Detroit Red Wings and hockey legend Gordie Howe remained in guarded condition Wednesday after he suffered a major stroke Sunday morning.
Howe has lost some function on the right side of his body and has difficulty speaking, his daughter, Cathy Purnell confirmed to ESPN.com.
Howe, known as “Mr. Hockey,” is the all-time Red Wings franchise leader in goals, points and games played, and many regard him as the greatest player of his generation.
Howe, 86, led the Red Wings to four Stanley Cup championships while winning six league scoring titles and taking home the Hart Trophy six times as the league’s MVP.
Howe’s family including his four children — Marty, Mark, Cathy and Murray — is gathered in Lubbock, Texas, where they remain by their father’s side.
“The Howe family would like to thank friends, family and fans for your overwhelming well-wishes, prayers and support for Gordie,” the family said in a statement Wednesday. “He suffered a significant stroke on Sunday morning while at his daughter’s home in Lubbock, Texas. His condition remains guarded, although he is showing some signs of improvement. We acknowledge that there is a long road to recovery ahead, but Dad’s spirits are good and his competitive attitude remains strong.”
Howe is recovering at his daughter’s house in Lubbock, his son Dr. Murray Howe told The Detroit News. Dr. Howe is the head of the department of radiology at Toledo Hospital in Ohio.
“Basically, sometime in the early morning on Sunday he suffered a pretty bad stroke,” Dr. Howe told the News on Tuesday. “The right side of his body is very, very weak. He’s unable to stand without help. He’s able to speak, but very, very difficult to speak.
“He knows who he is. He knows the people around him. But it is very difficult for him to get up and walk around. So he is pretty much confined to his bed right now. So we’re just trying to keep him comfortable, and that’s our goal.”
Howe’s son told the newspaper his father had returned to shape and was walking up to a mile a day after undergoing spinal surgery this summer.
Gordie Howe suffers from dementia, according to the Detroit Free Press. In September, son Mark Howe revealed to the newspaper Gordie had a very bad summer, one punctuated by mini-strokes. He also needed outpatient surgery to help with spinal stenosis, which caused him debilitating pain.
“The doctor said those mini-strokes would gradually get worse and worse,” said Mark, who, like his father, is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. “With the type of dementia he has, the long-term outlook is not good. Dad was with me most of summer, and he had a very difficult summer. He had surgery, and that got rid of some of the pain. But he had small strokes, and we were told there were ultimately going to be bigger and bigger ones. That was predicted six months ago. And that’s been the case.
“I told my kids earlier this summer, my dad’s health is not what it should be. That’s why my daughter went to Lubbock on Saturday, brought her little 1-year-old. They had a wonderful day, went for a long walk with Dad. Sunday morning, he had the stroke.”
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman released a statement Tuesday night.
“The entire National Hockey League family sends prayers for strength and healing to our revered Gordie Howe. We all are thinking of Gordie and his loved ones as we wish him a speedy and full recovery.”