from the CP at Yahoo,

WAYNE GRETZKY: In your memoir you write about participating in the puck-drop ceremony for the 2014 Winter Classic alumni game at Comerica Park. Could you tell me a little bit about playing outdoors as a child? What was your local rink like? What's your fondest memory of playing outside?

GORDIE HOWE: I loved playing hockey and looked forward to getting on the ice. If I wasn't home eating I was on the ice skating all winter. The rink was just boards and ice. In the Depression there was no money to do much — I think we were lucky there was man-made ice to skate on. I don't know that any memory stands out as the fondest, but I always liked to score and loved to win. That was what I lived for.

WG: Having mentored countless younger players, you are one of the most iconic father figures in the hockey world. You're also known for a mischievous streak and the chip on your shoulder. What's the piece of advice you've imparted that kids aren't likely to have heard from their teachers or other authorities?

GH: One of my rules was to do unto others before they do unto you, but that was never my first advice to youngsters. What I always started with was making sure they held their stick in the proper position. You should hold the top hand on the stick like you would hold a hammer when you're driving a nail. You have the most leverage and you won't get your wrist broken. The chip on my shoulder was earned over many years of hard knocks and each player has to earn that chip on their shoulder their own way.

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