BUFFALO —

Aware of the miraculous recovery made by Mr. Hockey in recent months, the family of ailing NFL Hall of Famer Bart Starr has reached out to the Howe family in order to gather information about his treatment.

“I guess Bart Starr had a serious stroke and heart attack a few weeks ago,” said Gordie Howe’s son, Mark, who was scouting the Leafs-Sabres game for the Red Wings at First Niagara Center on Wednesday.

“The family called us and asked about the (stem cell) treatment dad received. I’m not sure if they have proceeded with it, but certainly dad’s recovery has created a lot of awareness about the treatment.”

With Gordie Howe having suffered a major stroke late last year that had his kids making funeral arrangements, a Tijuana-based medical clinic operated by Novastem specializing in stem cell treatments reached out to the Howe family, a gesture that turned out to be a blessing.

The boys took their dad from Texas to Mexico, where the amazing treatment followed Dec. 8-9.

Gordie Howe, who celebrated his 87th birthday on Tuesday, has recovered to the point where he’s been able to go fishing with his kids and actually helps them sweep the floors the odd time.

“He had a very good week last week,” Mark Howe said Wednesday night. “He’s struggled a bit this week but, all in all, it’s still amazing how far he’s come.”