The Red Wings wear this patch in memory of 'Mr. Hockey', Gordie Howe.
Gordie Howe died on June 10th, 2016 at the age of 88. He played 26 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) and six seasons in the World Hockey Association (WHA); his first 25 seasons were spent with the Detroit Red Wings.
Howe also became the namesake of the "Gordie Howe hat trick": a goal, an assist, and a fight in the same game!