from my little internet searching the last few years, Gordie
and Bobby Hull were physical monsters in strength. I saw a pic of Hull in the late 60s and he was a beast. Heavy duty farm work.
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/Hockey+World+around+Gordie+Howe+best+ever+play/10440869/story.html
See Page 2
“According to MacGregor, Howe was the ultimate farm boy. Picture him throwing 100 bales of hay around like they were Beehive corn syrup tins.
Howe worked construction with his dad during the Great Depression of the 1930s, tossing bags of cement.
“Like he threw players around,” said MacGregor. “When he’d go after somebody, when he’d get mad, it was truly scary.”
I know a Howe or Hull of the 60s could play well in today’s NHL. They were freaks. Didn’t Hull have a 110 mph slap shot?
http://hfboards.hockeysfuture.com/showthread.php?t=1197821
not to “gay” up the thread but you can see Hull was a rock. Howe was the same.
I have always been amazed at “Worker Muscles. Earned by bustin your butt, not lifting weights.
I have 2 local old men who are still strong as hell. One was a guy who was part of the Omaha Beach assault. I shook his hand at church a few years back, he was in his late 80s. His grip was incredible. I mean this guy had monster grip and paws from his working days as a young man.
Another local guy is a logger. He’s in his 70s. I needed a long heavy wood beam for a section of raised garden. Old Man had a 10 ft beam, thick and big, at his place of business. He picks it up and carries it to my truck as he carries on our conversation as if he is carrying a loaf of bread.
After about 50 yards he stops at my truck so I can load anyway I want. I grab the beam and was like “WTF”. Now I lift a lot heavy logs all during winter but this wood was very heavy. I mean a decent strong man could lift it but the way this old man hoisted it up and acted like is was nothing was a sight to see.
If I had a time machine I’d love to bring Hull and Howe up to today and let them have it in the NHL of today.