NHL legend Gordie Howe made his first public appearance since suffering a “significant stroke” on Oct. 26 and another a short time later.
The 86-year-old Howe made the trip from his daughter’s home in Lubbock, Texas, to Saskatchewan, where he was honored at the Kinsmen Sports Celebrity Dinner on Friday night.
Howe has been reportedly recovering at a miraculous rate because of experimental stem-cell treatment as part of a clinical trial in Mexico, according to his family. He went from unable to walk, speak or feed himself to gaining 20 pounds and his mobility back.
“He’s doing very, very well,” said his son, Dr. Murray Howe, the director of sports medicine imaging of Toledo Hospital. “He has good days and bad days like anybody who’s 86, but overall he’s heading in the right direction really every day, a little bit better. He had his stem cell treatment Dec. 8 and really since that time he’s just been doing fantastic.”
Howe was joined by family and NHL legends Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Hull and Brett Hull, among for what is expected to be his final public appearance.
ADVERTISEMENT
Howe, a four-time Stanley Cup winner with the Detroit Red Wings, scored 801 career goals, which ranks second to Gretzky’s 894. He does, however, hold the NHL records for games (1,767) and seasons (26).
