1952-53 – 1968-69 – Number Retired on February 22, 2009

The benchmark for consistency and longevity, Harry Howell’s NHL career spanned 21 seasons, including an amazing 17 consecutive seasons in a Rangers uniform. Howell skated in 1,411 career games, registering 94 goals and 324 assists for 418 points. His franchise record of 1,160 regular season games as a Ranger might never be broken.

Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1979, Howell joined the team as a 19-year-old on October 18, 1952, recording a goal in his first NHL game. Over the next 17 years, he became a fixture on defense for the Blueshirts, missing only 40 out of 1,200 regular-season games.

Having played in six NHL All-Star Games as a member of the Rangers (’54, ’63 – ’65, ’67, ’68), his finest season came in 1966-67 when he registered 12 goals and 28 assists for 40 points to capture the Norris Trophy as the league’s top defenseman and was selected to the NHL First All-Star Team. Howell was the last player to win the Norris Trophy before Bobby Orr won the award in each of the next eight seasons.

The former team Captain (’55 – ’57) was also honored as Rangers’ MVP in 1964, and is one of only four Rangers – along with Andy Bathgate, Rod Gilbert, and Mark Messier – to have won the Frank Boucher Trophy in three consecutive seasons (’65 – ’67).

Howell passed away on March 10, 2019.