Excellent Movie, but


Just saw it on the Hallmark Channel.
Excellent movie, brought back some memories of my younger years. I remember watching his retirement game on TV with the big 9 on the ice, the signing and playing with Houston. But, the rocking chair incident with the fan never happened in Minnesota. Game six of the Aeros/Saints semi-finals game was not played in Houston, it was played in St. Paul, I was at the games. The Aeros did beat Chicago in 4 straight to win the title, but it was done in Chicago, on the road. In fact, Ted Taylor the captain, dropped the AVCO Trophy getting off the plane in Houston when they returned.

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I thought the movie was well done considering it was a television movie. Also, game four against Chicago was played in Houston, not Chicago. Here is a cool video of game four and the players celebrating after the win. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0kKwm3PVBk

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I stand corrected, my mistake. Thanks arizona1997

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not_me: My Father and I were at Game #3 for the AVCO Trophy back in 1974. Due to a scheduling conflict they (Chicago Cougars) could not use their home rink, normally the International Amphitheatre (I.A.). They were pushed out by Cathy Rigby and her roadshow of PETER PAN. The I.A. was located by the defunct Stock Yards, which you could still smell and was more noted for Professional Wrestling of the A.W.A. defunct also like the W.H.A.

The game was played at the Randhurst Twin Ice-Rink in Mount Prospect a N.W. Suburb of Chicago. The rinks are long gone and is now a Home Depot. To show how different things were back then my Friends and I just walked in to watch the AEROS practice. There was THE MAN himself and his two (2) sons watching the young Women figure skating in the alternate, non seating rink. We introduced ourselves, shook hands all around, then went in to watch the practice. Mr. Howe was a perfect Gentlemen, asked if we played (which we did), in fact at the rink the AEROS were competing in, seating about 2000! Though we NEVER had that many for our games.

Thought the movie was good Family fare and Michael Shanks did a good job. Though he could have used some more grey around the temples, but he had the physique down pat. Unlike the two (2) actors who played his sons Mark & Marty. They had anemic builds, totally unlike the young Men we met!

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what a great memory....

I watched it on cbc..here in Canada......and I loved that they had the real gordie at the end, with his two sons, when the WHA joined, the NHL....and loved that guys, comment, it's never going to happen...

yeah, the two that where playing his son, did seem kind of scrawny, I thought, to be playing hockey....or any sport for that matter

Michael did a great job........as always..

susan

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suzan28: Yes, my memory, my curse. Have seen all the great ones from the late 1950s until today. Still believe that GORDIE HOWE was the best player ever, including ORR & GRETZKY. HULL could have been, but did not have the mental discipline that it took and just rode on his superior physique. Plus it helps to be sober most of the time! Sorry Bobby.

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The casting of Mark, Marty, Hull and Keon was spot-on. I know that the focus of the movie was on his first year back in Houston-it's unfortunate that the only mention of his last year (not counting the Viper game) was the scene at the 1979-80 All-Star game in Detroit-it was his last year and he was a member of the Whalers, along with his sons, Dave Keon AND Bobby Hull-truly a team for (all)-the-ages!

It would have been fun to run the closing credits over the song "Gordie Howe is the Greatest of Them All by the 60's band Big Bob & the Dollars.

It's too bad that this will probably be the only movie focussing on his career (I will always consider him to be the greatest of all time)-there a whole mini-series that could be made...the same goes for a lot of NHL/WHA legends, including Bobby Hull.

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Another correction: although John Schella's name is spelled correctly in the credits, on his jersey during the movie, it is spelled "Shella" ... doh!

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