The Detroit News says hockey legend Gordie Howe suffered a "serious stroke" on Sunday.
Dr. Murray Howe, the son of the 86-year-old Hall of Famer, told the Detroit newspaper that his father has lost some function on one side of his body and has difficulty speaking. The report says "Mr. Hockey," is resting at his daughter's home in Lubbock.
"Wishing my friend Gordie Howe all the best, you're in all of our thoughts and prayers," said Prime Minister Stephen Harper in a tweet from his verified account.
Howe played 25 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, won four Stanley Cups, six Hart Trophies as the NHL's most valuable player and six Art Ross Trophies as the league's leading scorer.
He debuted with the Red Wings in 1946 at the age of 18 and quickly became a leader on the team. Howe and teammates Sid Abel and Ted Lindsay became known as the Production Line thanks to their hard-nosed style of play.
The term Gordie Howe hat trick -- when a player scores a goal, records an assist and gets in a fight in one game -- is named after him.
After a brief retirement in 1971, Howe returned to the ice as a member of the World Hockey Association's Houston Aeros, joining his sons Mark and Murray.
In 1977, the three Howes moved to the WHA's New England Whalers. When the league folded in 1979 the newly named Hartford Whalers joined the NHL with the Howes in tow.
At 51 years old, Howe played all 80 games of the 1979-80 NHL season with the Whalers, helping them to the playoffs with 15 goals.
Howe's longevity and scoring touch made him one of the most productive players in hockey history.
In 1,767 regular-season NHL games, he scored 801 goals and had 1,049 assists for 1,850 points. He also had 174 goals and 334 assists in 419 WHA games. Add it all up and in 2,275 games he scored 975 goals, assisted on 1,383, and amassed 2,358 points.
