Mark Howe Mark Steven Howe ( born May 28 , 1955 , in Detroit , Michigan ) is a retired Canadian - American professional defenceman who played 16 seasons in the National Hockey League and 6 seasons in the World Hockey Association . He is the son of Mr . Hockey , NHL and WHA legend Gordie Howe . Despite the enormous shadow cast by his father and splitting time between two leagues , Mark shone as one of the best two - way defensemen of the 1980s , being a three time runner - up for the Norris Trophy and twice making the Stanley Cup finals . He is a member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame . Amateur career . Howe played junior hockey for the Detroit Jr . Red Wings . As a 15 year old , he led his Red Wings to the US Junior Championship in 1971 . In 1972 , the United States earned a Silver Medal at the 1972 Olympics in Sapporo , Japan with 16 year old Mark Howe as one of the stars . Howe eventually ended his junior hockey career playing for the Toronto Marlboros of the OHL , winning a Memorial Cup MVP in the process . Professional career . In 1973 , he decided to play in the WHA alongside his brother , Marty and his father Gordie . Led by the Howes , the Houston Aeros won the 1974 and 1975 Avco Cup s , awarded to the league champions of the WHA . Mark , playing left wing , was awarded the Lou Kaplan Award as Rookie of the Year and earned 2nd team All - Star status . He also represented his father ' s country in the 1974 Summit Series , where he was one of Team Canada ' s leading scorers . By the 1976 – 77 season , Howe was a full - time defenseman . Before the 1977 – 78 season , the Howes moved their family act to Hartford , Connecticut to play for the New England Whalers . When the NHL and WHA merged in 1979 , one of the four WHA teams left standing were the Whalers . They changed their name to the Hartford Whalers and Mark Howe , his father and his brother continued one more season together , this time in the National Hockey League . The 1980 – 81 season proved to be one of Howe ' s best . Howe was a mid - season All - Star , and in the fall , he appeared for the US national team at the 1981 Canada Cup tournament . Howe was involved in one of the more memorable injuries in NHL history . He slid into the pointed metal center of the net and cut a five inch gash in his upper thigh . He was essentially impaled by the metal , and the injury , which nearly ended his career , prompted the NHL to change the design of its nets so that there would no longer be a center portion that jutted up toward the goal line . He lost 35 pounds and his stamina suffered after requiring liquid diet to avoid intenstinal infections . Howe became damaged goods in the eyes of the Whalers management , so they moved Howe , in a 4 player deal that also involved draft picks , to Philadelphia . As a member of the Philadelphia Flyers , his career took off . The backbone of one of the NHL ' s best defensive teams of the mid 1980s , he was a finalist for the Norris Trophy 3 times in 1982 – 83 , 1985 – 86 and 1986 – 87 season . His Philadelphia team , backstopped by Vezina Trophy - winning goaltender Pelle Lindbergh , finished the 1984 – 85 season with most points and earned a berth in the Stanley Cup Finals , only to lose to the Edmonton Oilers dynasty , which featured stars such as Wayne Gretzky , Paul Coffey and Mark Messier . Howe had his best season during the 1985 – 86 season where he posted some of the best numbers ever by an NHL defenseman . He scored 24 goals , added 58 assists for 82 total points . He led the NHL with a remarkable + 85 . He also added 7 shorthanded goals while being the lifeline out of the Flyers defensive zone with his outstanding skating & passing ability . Unfortunately for Howe , Edmonton ' s Paul Coffey had perhaps one of the best seasons by a defenseman in NHL history , breaking Bobby Orr ' s single - season records for goals and tallying 138 points . Howe , for the second time , finished 2nd in Norris Trophy voting . The 1986 – 87 season brought great success to both Howe and his Philadelphia Flyers teammates . The Flyers , for the 3rd consecutive season , led the Prince of Wales Conference in points . Led by Howe , rookie netminder Ron Hextall , and a line featuring Brian Propp , Rick Tocchet and Pelle Eklund , the injury - riddled Flyers took the vaunted Edmonton Oilers to 7 games in the NHL Finals before succumbing 3 - 1 in the finale . Howe , having struggled with both knee & back injuries , became a part - time player virtually the rest of his career . The decline in his games played coincided with the Flyers decline in play overall . It was no mystery to anyone watching the Flyers on a regular basis from the years 1988 – 91 why the team struggled . When Howe was in the lineup , the Flyers looked like a playoff team . Without him , they looked disorganized in their own end . After the 1991 – 92 season , the Flyers granted Howe free agency so he could win the as - of - yet elusive Stanley Cup . He signed with the Detroit Red Wings , the team with which his dad had starred . The signing was a popular one in Detroit , as Mark was " returning home " to help build the Wings into a consistent playoff contender . He became a steadying influence on Detroit ' s young corps of defensemen , mostly notably Nicklas Lidström . He would have one more appearance in the Stanley Cup finals , but his Red Wings were swept in 1995 by the New Jersey Devils . Post - playing career . Mark Howe retired following the 1994 – 95 season , and assumed a scouting job with Red Wings , earning Stanley Cup rings when his teams captured championships in 1997 , 1998 , 2002 , and 2008 . Upon his retirement , Howe was the last active member of Canada ' s 1974 Summit Series team in the NHL . Mark Howe was elected to Philadelphia Flyers Hall of Fame in 2001 and the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003 . As of 2008 , he has not yet been inducted in the Hockey Hall of Fame . Currently , Howe serves in the Red Wings front office as Chief Pro scout . He makes his offseason home in the Philadelphia suburbs . Mark ' s son , Travis Howe , now works in hockey scouting and coaching .