Wayne Gretzky drew some flak at the 4 Nations Face-Off amid the USA-Canada national anthem controversy, as staunch Canadian hockey fans didn’t approve of Gretzky’s long-standing acquaintance with President Donald Trump, amid tariff tensions. Yet, three months removed from that tournament, where Connor McDavid powered Canada to the title, the Great One didn’t hesitate to visit the Dallas Stars’ locker room after they beat the Winnipeg Jets to the conference finals.

“The Great One himself stopped by the @DallasStars’ dressing room to congratulate the team on making the Western Conference Final!” the NHL captioned their clip of Gretzky congratulating each of the Stars players. The short clip showed Gretzky’s short interaction with winger Jamie Benn, whom he praised for being “unreal” on the ice. However, what he told 22-year-old Wyatt Johnston was fascinating.

“You’re such a good player,” Wayne Gretzky told the young NHL star. However, he didn’t end his praise there, but revealed that Johnston could be wearing a very different jersey today. “I always told my brother. He didn’t draft you. They picked another guy over you, and I always give him sh**,” added the former Edmonton Oilers icon. If you have a lot of questions, here’s what could have been.

Rewind to the 2020 NHL Draft, and the Edmonton Oilers were looking to sign a prospect. Meanwhile, among the decision makers at the Oilers was none other than Gretzky’s brother, Keith Gretzky. The Oilers hired the former NHL all-time goalscoring record holder‘s brother as their Assistant General Manager in 2016. For nearly a decade, the Great One’s brother has helped shape the Oilers into what they are today.

Yet, as Gretzky told Wyatt Johnston, he saw the Oilers’ decision to skip the Dallas Stars center as a missed opportunity. So, who did the 64-year-old’s former NHL team draft instead? Well, the Oilers went with Xavier Bourgault as the 22nd draft pick in 2021. Meanwhile, the Stars picked up Johnston as the 22nd pick.

While Bourgault played for the Oilers’ AHL team, the Bakersfield Condors, for two seasons, he moved to the Belleville Senators for the 2024-25 AHL season. And although Gretzky was spotted congratulating the Stars on their Round 2 win, the hockey legend has a deeper connection with the Jets than you may think.

When Wayne Gretzky nearly signed with the Jets

The Great One may have built his reputation at the Edmonton Oilers, but had things gone differently, the then-17-year-old may have built that reputation as a Winnipeg Jet. Yes. You read that right. Back in 1978, the legendary player was a young prodigy making waves in the WHA with the Indianapolis Racers. Unfortunately, the team was facing financial ruin, and owner Nelson Skalbania decided to sell the player.

And who did Skalbania go to with this offer? It was none other than the Winnipeg Jets part-owner, Michael Gobuty. While the rising star had undeniable talent, the Jets’ owner wasn’t looking to sign a still-unproven WHA player. Gretzky himself revealed why Gobuty may have rejected the acquisition offer. “I probably wasn’t ready to be the guy you build a team around,” Gretzky told Sportsnet about the trade that never happened in 2020.

Nelson Skalbania’s next option? The Edmonton Oilers. So Skalbania dialed the Oilers’ owner Peter Pocklington’s number. “He said, ‘Peter. You’ve got the greatest opportunity of your lifetime,’ and I said, ‘Nelson, what is that?'” Pocklington recalled in his interview with Sportsnet. Skalbania then told the Edmonton owner about selling Gretzky, and Pocklington’s response was exactly what he wanted to hear.

Pocklington said, “done deal.” Wayne Gretzky took to the ice as an Oiler in the 1979-80 NHL season, and the rest is history. “What became of the Gretzky-led Edmonton Oilers has been well documented and well celebrated. The same can’t be said for the team that had first dibs,” said Sportsnet presenter Christine Simpson. Will the Oilers ever have similar regrets about Wyatt Johnston? Well, we might just get that answer this year.