Gordie Howe – The 1st to 600

On November 27, 1965, Gordie Howe of the Detroit Red Wings became the first National Hockey League player to reach 600 goals in a career. Topps commemorated the accomplishment almost immediately with a hockey card in their 1965-66 set.

Number 122 in the 1965-66 Topps set features the same front as Howe’s regular card, number 108 but with some quick changes. The picture of Gordie is the same. Where it said ‘Red Wings’ along the top of the card, it was changed to ‘600 Goals’. There were five stars added to the background on the left side of Howe’s picture and a patch on the right side saying ‘First NHL 600 goal scorer’.

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The card is the most valuable in the 128 card 1965-66 Topps set at $400, equalling the value of the Phil Esposito rookie card. The number 108 card of Howe is valued at $150. The complete set of 128 cards is valued at $2,700.

Back to 1965…

The 600th goal was scored against the Montreal Canadiens on November 27, 1965. The Red Wings lost the game and the start to the 1965-66 season was dismal. However, the following game was the start of a seven game win streak and the club won nine of the next ten. Detroit slid into the post season, finishing fourth in the six team league. The Red Wings took out the Chicago Black Hawks in the semi-finals, 4-2. Detroit then met the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup finals but fell to the Habs in six.

Howe finished the 1965-66 season with 29 goals, 46 assists and 75 points – all top ten performances. He finished tied for 7th in goals, fourth in assists and fifth in points.

Gordie went on to score 801 NHL goals over his career. He played with the Red Wings from 1947-48 to 1970-71 and then had one last season in the NHL with the Hartford Whalers in 1979-80. Howe played in the World Hockey Association from 1973-74 to 1978-79 with the Houston Aeros and New England Whalers, adding 174 goals to his professional total.

Over his career, Howe won six Art Ross Trophies as the player with the most points in the NHL. His Hart Trophy total was identical. With the Red Wings, Gordie won four Stanley Cups with Detroit being Cup finalists on seven other occasions.

Only Wayne Gretzky has scored more goals over an NHL career with 894. The 600 goal club has grown since 1965 but Howe is still one of just 18 to accomplish the feat. Besides Gordie and Gretzky, just Brett Hull, Marcel Dionne, Phil Esposito and Mike Gartner have surpassed 700 goals. Currently, Jarome Iginla is the only potential new member, sitting at 516 goals at the end of the 2011-12 season.