Hockey legend Gordie Howe suffers stroke

Hall of Famer Gordie Howe, long ago nicknamed “Mr. Hockey” for his legendary toughness, durability and scoring exploits, suffered a serious stroke Sunday and has lost some of the function and strength on the right side of his body, his son, Dr. Murray Howe, told the Detroit News.

The elder Howe, 86, has dealt with many health issues in recent years, including spinal surgery and dementia. Since he suffered the stroke, he has been largely confined to bed at the home of his daughter, Cathy, in Lubbock, Texas.

Here’s a link to the Detroit News story, with more details from Murray Howe.

Here’s a link to coverage in the Detroit Free Press.

Gordie Howe played for the Detroit Red Wings for 25 seasons and came out of retirement in 1973 to play for the Houston Aeros of the World Hockey Assn. and play alongside his other sons, Mark and Marty. The three later moved on to play for the WHA’s Hartford Whalers. Gordie Howe finished his career in the 1979-80 season, at age 52, after the Whalers were absorbed into the NHL.

Howe had 801 goals and 1,850 points in 1,767 NHL games, plus 174 goals and 508 points in 419 WHA games. Although Wayne Gretzky broke Howe’s goals and points records, Howe is still revered by hockey fans. His excellence in every area of the game has been recognized in an unusual way: A player is said to have recorded a “Gordie Howe hat trick” when that player has a goal, an assist and a fight in one game.

Howe himself didn’t have many Gordie Howe hat tricks in his career, as explained here.

The news of Howe’s stroke swept quickly across his native Canada, with Prime Minister Stephen Harper (@pmharper) sending out a tweet that read: “Wishing my friend Gordie Howe all the best, you’re in all of our thoughts and prayers.”

The Detroit Red Wings’ official Twitter feed also sent get-well wishes, which were echoed by fans and other NHL teams.