According to news reports from multiple sources, Canadian hockey legend Gordie Howe, known to hockey fans for generations as simply “Mr. Hockey,” has died at the age of 88 in Ohio.

#BREAKING: Gordie Howe died this morning at the age of 88, a source close to the family confirms to @Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/jjunq28J9o — 680 NEWS Toronto (@680NEWS) June 10, 2016

Howe had been suffering from a number of physical ailments in recent years, including dementia and a serious stroke in October 2014 which left Howe physically incapacitated, though a stem cell treatment he received in Mexico appeared to have dramatically improved his condition.

Howe was a universally revered figure in the hockey world considered by many to be among the top-five greatest players of all-time, and this news has understandably been met with much sadness.

During Howe’s storied hockey career he won four Stanley Cups, six Art Ross and Hart trophies, and was on the First or Second NHL All-Star teams an astounding 21 times. He still holds a multitude of NHL records as well. He amassed 801 goals and 1850 points in 1767 NHL games during a career that spanned five decades with the Detroit Red Wings and the Hartford Whalers. He was the inaugural recipient of the NHL Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008.

The man known has “Mr. Hockey” left a permanent mark on the hockey world not only for his sublime offensive skills but also for his tenacity and willingness to fight, on and off the ice.

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