ottawa Senators. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1965. Although not related, Gordie Howe joined the Red Wings the following season, giving the Wings a star forward named Howe on its roster for 37 consecutive seasons (1934–1971).

Did You Know?

• Syd Howe is the only man to have played for both the Philadelphia Quakers and the St. Louis Eagles.
• He scored six goals in a single game on February 3, 1944, a modern-era NHL record.
• His 1937 Stanley Cup ring was stolen in 1939 and reappeared in an online auction in 2024, where his descendants bought it back.
• He held the NHL all-time points record from March 8, 1945, until 1947.

A Wandering Path to Detroit

Syd Howe's early NHL years were marked by constant movement. He debuted with his hometown Ottawa Senators during the final twelve games of the 1929-30 season, then was loaned to the Philadelphia Quakers for their sole season of existence in 1930-31. When Ottawa suspended operations, the Toronto Maple Leafs picked him up in a dispersal draft, yet he appeared in only three games before spending most of his time with the Syracuse Stars in the International Hockey League. He returned to Ottawa the following year and followed the franchise to St. Louis as an Eagle in 1934-35. The Eagles sold him to Detroit in February 1935, and that transaction proved transformative. Howe holds the rare distinction of being the only player to suit up for both the Quakers and the Eagles. His journeyman years ended in Detroit, where he would spend the bulk of his career and find his greatest success, ultimately playing 17 NHL seasons before retiring in 1946.

Moments That Defined an Era

Howe's career is punctuated by several extraordinary moments. On March 19, 1940, he scored just 25 seconds into overtime to hand Detroit a 2-1 victory over the New York Americans in a quarter-final. That goal stood as the fastest overtime score in NHL history for 29 years and remained his most treasured memory. On February 3, 1944, he tallied six goals against the New York Rangers, setting a modern-era single-game record that has been matched twice but never broken in over fifty years. He was also on the ice at 2:25 a.m. on March 25, 1936, when Mud Bruneteau scored in the sixth overtime of the longest game in league history. In 1945, he surpassed Nels Stewart's mark to become the NHL's all-time leading point scorer. Adding a touch of drama, his 1937 Stanley Cup ring was stolen from a train in 1939 and did not resurface until a 2024 online auction, where his descendants purchased it back.

Three Cups and a Lasting Name

Howe's crowning achievements came with the Detroit Red Wings, where he captured the Stanley Cup in 1936, 1937, and 1943. His versatility made him indispensable: he shifted between left wing and centre, killed penalties, and dropped back to play defence when the team needed him, accumulating what contemporaries described as an astonishing amount of ice time. His impact extended beyond the ice. Upon retiring in 1946, he was the last active player who had suited up for both the Philadelphia Quakers and the original Ottawa Senators. In a remarkable coincidence, unconnected right winger Gordie Howe joined Detroit the following season and stayed until 1971, giving the Red Wings a star forward named Howe on their roster for 37 consecutive seasons from 1934 to 1971. Syd Howe was enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1965, cementing his place among the game's all-time greats.

Ottawa Roots and a Complete Player

Syd Howe's story began on the ice of his hometown. Growing up in Ottawa, Ontario, he and his brother Lawrence "Pete" Howe spent countless hours skating on Patterson's Creek and the Rideau Canal. He played for the Glebe Collegiate high school team and the Lansdowne Park Juveniles in 1926 before joining the Ottawa Gunners in the newly formed Ottawa City Hockey League. With the Gunners, he helped become the first Ottawa club to reach the Memorial Cup finals in 1928, falling to the Regina Monarchs two games to one, though Howe himself was a playoff standout with nine goals and 13 points in eight games. His playing style was remarkably complete. Teammates and observers noted that he could handle the puck at left wing or centre, contribute on the penalty kill, and fill in at defence in a pinch. This all-around capability, combined with his scoring prowess—237 goals and 291 assists in 691 career games—made him one of the era's most well-rounded forwards.