Syd Howe Sydney Harris " Syd " Howe ( born - September 18 , 1911 in Ottawa , Ontario – died - May 20 , 1976 ) was a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Ottawa Senators , Philadelphia Quakers , Toronto Maple Leafs , St . Louis Eagles and Detroit Red Wings . Playing career . Howe played in the NHL from 1929 – 30 to 1945 – 46 primarily with the Detroit Red Wings where he would enjoy his greatest personal and team successes . One of the leading scorers of his era , Syd Howe was a part of three Stanley Cup championships with the Red Wings . Syd Howe often skated on Patterson ' s Creek and the Rideau Canal while growing up in his hometown of Ottawa , Ontario . He played hockey with the Glebe Collegiate high school team and the Landsdowne Park Juveniles in 1926 before joining the Ottawa Gunners in the newly - formed Junior Ottawa City Junior League . He and his Gunners teammates became the first Ottawa club to reach the Memorial Cup finals when they took on the Regina Monarchs in 1928 , losing the best - of - three final by two games to one . Howe was a top scorer during the playdowns , registering nine goals and 13 points in eight games . He joined the NHL with his hometown Ottawa Senators for the last 12 games of the 1929 – 30 NHL season and was loaned to the Philadelphia Quakers for the 1930 – 31 season , the Quakers ' only year of existence . When Ottawa suspended operations for the 1931 – 32 season , Howe was picked up by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the dispersal draft , but he appeared in just three NHL games , spending most of his time on the farm with the Syracuse Stars of the International Hockey League . He was back with the Senators the following year and moved with the club to St . Louis , as a member of the St . Louis Eagles , in the 1934 – 35 NHL season . The Eagles sold Howe in February 1935 to the Detroit Red Wings , where his career could finally get on track . Howe was on the ice in the Montreal Forum at 2 : 25 a . m . on March 25 , 1936 , when Mud Bruneteau scored in the sixth overtime period to give Detroit the win in game one of the best - of - five semi - final against the Maroons , the longest game in league history . Detroit went on to win the series and the Stanley Cup that spring and followed up with another Cup victory in 1937 . On March 19 , 1940 , Howe scored 25 seconds into overtime to give the Wings a 2 – 1 victory over the New York Americans in game one of the quarter - finals . It was Howe ' s most cherished moment of his career and would stand as the fastest overtime goal scored in NHL history for the next 29 years . He also set the modern - day NHL record by scoring six goals in a game on February 3 , 1944 , versus the New York Rangers , a record which has since been twice equaled but never bettered in over fifty years of play . He was named to the NHL Second Team All - Star squad as a left winger in 1945 and played in the 1939 benefit All - Star game for Babe Siebert . In his NHL career , he scored 237 goals and 291 assists for 528 points in 691 games . In the playoffs , he totaled 17 goals and 27 assists for 44 points in 70 games . He won the Stanley Cup with Detroit in 1936 , 1937 and 1943 . In 1934 – 35 , he was runner - up to Charlie Conacher for the scoring title with 47 points in 50 games despite playing much of the season with the last - place St . Louis Eagles . In 1943 – 44 , he racked up 32 goals and 60 points in just 40 games , however , league - wide scoring was inflated due to World War II . In a February 3 , 1944 game against the New York Rangers , Howe scored six goals in a single game , a total that has been surpassed only once when Joe Malone scored seven . Howe was an all - around player , shifting between left wing and centre as needed , killing penalties and dropping back to play defence in a pinch . Those who watched the team closely reported that Howe ' s ice time with Detroit would constitute an amazing total . Upon playing his last NHL game in 1946 , Howe was the last active player who played for the Philadelphia Quakers and the original era of the Ottawa Senators . He would return to Ottawa , and play again for the Ottawa Senators , now in the Quebec Senior Hockey League . Although not related , right wing Gordie Howe joined the Red Wings the following season ( 1946 - 47 ) and remained with the club until 1971 thus giving the Wings a star forward named Howe on its roster for 37 consecutive seasons ( 1934 - 71 ) . Syd Howe was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1965 , and died twelve years later on May 20 , 1976 , of throat cancer at age 64 . He was interred in the Capital Memorial Gardens in Ottawa .