DETROIT – As a Red Wing, Gordie Howe never skated at Joe Louis Arena but the hockey icon will take his final shift inside the 37-year-old building on Tuesday.
It’s expected that thousands will file by his casket to pay their final respects to the man known globally as Mr. Hockey.
In a few short hours Monday afternoon, a crew of roughly 25 men laid red carpet, rigged lighting, and hung black drapes over sections of dasher boards to transform the arena floor into a kind of hockey cathedral of worship for the 12-hour public visitation.