Gretzky, Gordie ... and Guyle?

JOHN MCGRATH; THE NEWS TRIBUNE Published: October 8th, 2008 12:30 AM Three pro hockey players have combined on enough goals and assists to break the 2,000-point barrier: Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe and Guyle Fielder. The first two are instantly recognizable icons. The third was introduced to me Tuesday morning, and though I’d seen his face only in a few photographs taken a half-century ago, my sense is that Guyle Fielder – the most accomplished minor-league player in hockey history – looked like a million bucks. Here’s a guy who spent 23 years in pro sports purgatory, a tough way to ply a tough trade during a tough era, when grudges were required and helmets, face shields and even mouthpieces were not. Looking at Fielder, I wondered: Why no remnants of a frequently broken nose? Where’s the scar tissue over the eyelids, the... [read full story]