Another sports legend is gone. Just one week after the death of Muhammad Ali, Gordie Howe died Friday morning at his son's home in Toledo, Ohio. He was 88.
Howe, who was affectionately known as "Mr. Hockey," is the NHL record-holder for most games played with 1,767 and most seasons played with 26. He played so long that he was teammates with two of his sons, Marty and Mark, towards the end of his career, which spanned for parts of five decades. Howe was a 23-time NHL All-Star, a four-time Stanley Cup winner, and a 6-time Hart Trophy (MVP) winner. He also led the NHL in scoring six times and finished with 801 goals, second-most in NHL history. He was the first player ever to top the 1,000-point mark.
In recent years, Howe struggled with a series of health problems. He reportedly suffered from dementia, and in October 2014, he had two strokes.
The Red Wings—the team that he spent 25 of his 26 NHL seasons with (he also played for the Hartford Whalers for one season after spending six seasons in the WHA)—reacted to the news of Howe's death with this tweet:
Others in the hockey community reacted to it on social media as well. Here are some of their tweets:
This photo of Howe and Ali standing with Wilt Chamberlain and Bob Cousy has also been making the rounds:
RIP.
