After seven seasons with the World Hockey Association as the New England Whalers, the Hartford Whalers joined the NHL prior to the 1979-80 season and looked to make an immediate splash, if you'll pardon the pun. Offered in this lot are professional contracts for Gordie, Marty, and Mark Howe for that inaugural NHL campaign. Each is unsigned and all are related including employment agreements and licensing agreements. Its the whole file, in essence, and though the agreements are all copies they still make for interesting reading. NRMT overall. Even though Gordie had retired eight years earlier, the Red Wings still held his NHL rights, and Howe came out of retirement at age 51 to play for "The Whale." Marty and Mark - who had already played for the Whalers prior to the 1979-80 season, played with their father in Hartford for that one season, then hung around in the Connecticut capital for a couple more seasons.