Nine Lessons I Learned from My Father

Part Tuesdays with Morrie, part Mr. Hockey, Nine Lessons I Learned from My Father is a son’s intimate account of all that lies behind the towering legacy of the beloved Gordie Howe.

When Gordie Howe passed away, the world paused to acknowledge the legacy of the game’s greatest player. For twelve straight hours-9 to 9-thousands of mourners passed through Joe Louis Arena in Detroit to pay their respects. As one after another dignitary spoke, it became clear that as staggering as Howe’s achievements were on the ice, he was even greater as a person. In story after story, friends and rivals alike painted a portrait of a man the likes of which we may never see again.

The man named Gordie Howe-not the hockey player, not the legend, but the living, breathing man-came into focus when his son, Murray, approached the podium to deliver the eulogy. The Gordie Howe his son introduced to the world was in many ways a teacher. Through his words and, more importantly, through his actions, he showed those around him what it means to live a life you can be proud of. Those lessons formed the backbone of the eulogy his son delivered, as it does the book that grew out of it.

Gordie Howe may have been the greatest player in the history of hockey, but greatness was never defined by goals or assists in the Howe household. Greatness meant being the best person you could be, not the best player on the ice. This book will take the reader through the hours Murray spent writing the eulogy-the hours immediately after his father’s death, as he gathers his thoughts and memories, and makes sense of what his remarkable father meant to him. The result is nine lessons, built out of hundreds of stories, that show us the man behind the legend and give us a glimpse of what we can learn from this incredible life.