http://www.ctvnews.ca/sports/hockey-...t-88-1.2940022
Published Friday, June 10, 2016 9:35AM EDT
Last Updated Friday, June 10, 2016 10:51AM EDT
Hockey legend Gordie Howe, a.k.a. "Mr. Hockey," has died after a lengthy illness. He was 88 years old.
Howe's son, Marty, confirmed his father's death to CTV News on Friday.
Howe had been struggling with health issues since suffering a stroke in 2014, which left him unable to walk and barely able to speak. The Howe family said his health improved in 2015, after receiving an injection of stem cells at a Mexican clinic.
Howe earned the nickname "Mr. Hockey" for his lengthy career that included 25 years as a Detroit Red Wing, four Stanley Cup championships, six Hart Trophies as the league's most valuable player, and numerous records.
Howe played his first NHL game on Oct. 16, 1946 at the age of 18. He retired in 1971.
Known for his prolific goal-scoring ability and his physical play, the Detroit Red Wings legend was also a trailblazer for the upstart World Hockey Association, which attempted to challenge the NHL's supremacy in the 1970s. Howe retired from the Red Wings in 1971, but the WHA's Houston Aeros lured him back to the game two years later, by offering him the chance to play with sons Marty and Mark.
Howe played for the Aeros and the New England Whalers of the WHA from 1973-1979, then returned to the NHL when the league absorbed the WHA in '79.
At age 51, he played his last full NHL season with the renamed Hartford Whalers in 1979-80. Howe turned 52 before the season ended, and earned himself the record for oldest player to have played in the NHL, beating runner-up Chris Chelios by four years.
Howe's records include:
Most NHL regular-season games played (1,767);
Most regular-season points by a right-winger (1,850);
Most consecutive 20-plus goal seasons (22);
Most All-Star Game appearances (23).
In addition to his six Hart trophies, Howe won six Art Ross trophies as the league's leading scorer. Many of his records, including the title of highest-scoring player of all time, lasted until Gretzky entered the league.
Gretzky often referred to Howe as his hero, but the two didn't cross paths on the ice until 1980, when they both played in the NHL All-Star game.
"You're always going to remember him as a great player, a wonderful person and a tremendous family man," Gretzky said in 2014, after Howe suffered his stroke.
Howe is survived by his three sons and a daughter. His wife, Colleen, died in 2009, and his younger brother Vic passed away in 2015.
RIP Gordie Howe
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