Colleen Howe

Colleen Janet Joffa Howe (February 17, 1933 – March 6, 2009) was an American sports agent, businesswoman, and writer whose work made her an important figure in professional hockey beyond her public role as Gordie Howe’s wife. Often known as “Mrs. Hockey,” she built a career at a time when women were rarely visible in player representation and hockey management.

Howe founded and led Power Play International and Power Play Publications, organizations through which she managed business interests connected with Gordie Howe and their sons Mark and Marty. She negotiated contracts for Gordie Howe’s World Hockey Association career and was credited by the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame with helping bring Junior A hockey to the United States. Her writing included the jointly authored autobiography and... HOWE!, which recounts the Howes’ family, professional, and business life.

Her contribution to hockey received lasting institutional recognition. The Howe family received the Wayne Gretzky International Award from the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000, an honor for major contributions to the growth of hockey in the United States. In 2023, she was inducted posthumously into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame, which describes her as a pioneering agent and manager. Her career remains notable for joining athlete representation, hockey entrepreneurship, and publishing in a field then dominated by men.