What a Gordie Howe bridge hat trick could look like — and possible nickname for the span

Windsor Morning8:19Hockey legend's youngest son on landmark bridge

The youngest son of late NHL legend Gordie Howe has the perfect nickname for the bridge connecting Windsor and Detroit that bears his father's name — The Gordie.

"I would just call it The Gordie. From the second I heard that it would be named after him, I just said we're going to go across The Gordie now," Murray Howe said on Windsor Morning.

The Gordie Howe International Bridge is inching closer and closer to its expected fall 2025 completion date. Last week, Howe family members were among scores of guests and dignitaries on hand to mark another milestone in the construction — the completion of the road deck connecting both sides.

"The bridge really symbolizes how big he was. I mean, he was just larger than life, and if he was in a room, you just immediately recognized his presence because he was just like a giant gorilla," Howe said. 

"He just filled up the room in the same way that that bridge [does], you can't miss it when you're anywhere around Metro Detroit or southern Ontario, you're going to see that, you're going see The Gordie."

The Gordie Howe Bridge hat trick?

Howe also likes a CBC Windsor proposal of a Gordie Howe special hat trick for the bridge once it opens, saying he would "absolutely" do it. 

The proposal includes loading your bike into your vehicle and driving across the bridge. You would then park the vehicle and ride the bike back to the other side, where you would leave the bike and walk back to pick up your car. All of this must be done in a single day.

"Absolutely, I'm in, I'm in," Howe said, beaming from ear to ear.

Getting an assist, goal and dropping the gloves famously became known as a Gordie Howe hat trick, based on Howe's tough yet well-rounded style of play.

'Our mom and dad are smiling from above'

Meanwhile, Howe said "it was really fun" to be on the bridge with his brother Marty Howe last week.

"We don't get to see each other as much and it's kind of neat when things like this happen, they get you to bring your family together and allow you to reconnect, kind of like a wedding," he said.

"It's just … really, really a thrill for me to be up there and it's certainly a huge honour. So, many people are so excited about it and that makes us as a family even more excited and we know that our mom and dad are smiling from above just watching this entire story unfold.

"It's so great for the nations of Canada and the United States and for the towns of Windsor and Detroit. It's just going to really help make those connections even stronger and I can't wait to ride my bike over to Windsor and have lunch — just sounds like a super, super fun day," he added.

'So much more than a bridge'

Officials say 11,000 people have had a hand in getting the Gordie Howe International Bridge to this point, and more than 13 million work hours have been completed to date. 

"This project is so much more than a bridge," said Sean Fraser, the federal minister of housing, infrastructure and communities, at last week's event. "To me, it represents the connection between Canada and the United States, our largest trading partner and our strongest ally."

As with the other crossings between Detroit and Windsor, there will be a toll to cross the bridge; the amount hasn't been announced yet. Though, there was a hint of how it might stack up.

Charl van Niekerk, CEO of the Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority, said it'll be reviewed in view of the economic impact and what's "reasonable" for the consumer.

"It will be less than other crossings in the area, and we'll make announcements in the new year," he said.

The bridge, which is being built through a public-private partnership, has been under construction since 2018. The current cost, $6.4 billion, is about $700 million more than expected. A fall completion in 2025 is later than planned, mostly due to pandemic pressures put on the supply chain.