A stroke brought him near death in October 2014, but Gordie Howe is doing so well these days that the Hall of Famer will be attending the Detroit Red Wings game Monday night at Joe Louis Arena.

According to the Detroit Free Press, his youngest son, Murray Howe, will be driving his father from their home near Toledo, Ohio, to the game. Wings director of pro scouting Mark Howe will also be there as their father visits the current Wings players and coaching staff in the dressing room before the game.

None of this seemed possible in 2014. Howe turns 88 on Thursday, but after the stroke, the family had even written a eulogy for Mr. Hockey, according to the Free Press. But Howe started to improve and became even better after stem cell treatments in Mexico that ended in 2015.

He doesn't speak much these days, but Murray Howe -- a radiologist at a Toledo Hospital -- told the newspaper that his father understands what people are saying and uses body language to make up for his language deficit.

And he still lives a full life.

Murray Howe said his day usually begins with a breakfast of four eggs, four sausage links, toast with butter, a banana and a bowl of oatmeal. He takes frequent naps, but in the afternoon he likes to get out of the house. Not surprisingly, a local ice rink is a favorite spot.

There, he interacts with kids, who get tips from the man who won four Stanley Cups for the Wings in the 1950s and was third in the league in career scoring until Jaromir Jagr passed him this season.

Murray Howe said that one little boy even told his father that he was named Gordie.

"He was named after my father," Murray said to the Free Press. "That's amazing to us, that he is still that revered that parents name their son after him.

"You could see it in the little boy's eyes. In his eyes, my dad looked like Paul Bunyan. It was obvious they had told him all about him. The boy couldn't believe he was actually meeting him."