Gordie Howe TORONTO, ON – JUNE 12: Gordie Howe accepts his lifetime achievement award during the 2008 NHL Awards at the at the Elgin Theatre on June 12, 2008 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images for NHL)

Gordie Howe, the Detroit Red Wings legend also known as “Mr. Hockey”, died Friday morning at the age of 88, according to multiple media reports.

The news was first broken by the managing editor of DetroitRedWings.com, Bill Roose:

Howe’s health became a great concern back in October of 2014 when the legend suffered a significant stroke. Afterward, Howe traveled to Mexico to have a stem cell treatment that the family said gave him an amazing recovery.

SportsNet gave us more information on what little we know of the death:

He died surrounded by family at his son Murray’s house in Ohio, just before 8 a.m. this morning, a source close to the family confirmed.

Howe played 26 seasons in the NHL, 25 of them with the Detroit Red Wings. He was a 23-time NHL All-Star, and held many of the sport’s scoring records until Wayne Gretzky broke most of them as his career progressed. Howe is the only player to have played in the NHL in five different decades. Throughout his legendary career, Howe won four Stanley Cups, all with the Red Wings.

Howe retired in 1971, but came back two years later to play with his sons on the Houston Aeros of the World Hockey Association. After playing four seasons with the Aeros, and two with the New England Whalers, he would play once with the Hartford Whalers after the NHL-WHA merger of 1979.

Howe was also known for the “Gordie Howe Hat Trick,” where a player scores a goal, records an assist, and gets into a fight in one game.

The game has truly lost a great one today.

[SportsNet]

About Harry Lyles Jr.

Harry Lyles Jr. is an Atlanta-based writer, and a Georgia State University graduate.

Comments are closed.