Three days before his 88th birthday, the Detroit Red Wings invited Gordie Howe to the rink to celebrate.
All fans in attendance Monday against Buffalo were given a sign with which to extend their warm wishes to "Mr. Hockey":
His birthday cake was also something to behold:
Finally, the raucous crowd serenaded Howe with "Happy Birthday" during a commercial break:
Howe appeared in 1,687 games for the Red Wings between 1946-1971, amassing 1,809 of his 1,850 career points.