Harry Howell (hockey player)
Encyclopedia
Henry Vernon Howell is a former professional hockey player and longtime star for the New York Rangers
of the National Hockey League
. A stalwart, stay at home defenceman, in 1967 Howell was the last player in the pre-expansion era to win the Norris Trophy, and famously said that he was glad he won the trophy then, because Bobby Orr
(who finished second that year) would "own" the Norris for some time to come (as it turned out, Orr would win the trophy for the next eight seasons in a row).
Howell's playing weight was 195 and he stood 6 foot 1 inches tall. He played seventeen years wearing number 3 for the Rangers then he played another eight years in professional hockey; two with Oakland/California Seals, three with the Los Angeles Kings
, and one each with three WHA teams: New York Golden Blades/New Jersey Knights, San Diego Mariners
, and Calgary Cowboys
.
Howell played 1411 NHL games and 170 WHA
games, scoring 101 goals and 360 assists for 461 points.
He was named a First Team All-Star in 1967, and played in All-Star Games in 1954, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968 and 1970. When he left the NHL, Howell had played more games as a defenceman than anyone else, and remains sixth in all time games played as a defenseman. He also holds the record for most games played in the NHL wearing the same New York Rangers sweater: 1160.
After retirement, he went on to coach the Minnesota North Stars
in the 1978-79 season. Also in 1979, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
.
In 1990, he finally won the Stanley Cup
as a member of the Edmonton Oilers
when he served as a scout.
Howell's #3, along with Andy Bathgate
's #9, was retired by the New York Rangers
during a special ceremony prior to the February 22, 2009 match versus the Toronto Maple Leafs
.
Also in 2009, Howell was ranked No. 10 on the all-time list of New York Rangers in the book 100 Ranger Greats (John Wiley & Sons
).
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
. A stalwart, stay at home defenceman, in 1967 Howell was the last player in the pre-expansion era to win the Norris Trophy, and famously said that he was glad he won the trophy then, because Bobby Orr
Bobby Orr
Robert Gordon "Bobby" Orr, OC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. Orr played in the National Hockey League for his entire career, the first ten seasons with the Boston Bruins, joining the Chicago Black Hawks for two more. Orr is widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest...
(who finished second that year) would "own" the Norris for some time to come (as it turned out, Orr would win the trophy for the next eight seasons in a row).
Howell's playing weight was 195 and he stood 6 foot 1 inches tall. He played seventeen years wearing number 3 for the Rangers then he played another eight years in professional hockey; two with Oakland/California Seals, three with the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
, and one each with three WHA teams: New York Golden Blades/New Jersey Knights, San Diego Mariners
San Diego Mariners
The San Diego Mariners were an ice hockey team based in San Diego that played in the World Hockey Association. They played from 1974 to 1977. Their home ice was San Diego Sports Arena...
, and Calgary Cowboys
Calgary Cowboys
The Calgary Cowboys were an ice hockey team that played two seasons in the World Hockey Association from 1975–1977. The Cowboys played at the Stampede Corral in Calgary. The franchise was founded in 1972 as the Miami Screaming Eagles, though it never played a game in Miami...
.
Howell played 1411 NHL games and 170 WHA
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
games, scoring 101 goals and 360 assists for 461 points.
He was named a First Team All-Star in 1967, and played in All-Star Games in 1954, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968 and 1970. When he left the NHL, Howell had played more games as a defenceman than anyone else, and remains sixth in all time games played as a defenseman. He also holds the record for most games played in the NHL wearing the same New York Rangers sweater: 1160.
After retirement, he went on to coach the Minnesota North Stars
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, and the team's colors for most of its history were green, yellow, gold and white...
in the 1978-79 season. Also in 1979, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame
Hockey Hall of Fame
The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
.
In 1990, he finally won the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
as a member of the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
when he served as a scout.
Howell's #3, along with Andy Bathgate
Andy Bathgate
Andrew James Bathgate is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League for the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins.-Playing career:...
's #9, was retired by the New York Rangers
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
during a special ceremony prior to the February 22, 2009 match versus the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
.
Also in 2009, Howell was ranked No. 10 on the all-time list of New York Rangers in the book 100 Ranger Greats (John Wiley & Sons
John Wiley & Sons
John Wiley & Sons, Inc., also referred to as Wiley, is a global publishing company that specializes in academic publishing and markets its products to professionals and consumers, students and instructors in higher education, and researchers and practitioners in scientific, technical, medical, and...
).
Awards and achievements
- 1989–90 - NHLNational Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
- Stanley CupStanley CupThe Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
(EdmontonEdmonton OilersThe Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
) (as scout) - Most games played in a New York Rangers uniform, any position (1160)
Career statistics
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Season (sports) In an organized sports league, a season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session. For example, in Major League Baseball, one season lasts approximately from April 1 through October 1; in Association football, it is generally from August until May In an... |
Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1951–52 | Guelph Biltmores | OHA Ontario Hockey Association The Ontario Hockey Association is the governing body for the majority of Junior and Senior level ice hockey teams in the Province of Ontario. The OHA is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Federation along with the Northern Ontario Hockey Association. Other Ontario sanctioning bodies along with the... |
51 | 17 | 20 | 37 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1951–52 1951–52 AHL season The 1951–52 AHL season was the 16th season of the American Hockey League. Nine teams played 68 games each in the schedule. The Pittsburgh Hornets won their first F. G... |
Cincinnati Mohawks Cincinnati Mohawks The Cincinnati Mohawks were a professional ice hockey team in Cincinnati, Ohio. They were a member of the American Hockey League between 1949 and 1952. They were originally founded as the Washington Lions, then were relocated from Washington, D.C.... |
AHL American Hockey League The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League... |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1952–53 | Guelph Biltmores | OHA | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1952–53 | New York Rangers New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the... |
NHL National Hockey League The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States... |
67 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 46 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1953–54 | New York Rangers | NHL | 67 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 58 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1954–55 | New York Rangers | NHL | 70 | 2 | 14 | 16 | 87 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1955–56 | New York Rangers | NHL | 70 | 3 | 15 | 18 | 77 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||
| 1956–57 | New York Rangers | NHL | 65 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 70 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | ||
| 1957–58 | New York Rangers | NHL | 70 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 62 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 1958–59 | New York Rangers | NHL | 70 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 101 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1959–60 | New York Rangers | NHL | 67 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 58 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1960–61 | New York Rangers | NHL | 70 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 62 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1961–62 | New York Rangers | NHL | 66 | 6 | 15 | 21 | 89 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 1962–63 | New York Rangers | NHL | 70 | 5 | 20 | 25 | 55 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1963–64 | New York Rangers | NHL | 70 | 5 | 31 | 36 | 75 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1964–65 | New York Rangers | NHL | 68 | 2 | 20 | 22 | 63 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1965–66 | New York Rangers | NHL | 70 | 4 | 29 | 33 | 92 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1966–67 | New York Rangers | NHL | 70 | 12 | 28 | 40 | 54 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 1967–68 | New York Rangers | NHL | 74 | 5 | 24 | 29 | 62 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1968–69 | New York Rangers | NHL | 56 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 36 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1969–70 | Oakland Seals | NHL | 55 | 4 | 16 | 20 | 52 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 1970–71 | California Golden Seals | NHL | 28 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 14 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1970–71 | Los Angeles Kings Los Angeles Kings The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League... |
NHL | 18 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1971–72 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 77 | 1 | 17 | 18 | 53 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1972–73 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 73 | 4 | 11 | 15 | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1973–74 | New York Golden Blades/Jersey Knights | WHA World Hockey Association The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926... |
65 | 3 | 23 | 26 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1974–75 | San Diego Mariners San Diego Mariners The San Diego Mariners were an ice hockey team based in San Diego that played in the World Hockey Association. They played from 1974 to 1977. Their home ice was San Diego Sports Arena... |
WHA | 74 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 28 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 10 | ||
| 1975–76 | Calgary Cowboys Calgary Cowboys The Calgary Cowboys were an ice hockey team that played two seasons in the World Hockey Association from 1975–1977. The Cowboys played at the Stampede Corral in Calgary. The franchise was founded in 1972 as the Miami Screaming Eagles, though it never played a game in Miami... |
WHA | 31 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| NHL totals | 1411 | 94 | 324 | 418 | 1298 | 38 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 32 | ||||