never saw him play live, on scene, but I saw him often on the old black & white television, the kind you have to travel from couch to tv to change the channel...that or fiddle with the controls on the back to keep the screen from rolling. i remember one game, musta been play-off time and musta been an away game for the Wings. the other team had to have been behind by a goal or two, they had pulled their goalie, had six skaters attacking the Wings' net and Howe got the puck and scored the length of the ice. the fans booed...i was half watching, musta been all of ten...and behind me i heard the old man chuckle and he spoke...which was rare...he was the most reticent of men. Howe had gotten the puck, again, skated the length of the ice, and dumped it in the open net from two feet away. game over. and around the same time they had an awards banquet for the kids, me among them, (we played at the Dee in Houghton, where some claim the game was invented) and i got an autographed photo thingie of Howe, #9.