It’s impossible not to put Wayne Gretzky on a pedestal when one is discussing NHL. The man is a legend who has broken numerous hockey records. Even though Gretzky played his last game in the league in 1999, many of his records still stand strong. Aptly nicknamed The White Tornado, Gretzky always brought a storm to the ice rink. While The Great Gretzky’s gameplay was off the charts, he was never the most physical or violent player out on the hockey rink. However, a few instances stand out.

1980 saw Gretzky having a fight with D. Lecuyer, then playing for the Chicago Blackhawks and in 1982, he had a fight with Neal Broten, who was playing for the Minnesota North Stars. The second fight really proved how precious and revered Wayne Gretzky really was in the hockey community.

The Unbeatable Wayne Gretzky

Gretzky’s style was beating his opponents through mind games, rather than physically attacking them. He outsmarted his opponents by predicting their moves and being in the right place at the right time. What made him the greatest of the greats was his ability to support as equally as he could score. His style of playing ensured that he was not a hothead during the game.

His teammates, probably because they knew how essential he was, always covered for him with utmost dedication. However, he did get into a fight with Neal Broten, but this was unfortunately a fight he did not win.

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While Broten might have won the fight, Gretzky had already won all the hearts. This led to Neal Broten getting pushback from his teammates for throwing down with The Great One. According to The Hockey Beast, “But the most remarkable thing is that Broten left the game alive. When you went after Gretzky, his teammates took revenge, but somehow, Broten got away without a severe beating.”

David Gagner, who also played in the same game for the Minnesota North Stars, tweeted, “One of the funnier lines I ever heard as a player. Curt Giles said that after the fight 10 guys went by the penalty box and told Brotsy he was dead. 5 were on our team.”

The support shown to Gretzky, even by his opponent, goes to show just how much respect he has amassed throughout his career. His genius on the field led even players on the other team to threaten their own on his behalf.

Do you think that Gretzky could have won the fight with Broten if he tried hard enough? Let us know.

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