Hockey legend and Hall of Fame forward Gordie Howe died Friday morning in Ohio at the age of 88. He passed away at his son Murray's home with family by his side just before 8 AM, according to Sportsnet.The Red Wing great, known as "Mr. Hockey," is widely considered one of the greatest players in NHL history. Howe scored 801 goals during his illustrious 26-year NHL career, ranking second on the all-time goal-scoring list behind Wayne Gretzky, who idolized the Saskatchewan-born forward. His 1850 career points ranks fourth all time behind Gretzky, Mark Messier and Jaromir Jagr.
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Howe also scored 174 goals during a six-year stint in the WHL. His last season in the NHL came with the Hartford Whalers during the 1979-80 campaign, when he became the oldest player to ever play an NHL game at the age of 52, a mark that still stands today.The iconic superstar battled health issues in recent years, first getting diagnosed with dementia in 2012 and later suffering from a series of strokes in 2014, but improved after undergoing stem-cell treatment in Mexico."I guess he didn't want to fight anymore, but what a fight he had," Howe's sister Helen Cummine told the CBC.Howe, one of nine siblings, was the first of two brothers to reach the NHL. His brother Vic made his NHL debut with the New York Rangers during the 1950-51 season. Howe's sons Mark and Marty were also NHLers, and played with their dad together during Howe's last season in Hartford. They are the only father-son duo in NHL history to play on the same team.He's survived by his three sons, his daughter, Kathleen, and nine grandchildren. Howe's wife, Colleen, died in 2009 at the age of 76 after a battle with Pick's disease, a rare form of progressive dementia that's similar to Alzheimer's.Howe, who holds the NHL record for games played (1767), won four Stanley Cups and six Hart Trophies as the league's Most Valuable Player.One of the best sports photos ever taken. — Will (@HeyMyNameIsWill)June 10, 2016