The smile on his face said it all.
Mr. Hockey was home.
Gordie Howe might not have been here for this inspirational appearance after a stroke pushed him to the brink in October of 2014, but hockey has helped bring him back.
"Mom and dad always gave back and after dad had his stroke, the city of Detroit and so many of the hockey fans that are here at Joe Louis Arena, the outpouring was tremendous, it's really nice that dad could be be here, just be him being here, it shows his appreciation for the people of Detroit," Mark Howe, Gordie's son, said.
In front of the sold out crowd, Howe was sung a very special rendition of Happy Birthday by all in attendance and at home.
"I made the mistake of asking him last night, 'Dad, do you want to go to the Red Wing game tomorrow?' And he was so excited he didn't really sleep that well last night. It took he had to be here tonight," Mark added. "We're so thankful to have dad here with us."
