Who was the greater Red Wing, Steve Yzerman or Gordie Howe?

Question

As a Blackhawks fan, I was taught at an early age to hate the Red Wings. Since the Hawks have struggled since I was a small child, I have decided to ditch my disdain for the Detroit squad and have learned to respect them and their organization. With that out of the way, I wonder who was the greater Red Wing, Yzerman or Howe? Most older hockey fans would lean towards Howe, who defined a golden era (in their minds) before the likes of Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr, Mario Lemieux, and Patrick Roy. Us younger fans would pick Yzerman, since we saw him play.

My argument is this: Yzerman was a great player among an era of the greatest players (including Europeans, blacks, and Americans) in the NHL, while Howe was a great player who was among white Canadians in a six-team league. Yzerman meant more to a downtrodden Red Wings team in the 1980s to early 2000s than Howe did to an already successful Red Wings team from the late 1940s to early 1970s.

Answer 1

The "white Canadians" argument is a bit odd.

It's not like there were any great players outside the NHL during Howe's era who weren't being allowed to play. There were only a few players from europe who could have made the NHL at the time. I can't think of any Americans who were kept out of the league because they weren't "white Canadians." If they were good enough any team would have picked them up. Few kids even played hockey in the states or Europe when Howe was playing.

One could also argue that Yzerman played in a league where there were so many teams that the opposition talent he faced every night was diluted to the max. Howe, on the other hand, played against just five other teams with the best players in the world at the time packed into those rosters. Yzerman faced Patrick Roy maybe once a month, and a lot of crummy goaltenders in between. Because there were only five other teams, every game Howe would face the likes of Glen Hall, Johnny Bower or Jacques Plante, or Gump Worsley all future Hall of Fame players.

Everyone forgets Yzerman, unlike Howe, was criticized heavily heavily during the first 13 years of his career because despite his talents his team never went anywhere. He kept getting cut from Team Canada as well, with players like the Sutters and Rick Tocchet making the team ahead of him. A couple of Cups saved him from the "loser" tag that was starting to follow him around.

This is from a 1998 story by the Associated Press which did a story about Yzerman's late career turnaround: "For the first 13 years of his career, Yzerman had the label of not being able to lead his teams to victory in the big ones. He could always score, posting six 100-point seasons, but his teams never won championships, that is until the Red Wings ended a 42-year Cup drought last season (1997). All the perceptions about Yzerman changed after that, from being a loser to one of the great captains.
"Part of the credit goes to coach Scotty Bowman, who convinced Yzerman to become more of a two-way player. But even that took time to change the image.
"Before sweeping Philadelphia last year, Yzerman joked that people would not sit down next to him at a craps table in a casino. It was that bad."

One statistic which favours Howe is that the finished in the top five in league scoring for 20 straight years. He was also the toughest fighter in the league for two decates. Most of the goons of the day wouldn't go near him, especially after he beat the league's top goon, Lou Fontinato, so badly, Fontinato was in the hospital for reconstructive surgery for weeks and his career was effectively over. Read more here:

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/News/2007/01/05/3195546-sun.html

I watched Howe play for the Hartford Whalers at a game in Buffalo in 1980 at 52 years of age, and by that time he was good enough to be a second-line winger. He had 15 goals and 26 assists that year. He played on a line with Gretzky at the All-Star game. Howe's career started more than 20 years before Bobby Orr's and finished five years after Orr was forced to retire with injuries.

Yzerman had 14 goals and 20 assists in his final season and was more than a decade younger than Howe when he retired.

Answer 2

The greater Red Wing was, and always will be, Stevie! "Y" ask Y? No one brought more heart and soul to the Red Wings than Steve Yzerman. He didn't wear that "C" on his jersey for nothing! If you have that, then you've done something right! Anybody who will lead a team into battle and come out of it with two or three missing teeth and a gap and not give a damn about it has got to be the best!

Because of his leadership and passion, since i've been alive, the Red Wings have won three Stanley Cups ('97, '98, and '02) and you cannot mention the Red Wings and not mention Steve Yzerman. He is truly the greatest!

Answer 3

Normally, I can't choose between Stevie Y and Gordie Howe. However, for argument sake, I'll say Yzerman simply because he played his entire career in Detroit and still is a part of the franchise, only now in the front office.

Bob: In a way, you're right. With the way Yzerman's knees were in the last half of his career, he wouldn't have played as long in the Original 6 era, but I think he still would have gotten his points. Remember, he did string together a number of 100-plus point seasons.

Answer 4

Being very good friends with both men in question and having seen both men's entire careers, both men would take exception to your statement about how important Howe was to the Red Wings. Howe was far more an icon in Detroit than Yzerman ever was. Both were great players, and I would have liked to have seen Yzerman break Howe's records. Howe was responsible for Detroit taking Yzerman in the first place (he was a consultant to Ilitch at the time).

And has been said before.........Howe played in the NHL at a time when the top 0.001% of Canadians played in the NHL. Yzerman played in the league in an era when the top 0.0027% of Canadians played in the league. 60% of the players playing in Yzerman's NHL, would not have been good enough to play in Howe's NHL

Answer 5

I think (know) that Yzerman's career would not have been nearly as long if he played in the Original 6 era. The bulk of his scoring came when many guys were surpassing 100 points. Nobody would argue Gordie Howe being a top 5 player of all time and nobody would argue Steve Yzerman not being a top 10 player of all time (not even close) so therefore, it isn't even close, Howe by a landslide.

Answer 6

Hard for me to say.

1) I live near Philly.

2) Only saw Gordie Howe play with the Whalers.

But overall, I'd have to say the Gordie is solidly the greatest Red Wing followed by Yzerman as a solid 2nd place. I'd put Terry Sawchuk at 3rd.

Answer 7

I had the pleasure of seeing Howe from the early 60's when he was already old by NHL standards. No one meant more in either era to the Detroit Red Wings than either of these 2 great players. But it is like saying an apple is better than an orange. Howe is arguably one of the top 2 or 3 ever. Stevie Y is not in that company as much as any fan of his wishes him to be. Kudos for a great career Stevie but best Wing ever, Delvecchio and Lindsay are ahead of Stevie, no diss intended. When someone can play a professional sport in 5 decades, then comparisons can made made. Howe is by far best Wing ever.

Answer 8

This is a bit of an ignorant question. Howe represents by himself an entire era (and a long one at that) of the NHL. The only player you can say who has been better than him is none other than Wayne Gretzky.

Yzerman, a great player, but not in the same ballpark at all.

Answer 9

1. Wayne Gretzky 2. Bobby Orr 3. Maurice Richard 4. Gordie Howe 5. Mario Lemieux

Answer 10

The game of hockey has had so many changes it is somewhat unfair to compare players of different eras.

Still, I would say Gordie Howe over Steve Yzerman. Previous answers have provided plenty of details.