Former Flyer Mark Howe joins hockey greats in Hall

TORONTO - When Mark Howe finally joined his famous father in the Hockey Hall of Fame, he concluded his speech by pulling a No. 9 Detroit Red Wings jersey over his tuxedo.

But he made it clear his heart will always lie elsewhere.

"In 1982, Ed Snider, Keith Allen and Bob McCammon brought me to Philadelphia," Howe said after being inducted last night. "From the beginning, it was as if I was born to be a Flyer. And although I wanted to slash him a few times, I want to thank [then-coach] Mike Keenan for helping me to raise my bar. There were many character players who contributed so much to this day - Brian Propp, Dave Poulin, [Ron Hextall], [Rick Tocchet], Ronny Sutter, Dave Brown and so many others. I want to give special thanks to my defense partners, Glen Cochrane, Kjell Samuelsson, and my dear friend Brad McCrimmon.

"The orange and black will be a part of me forever."

Howe is only the fourth player to represent the Flyers in the Hockey Hall, following Bernie Parent, Bobby Clarke and Bill Barber. Clarke and Barber took in the ceremony, along with Snider, the proud team chairman, and general manager Paul Holmgren.

Howe's legendary father, Gordie, also watched, and fought back tears. After Mark retired from the NHL in 1995, Gordie told Mark he always wished he'd have brought his No. 9 out of the rafters from Joe Louis Arena and worn it for the Red Wings during a game.

It finally came to pass.

"You never asked me for anything ever in your lifetime, so I'd like to honor your request at this time on a much bigger stage," Mark said. "Dad, I love you."

Even during a Hall of Fame weekend in which he was one of the featured stars, along with fellow inductees Ed Belfour, Joe Nieuwendyk and Doug Gilmour, Howe found himself in his father's shadow. When autograph seekers descended upon the family in a hotel lobby, it was Gordie's signature they were after.

And more reporters surrounded Mr. Hockey than his son after the Hall of Fame rings were handed out to the new inductees.

"As you see, we're doing interviews and he has a much bigger crowd than I do," Mark said with a chuckle. "The first day in the hotel, 50 people came up and asked for autographs. They all asked for Gordie while [brother] Marty and I just sat there.

"That comes with the territory; that's so much of what my mother helped her four children to deal with."

Howe's pro career began in the World Hockey Association as a winger on a line with his dad and brother. But he truly flourished after being converted to a defenseman and getting dealt to Philadelphia in an August 1982 trade that sent Ken Linseman, Greg Adams and two draft picks to Hartford.

His finest NHL seasons came alongside McCrimmon in a defensive pairing that played a big role in the Flyers' runs to the Stanley Cup finals in 1985 and 1987. Howe famously finished the 1985-86 regular season with an unthinkable plus-85 rating.

"Mark was the best defenseman who ever played in Philadelphia," Clarke said. "Philadelphia's had some great players come through, but he was head and shoulders above any other defenseman. We had All-Stars, we had lots of great players, but Mark was that good."

Snider agreed.

"I don't know that we've had that many great defensemen through the years, quite frankly," he said. "I kid Paul Holmgren. I said, 'Before I retire, I'd love to draft a great defenseman.' I don't think we ever have."

Howe is still mourning the loss of McCrimmon, who was killed in a September plane crash, along with the KHL team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl that he coached. McCrimmon's widow, Maureen, attended the Hall of Fame ceremony.

The 56-year-old began his speech with some very pointed remarks about that accident. They were the only political statements made all night.

"I would like to pass along my thoughts and prayers to the families who lost their loved ones in the tragic plane crash of Sept. 7, 2011," Howe said. "I hope the families of these victims will receive full compensation for their losses, which is not the case at this time. I find this morally upsetting.

"The families who've suffered the loss of their loved ones should not have to suffer financially, as well. The hockey world should do all that it can to make things right."

The ceremony capped a whirlwind few days in which Howe also was inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame last week. It was an emotional stretch for the Red Wings' director of pro scouting.

"When I wrote my speech, I was on a scouting trip going down to Tampa," Howe said. "On the way there, I wrote a speech for my Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame induction, and on the way back, I wrote my speech for this induction. I just hope the people sitting next to me weren't watching me cry too much.

"It's a wonderful feeling. The emotions that are coming out of me are great."

His father couldn't have agreed more.

"It's a tremendous honor," Gordie said. "To heck with Gordie Howe - it's about Mark Howe."