As the world mourns the passing of "Mr. Hockey," the legend is being remembered for his contributions to the sport here in B.C.

Howe, whose impressive hockey career spanned decades, died Friday at the age of 88, after a long illness.

The Canadian icon was named an all-star 21 times, and finally retired in 1980 – at the age of 52.

"It just shows you what kind of athlete he was. He was a real physical presence. He was not only a goal scorer – he let you know he was on the ice," said Tom Mayenknecht, host of The Sport Market on TSN 1040.

Howe had a strong connection to hockey in Vancouver, and was the founding co-owner of the Vancouver Giants when the franchise entered the WHL in 2001.

On Friday, majority owner Ron Toigo sent a statement saying it was a "sad day" for the team, who felt "honoured and privileged" to have him in their lives.

"We were fortunate to have had him involved with so many of our players who were able to meet him," he said.

"He had an impact on everyone in our organization. It's been a difficult period for us, losing both Pat [Quinn] and now Gordie in such a short period of time, and we'll miss him a lot."