‘Mr. Hockey’ Passes Away at Age 88

According to reports, legendary Detroit Red Wing Gordie Howe has died.

You don't have to be from Detroit to know and appreciate the legacy of Gordie Howe.

I am from Detroit, though, so I'd say I appreciate him a little more than the average non-Detroit hockey fan. Although I don't exactly follow hockey, there is one name I have known since the first Red Wings game I ever watched, and that's Gordie Howe. I remember going to Joe Louis once as a kid to see a Vipers game, and my mom sending me with Red Wings gear in case I got to meet Gordie Howe in person.

Gordie Howe had an NHL career that spanned over five decades.  He started playing for the Detroit Red Wings at the age of 18, and spent 25 years with the team before retiring. When he did retire at 52, he held the record for games played, goals, assists, and points. Although Wayne Gretzky passed him in three of those categories, Howe still holds the records for games played and games played with one team, as well as several other records.

Howe won countless awards, including the Art Ross Trophy for top point scorer six times and The Hart Memorial Trophy for league MVP six times, and he was also inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972. He helped secure four Stanley Cups with the Wings.

The exact cause of death has not be released, but Howe did suffer a significant stroke back in 2014. He will be fondly remembered by hockey fans and players alike, especially in Detroit.

RIP Gordie Howe. Legends never die.

[Via Click on Detroit/CBS/WXYZ]