Murray Howe could have been a Cougar

I came across this interesting column from Jim Tang on September 21, 1975, talking about Murray Howe (the youngest son of Gordie Howe) possibly joining the Cougars:

“Murray Howe would be quite a catch for any junior hockey team, and heard is the report that Victoria Cougars have the youngest of the Howe brothers on their negotiation list - and, it was added, with the approval of papa Gordie.”

When I looked into this further, I found no other story or mention of Murray Howe and the Cougars. Howe played Junior B hockey in Toronto with the Seneca Nationals, where he was a teammate with Wayne Gretzky. He described the experience of playing with Gretzky as, “he was the best and I was the worst, by far.” After graduating from high school, Howe attended the University of Michigan. He tried out for the hockey team but cut in training camp. Since his two older brothers played hockey, Murray was worried his parents would be upset that he didn’t make the team. When he told them, Murray was surprised when they said, “Thank God we don’t have to worry about you anymore.”

Howe continued his education at the University of Michigan, graduated from medical school and became a doctor. He is currently the head of Sports Medicine Imaging for Toledo Radiological Associates and Promedica Health Systems Sports Care Program.

In 2016 he gave a moving eulogy at his father’s funeral which inspired him to write the book “Nine Lessons I Learned from my Father”

2017 Maclean's article with Dr. Murray Howe - in conversation with Wayne Gretzky, on being a good hockey parent, eating family dinners — and his father's heart-breaking X-rays.

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