Howie Young
Encyclopedia
Howard John Edward "Wild Thing" Young (August 2, 1937 – November 24, 1999) was a Canadian
professional ice hockey
player and actor, best known for his time in the National Hockey League
with the Detroit Red Wings
in the 1960s. He was born in Scarborough
, Ontario
.
Finals.
He would split another season between the NHL and the minors before establishing himself as a regular in 1962–63. In his first full NHL season, he would record 9 points in 62 games and demolish the league league record for penalty minutes, recording 273 to eclipse Lou Fontinato's
old record of 202. His pugilistic exploits would earn him a place on the cover of Sports Illustrated
in January 1963.
However, his drinking had by this point reached full-blown alcoholism, and despite his popularity in Detroit the team shipped him to the Chicago Black Hawks
in the summer of 1963.
Los Angeles Blades
.
In Los Angeles, he would be one of the Western League's most feared defenders, leading the league in penalty minutes in both his full seasons there while contributing offensively from the blueline. Handsome and charismatic, he would also foray into acting, with a minor role in the 1965 Frank Sinatra
film None But The Brave
.
In 1965, Young's life bottomed out, and he entered Alcoholics Anonymous
. After sobering up, his play on the ice showed a marked improvement, and he finally began to harness his immense potential. He also managed to greatly improve his discipline on the ice and focus more on the game and less on fisticuffs.
Back in the NHL for the first time in three years, Young played the best hockey of his career. In 44 games for the Red Wings, he recorded 3 goals and 14 assists for 17 points along with 100 penalty minutes. In 1967–68, he would spend another full season in Detroit, setting career highs with 17 assists and 19 points.
Dealt back to Chicago for the 1968–69 campaign, Young began to show his age. Now 32, he slumped to just 10 points in 57 games and seemed to have lost his physical edge. He would spend most of the following two seasons in the minors, with the exception of an 11 game stint with the expansion Vancouver Canucks
in 1970–71, before retiring.
. Despite being 35 and having played defence for most of his career, he returned as a forward, and was surprisingly successful. In 1972–73, he scored 20 goals and 38 assists for 58 points for the Roadrunners. In 1973–74, he was better yet, scoring 37 goals (6th in the league) and 68 points, and was named a WHL First-Team All-Star.
For the 1974–75 season, Phoenix was granted admission to the World Hockey Association
, and Young stayed with the Roadrunners through the move. Now 37 and playing top-level pro hockey for the first time in 5 years, he continued to play well, recording 15 points in 30 games before being sold mid-season to the Winnipeg Jets. In Winnipeg he was reunited with his former Chicago teammate Bobby Hull
, and delivered 13 goals in 42 games. He finished the year with solid totals of 16 goals and 22 assists for 38 points in 72 games.
Young would retire again in 1975, but return to Phoenix late in the 1976–77 season after a nearly two-year layoff. Nearly 40, he scored just 1 goal and 4 points in 26 games. He would play low-level minor pro for another two seasons in Phoenix and Los Angeles before retiring again in 1979. He would make another comeback in 1985-86, picking up an assist in 4 games for the Flint Spirits
of the IHL, an impressive feat at the age of nearly 50 in a league just a notch below the NHL.
Following his retirement, he would eventually move to New Mexico
where he owned a ranch and served as a school bus driver. He also made other appearances as an actor. In 1989 he played an outlaw on the television mini-series Lonesome Dove
, in 1990 he portrayed "Poe Possey" in the movie Young Guns II
and he appeared in the 1997 television film Last Stand at Saber River
starring Tom Selleck
. He died on November 24, 1999 at the age of 62.
Young appeared in 336 games over 8 seasons in the NHL, recording 12 goals and 62 assists for 74 points along with 851 penalty minutes. In 98 WHA appearances, he scored 17 goals and 25 assists for 42 points, along with 109 penalty minutes.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
professional ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player and actor, best known for his time in the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
with the Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
in the 1960s. He was born in Scarborough
Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
.
Early Years in Detroit
Young would break into the Red Wings lineup in the 1960–61 season, quickly earning a reputation as one of the toughest, most promising, and most troubled young defenders in the sport. He was blessed with a high level of natural skill and was one of the most fearsome bodycheckers in the game, but was tremendously undisciplined both on an off the ice, and a constant headache to the Detroit organization. He recorded 8 assists in his rookie season, and managed to lead the Wings with 108 penalty minutes despite playing in only 29 of the team's 70 games. In the playoffs, he would excel, appearing in all 11 games and scoring two goals in helping the Red Wings reach the Stanley CupStanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
Finals.
He would split another season between the NHL and the minors before establishing himself as a regular in 1962–63. In his first full NHL season, he would record 9 points in 62 games and demolish the league league record for penalty minutes, recording 273 to eclipse Lou Fontinato's
Lou Fontinato
Louis "Leapin' Louie" Fontinato was a defenceman in the National Hockey League with the New York Rangers from 1954 to 1961 and the Montreal Canadiens from 1961 to 1963.-NHL career:...
old record of 202. His pugilistic exploits would earn him a place on the cover of Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
in January 1963.
However, his drinking had by this point reached full-blown alcoholism, and despite his popularity in Detroit the team shipped him to the Chicago Black Hawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...
in the summer of 1963.
Exile to Los Angeles
Young's problems would follow him to Chicago, and their patience would run out even quicker than Detroit's did. Mid-way through the 1963–64 season, the team sold him to the Western Hockey LeagueWestern Hockey League (minor pro)
The Western Hockey League was a minor pro ice hockey league that operated from 1952 to 1974. Managed for most of its history by Hockey Hall of Fame member Al Leader, it was created out of the merger of the Pacific Coast Hockey League and the Western Canada Senior Hockey League...
Los Angeles Blades
Los Angeles Blades
The Los Angeles Blades were a professional inline hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. The Blades played in Roller Hockey International from 1993-1997 and played their home games at the Great Western Forum....
.
In Los Angeles, he would be one of the Western League's most feared defenders, leading the league in penalty minutes in both his full seasons there while contributing offensively from the blueline. Handsome and charismatic, he would also foray into acting, with a minor role in the 1965 Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
film None But The Brave
None But the Brave
None But the Brave, also known as in Japan, is a 1965 war film starring Frank Sinatra, Clint Walker, Tatsuya Mihashi, Tommy Sands and Brad Dexter. This is the only film directed by Frank Sinatra, and the first Japanese-American co-production, produced by Sinatra for Warner Bros...
.
In 1965, Young's life bottomed out, and he entered Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous is an international mutual aid movement which says its "primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety." Now claiming more than 2 million members, AA was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio...
. After sobering up, his play on the ice showed a marked improvement, and he finally began to harness his immense potential. He also managed to greatly improve his discipline on the ice and focus more on the game and less on fisticuffs.
Return to the NHL
Young started the 1966–67 season dominating the WHL, with 22 points in his first 29 games. More impressively, the once-volatile defender spent just 43 minutes in the penalty box. Impressed with his sobriety and improved play, the Red Wings sent three players to Los Angeles to reacquire him.Back in the NHL for the first time in three years, Young played the best hockey of his career. In 44 games for the Red Wings, he recorded 3 goals and 14 assists for 17 points along with 100 penalty minutes. In 1967–68, he would spend another full season in Detroit, setting career highs with 17 assists and 19 points.
Dealt back to Chicago for the 1968–69 campaign, Young began to show his age. Now 32, he slumped to just 10 points in 57 games and seemed to have lost his physical edge. He would spend most of the following two seasons in the minors, with the exception of an 11 game stint with the expansion Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
in 1970–71, before retiring.
Comeback, WHA years and retirement
After a year away from the sport, Young would make a comeback in 1972, signing on with the WHL Phoenix RoadrunnersPhoenix Roadrunners (WHA)
The Phoenix Roadrunners were a team in the now defunct World Hockey Association from 1974 to 1977. They played at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, Arizona...
. Despite being 35 and having played defence for most of his career, he returned as a forward, and was surprisingly successful. In 1972–73, he scored 20 goals and 38 assists for 58 points for the Roadrunners. In 1973–74, he was better yet, scoring 37 goals (6th in the league) and 68 points, and was named a WHL First-Team All-Star.
For the 1974–75 season, Phoenix was granted admission to the World Hockey Association
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
, and Young stayed with the Roadrunners through the move. Now 37 and playing top-level pro hockey for the first time in 5 years, he continued to play well, recording 15 points in 30 games before being sold mid-season to the Winnipeg Jets. In Winnipeg he was reunited with his former Chicago teammate Bobby Hull
Bobby Hull
Robert Marvin "Bobby" Hull, OC is a former Canadian ice hockey player. He is regarded as one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time and perhaps the greatest left winger to ever play the game. Hull was famous for his blonde hair, blinding skating speed, and having the hardest shot, earning...
, and delivered 13 goals in 42 games. He finished the year with solid totals of 16 goals and 22 assists for 38 points in 72 games.
Young would retire again in 1975, but return to Phoenix late in the 1976–77 season after a nearly two-year layoff. Nearly 40, he scored just 1 goal and 4 points in 26 games. He would play low-level minor pro for another two seasons in Phoenix and Los Angeles before retiring again in 1979. He would make another comeback in 1985-86, picking up an assist in 4 games for the Flint Spirits
Flint Spirits
The Flint Spirits were a professional hockey team in Flint, Michigan from 1985–1990, and played their home games at the IMA Sports Arena. They were a part of the International Hockey League, and replaced the recently departed Flint Generals team. They compiled an overall record of 162–220–28...
of the IHL, an impressive feat at the age of nearly 50 in a league just a notch below the NHL.
Following his retirement, he would eventually move to New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
where he owned a ranch and served as a school bus driver. He also made other appearances as an actor. In 1989 he played an outlaw on the television mini-series Lonesome Dove
Lonesome Dove
Lonesome Dove is a 1985 Pulitzer Prize–winning western novel written by Larry McMurtry. It is the first published book of the Lonesome Dove series, but the third installment in the series chronologically...
, in 1990 he portrayed "Poe Possey" in the movie Young Guns II
Young Guns II
Young Guns II is a 1990 western film, and the sequel to Young Guns . It stars Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, Christian Slater, and features William Petersen as Pat Garrett. It was written and produced by John Fusco and directed by Geoff Murphy.It follows the life of...
and he appeared in the 1997 television film Last Stand at Saber River
Last Stand at Saber River
Last Stand at Saber River is a 1997 television movie starring Tom Selleck, based on the 1959 novel of the same title by Elmore Leonard. Directed by Dick Lowry, the film also featured Suzy Amis, Haley Joel Osment, Tracey Needham, Keith Carradine, David Carradine, and Harry Carey Jr..In 1997, Osment...
starring Tom Selleck
Tom Selleck
Thomas William "Tom" Selleck is an American actor, and film producer. He is best known for his starring role as Hawaii-based private investigator Thomas Magnum on the 1980s television show Magnum, P.I.. He also plays Police Chief Jesse Stone in a series of made-for-TV movies based on the Robert B....
. He died on November 24, 1999 at the age of 62.
Young appeared in 336 games over 8 seasons in the NHL, recording 12 goals and 62 assists for 74 points along with 851 penalty minutes. In 98 WHA appearances, he scored 17 goals and 25 assists for 42 points, along with 109 penalty minutes.