Saskatoon city council needed about 10 seconds Monday to pass a motion honouring hockey legend Gordie Howe.
Councillors voted unanimously to change the name of Kinsmen Arena to Gordie Howe Kinsmen Arena.
The motion was the only item on the special meeting’s agenda. The meeting, which was described as time sensitive, was called to ensure the name change was in place before Howe’s expected visit to Saskatoon next month.
Howe has had a number of strokes in recent months, but his family said he plans to make a public appearance at the Kinsmen Club of Saskatoon’s Sports Celebrity Dinner Feb. 6.
Signage won’t be ready for Howe’s visit, but designs will be prepared for him to see while he’s in the city.
Howe, who was born in Floral, Sask., played twenty-six seasons in the National Hockey League and six seasons in the World Hockey Association. Nicknamed "Mr. Hockey," he is considered one of the greatest hockey players of all time.
He held many of the sport's scoring records until they were broken in the 1990s by Wayne Gretzky.
Gretzky is set to host the sports celebrity dinner in Saskatoon.
--- with files from the Canadian Press
