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Harry Howell
Harry Howell – a
long and illustrious career in hockey Born Dec 28 1932 - Hamilton, ONT One of Hamilton’s most famous hockey players was born in December of 1932 as Henry Vernon Howell, but would become known as Harry Howell. Starting with the OHA Guelph Biltmores for the 1949-50 season, Howell went to the New York Rangers for the 1952-53 season as a temporary replacement and for the next 17 seasons his home ice was Madison Square Gardens. Howell had played five games for Guelph in 1952 when he received the call from New York. With some Ranger defensemen injured, Howell would fill in on a five-game road trip, starting in Toronto. After the five-game stint, he would return to Guelph. But the eventual Hall of Famer scored a goal in his first shot on net at Maple Leaf gardens that night, and he was asked to come to New York with the team to practice with the team. Howell never returned to junior hockey, playing 67 games with the Rangers that season and staying with the club for the next 16. It was an era of ups and downs, not only for the Rangers, but for Howell. In 1955, he was named captain of the club, the youngest player in the history of the franchise to be so-named. But he relinquished that honor two years later, claiming his play on the ice was not worthy of the title. The team itself had problems, never getting the coveted Stanley Cup during Howell’s entire tenure. The team’s performance changed in the early 1960s, but winning the Cup was as elusive as ever. Howell was not a fan favorite in the 1950s, but his defensive prowess was winning the hometowners over.
“Since the day he tugged on his Ranger jersey nine years ago, Howell has been the number one boo boy among the Blueshirts,” wrote Stan Fischler in a February 1961 issue of The Hockey News. “Howell and Stanley (Allan Stanley, Howell’s successor who went to the Leafs) play hockey the same way. They don’t waste energy and they ration bodychecks. But when they hit, the boff has the effect of a Sherman tank.” While many considered Howell the best Ranger defenseman, coach Alf Pike was noncommittal when asked about Howell’s play: “Harry’s either very bad or very good,” said Pike. “He’s never in between,” adding that he had more good than bad games. “Overall,” said Pike, “I’m quite satisfied with Harry.” Howell’s career with the Rangers was highlighted in 1967 when he won the James Norris Memorial Trophy as best defenseman in the league, the last to do so before the league expanded. He also received a warm tribute from the club during the January 1967 “Harry Howell Night,” the first Ranger so attributed. This durable, solid player missed only 17 games for the first 16 years as a Ranger. In 1969 he went to the Oakland and then the California Seals of the NHL, and then the Los Angles Kings, where he finished his NHL career in the 1972-73 season. That gave the Hamilton native a total of 1,411 games in the NHL. He then went to the WHA, playing for New York, San Diego, and Calgary, giving him another 170 games of ice time for a grand total of 1,581 in major league hockey competition. Howell turned to coaching, including the NHL Minnesota North Stars in 1978 and before that the San Diego Mariners of the WHA, where he was fired after leading the club to the playoffs for the first time. Howell said at the time he was shocked at his firing. “I was extremely happy in San Diego,” he said in a June 1975 interview. “I was pleased with the progress out club had made last year, and I felt secure for at least another year or two.” Howell was also interested in coaching a Hamilton franchise in the WHA, which was a possibility at the time.
“How is the Hamilton club progressing?” he asked. “They’ll be needing a coach. “I’ll probably be moving east anyway, and possibly back to Canada.” Howell came east, to Minnesota, to coach and then scout for the club, a position which lasted until 1988. He then joined the Edmonton Oilers in the same capacity, and won his first Stanley Cup in 1990 when the Oilers took the Cup. During his NHL career, he scored 94 goals, only once getting into the double digits with 12 markers for the 1966-67 season. Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1979, Howell was a hardworking player who provided a consistency in professional hockey for 24 seasons. He also played a significant role in the mentoring of many young players in the NHL ranks. His number 3 jersey was retired by the Rangers in 2008 and hung from the ceiling in Madison Square Garden. Honours:
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