NHL Legend Howe Has Cancer

March 15, 1998 / 12:00 AM EST / CBS/AP

Hockey great Gordie Howe will have surgery at the end of this month to remove a cancerous spot on his left shin.

Howe said his son, Murray, a doctor, broke the news to him.

"My son says it's the good kind," he said. "Thank God. Cancer. That word just scares you," Howe said Friday.

Howe's wife, Colleen, said doctors have told the family that the cancer is curable.

"If anything at all, we've caught it in time," she said.

Added Howe: "You've got to believe in your doctor."

On Friday, Howe made a scheduled public appearance at Wayne State's first hockey game, where he posed for photos, signed autographs and spoke candidly about his recent diagnosis.

Howe couldn't keep still Friday, when he was slated to drop the puck before the Wayne State game. He snatched a brownie from a table of food for VIPs, looked around quickly and asked, "Did anybody see that?" He's not letting the cancer change his attitude.

"A little foolishness goes a long way," Howe said.

Colleen Howe said the hardest part will be keeping Howe in check after the operation, scheduled Nov. 29 in Toledo, Ohio, where Murray Howe is the head of radiology for three hospitals.

"Gordie's still a big kid. We'll have to make sure he doesn't sneak out and do something," she said.

She said her husband noticed the growth three months ago, but thought nothing of it. Last month, she pointed it out to her son, who insisted on looking at it.

She said the news "hits hard on all the family," but they are optimistic.

"Gordie's gone through so much in his career. You name it, he's had it," she said.

"Gordie has great belief he's going to get better. This is probably minor compared to several other injuries he's had."

Howe took more than 400 stitches during his career, broke his nose, broke his ribs and survived a head injury during the 1950 playoffs that nearly killed him.

Howe began a 25-year career with the Detroit Red Wings in 1946. After a brief retirement, he joined the Houston Aeros of the now-defunct World Hockey Association, playing with sons Mark and Marty. He finished his career in the NHL in 1980 after the league absorbed the Hartford Whalers.

Howe had 801 goals and 1,049 assists in 1,767 NHL regular-season games. He led the Red Wings to four Stanley Cup championships.