Mr. Hockey, Gordie Howe, died Friday morning in Ohio at the age of 88.
Howe played in more professional hockey games than anyone in history. The Saskatchewan native is the only player to have competed in the NHL in five decades.
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CBS News confirmed shortly after 9:30 a.m. ET that Howe had died. The Red Wings confirmed it in a tweet shortly after.
Thoughts and prayers to the Howe family as Gordie Howe passes away at the age of 88. #9RIP pic.twitter.com/i9KRzXRgwV
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) June 10, 2016
After one season with the Omaha Knights of the USHL, Howe made his NHL debut with the Detroit Red Wings in 1946. When he retired from the NHL in 1971, he was the league’s all-time leading scorer.
Through his time in the World Hockey Association and NHL, Howe played in 2,421 games, scored 1,071 goals and had 1,518 assists for 2,589 points. Wayne Gretzky has since passed him by with 1,072 goals and 2,297 assists for 3,369 points, but nobody will ever play in more games than No. 9.
Just for good measure, Howe returned to the ice in 1997 for one game with the Detroit Vipers of the IHL, making him the only player to play professionally in six decades.
Blessed as a gifted skater with an ambidextrous shot, Howe is the only player to score at least 20 goals in 22 straight seasons. The 23-time All-Star led the Red Wings to four Stanley Cups and led the league in scoring six times.
“Gordie was a loving husband and father,” Mark Howe, Gordie's son, said in an email to Omnisport. “A selfless, thoughtful and unassuming man who had a special way about him that made him so unique and beloved by so many. He was genuine and real. He led by example both on the ice and off the ice. A tremendously gifted athlete who respected the game, his peers and the millions of fans that he had the pleasure of meeting over his lifetime. He was a fierce competitor who knew what it took to become a winner. It was an honor for him to be able to play professional hockey for so many years and to be able to give back to the fans and the game he loved so much.”
Howe was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972. A statue in his honor was placed outside of Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena in 2007 and he received a lifetime achievement award from the NHL in 2008. A year later, Howe’s wife of 56 years, Colleen, died.
Howe then began to experience declining health and dementia and lived with his four children on a rotating basis until his death. He suffered a stroke in 2014, but initially made a startling recovery.
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Following a year in the Red Wings front office upon his retirement, Howe signed with the Houston Aeros of the World Hockey Association to play with his two sons, Mark and Marty.
Howe played in the WHA for six seasons, winning the league MVP award in 1974 at 46. During the 1979 WHA All-Star Game, Howe played with then-18-year-old Wayne Gretzky.
In the WHA, Howe spent four seasons with the Aeros and his final two years with the New England Whalers. When the Whalers joined the NHL in 1979, Howe remained with the team and played in 80 games with 15 goals and 26 assists.
The Whalers made the playoff in their first NHL season, but were swept by the Montreal Canadiens in the first round. Howe retired for a second time after the season at the age of 52.
The NHL on Friday morning released a statement from commissioner Gary Bettman, acknowledging the legend's passing and using the hashtag #9RIP:
All hockey fans grieve the loss of the incomparable Gordie Howe.
A remarkable athlete whose mastery of our sport was reflected by the longevity of his career and by his nickname, ‘Mr. Hockey,’ Gordie’s commitment to winning was matched only by his commitment to his teammates, to his friends, to the Red Wings, to the city of Detroit and — above all — to his family. His devotion to Colleen through her illness and the fact that he extended his playing days into a fifth decade so he could play with his sons are only two examples of that true priority in his life.
Gordie’s greatness travels far beyond mere statistics; it echoes in the words of veneration spoken by countless players who joined him in the Hockey Hall of Fame and considered him their hero.
Gordie’s toughness as a competitor on the ice was equaled only by his humor and humility away from it. No sport could have hoped for a greater, more-beloved ambassador.
On behalf of the generations who were thrilled by his play and those who only know of his legend, and on behalf of all the young people and teammates he inspired, we send heartfelt wishes of condolence, comfort and strength to the Howe family and to all who mourn the passing of this treasured icon of our game.