The Great One’s father, Walter Gretzky, played an important role in making Wayne Gretzky the star that he is today. Walter Gretzky was the one who introduced little Wayne to the skates even before he turned 3. Furthermore, he built an ice rink in his backyard for Wayne to train. It can be said that Walter was Wayne’s first unofficial coach. Despite being a loving father, Walter was a strict coach when it came to the game.

While he patted his back whenever Wayne Gretzky performed well, he also reprimanded his son whenever the performance wasn’t up to the mark. One such instance is from 1971 when Gretzky performed badly at a fundraiser game. His father’s reproval after this game led to Gretzky giving his best in all the games he played throughout his decorated career.

Walter Gretzky was a strict coach

By the time Wayne had turned 10, he had already made a name for himself in Canada. Naturally, when word got around that the young hockey prodigy will be part of a match, a huge crowd emerged to see the Great One in action. However, on that particular game night in April 1971, Wayne Gretzky was in no mood to play ice hockey. Rather, a different game was on his mind.

Talking about that incident with Sports Illustrated, Wayne Gretzky said, “I loved baseball as much as hockey in those days. My dream was to pitch for the Detroit Tigers. I wanted to play baseball [that day].” However, the fundraiser exhibition game against a small-town team outside Toronto expected his presence. Eventually, with his body and mind in two different places, Wayne Gretzky did not live up to the expectations of the crowd.

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This earned him an earful from his father. “Obviously I stunk in the exhibition, because we lost 8–1. Afterward, my father said, ‘I don’t ever want to see you do that again. All these people came to see you play. You have to be at your top level every night, whether it’s a September exhibition or Game 7 of the playoffs.’ I always remembered that. I knew I was on display.” These words from Papa Gretzky left a lasting effect on Wayne Gretzky.

The impact of Walter Gretzky’s words on Wayne Gretzky

Wayne Gretzky is one of the most respected players in the NHL world. It is not only because of his performance on the ice but his conduct outside the rink too. Keeping in mind that he was always on display, Gretzky’s behavior was always “unfailingly polite.”

The Great One was lauded for always treating everyone with respect. He readily gave out his autograph whenever someone asked for it. The way he handled the press, especially in the foreign market, was always worth the praise. Furthermore, his performance on the ice needs no description.

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Wayne Gretzky once claimed he remembered his father’s scolding from when he was a 10-year-old kid weren’t just empty words. It is reflected in his behavior to date.