The Great Gretz

      

Wayne Gretzky                            By: Dean  

This is the story of a living legend in the hockey world. He is known by many more outside of the hockey world. Who is this living legend you ask... Wayne Gretzky The Greatest Hockey Player of All Time! 

In the beginning of Wayne’s time he lived in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. His parents were Walter and Phyllis Gretzky. He was born Jan 26, 1961, and his full name was Wayne Douglas Gretzky. He had four siblings, Brent Gretzky (1972), Keith Gretzky (1967), Glen Gretzky (1969) and Kim Gretzky (1963). The first time on the ice he was two. He was out at his grandpa and grandma’s farm on the frozen river behind the barn. His dad Walter was with him and said, “I set him on the ice, and he skated. Literally just skated.” 

When Wayne was three his family (Grandpa and Grandma included) would go to the family farm to watch “Hockey Night Live.” While they were watching, Wayne's grandma would pretend to be a goalie and Wayne would crumple up a piece of paper and swat the paper through her legs. That’s when his parents knew he wanted to play hockey. At age five Wayne was working harder than anyone. His dad decided to send him to ATOM league hockey, but they wouldn’t even let him try because the normal age for ATOM hockey was ten. So he worked even harder than anyone else and tried again. At only six he made ATOM hockey and was respected among the team. The jersey was made for older kids, so he had to tuck it into the right side of his breezers, a type of leg pad designed like shorts to protect the players’ thighs. He used it as his signature right tuck for the rest of his career. 

At age 14 he was invited to a Junior hockey team, an hour away, with lots of late-night games. Wayne needed to move. He moved in with family friends and went to a new school. At first his parents worried about him, but they eventually got used to him being gone. Very soon he started making new friends, and he was doing good at school, but he still missed home. By the time he finished the season a Semi-pro Junior A team was looking to recruit him. He was hoping for a team closer to home, but he was only getting further away heading to Sault Ste. Marie. 

Starting in Junior A’s was rough! Everybody was looking to make pros and needed to play hard to make it to their destination of professional hockey. Wayne hated it, the team flew everywhere in a run-down airplane, that had a horrible pilot (Wayne has a fear of flying later, I wonder why) The games are hard, and Wayne wanted to go home! The professional league they are trying to make is the WHA (World Hockey Association)! 

 Wayne got on to the Indianapolis Racers and he loved it! He moved into his own apartment. But sadly, after eight games (about two weeks) he was traded to the Edmonton Oil Kings (later the Oilers), but he could be near his parents at last! He had a good time with his team. Once on Wayne’s birthday they brought a giant cake onto the center of the ice for Wayne. In the locker room one of the guys sat on it! It was all fun and games everyone was having a great time, but then the WHA COLLAPSED! They had gone bankrupt. 

After the WHA was done most teams called it quits, but some fought to survive. The ones that didn’t call it quits signed a contract with the other hockey league. Some were drafted, others were not. Some stayed with their teams including Gretzky. The only new change was the people they picked up from the draft, such players being, Mark Messier, Kevin Lowe, Glenn Anderson, and Maxwell Kostovich. Now before I say this amazing achievement, it may not seem like much for a star team but trust me this is a huge achievement. In the nine seasons he played for the Oilers he won The Stanley Cup four out of nine times. The thing all hockey players and I mean ALL want to hold is The Stanley Cup! He got it four out of nine seasons! But he never won it again, after he was traded! 

The trade was asked for and constantly re-asked for by the L.A. Kings owner. Of course, the Oilers owner said, “no", until one day Gretzky was too expensive to keep. He was almost the price of a full team. He wanted a way to keep him in hockey, but not on the Oilers. Then he thought about the trade the Kings wanted. He called the owner and said, “I'll accept your trade offer,” The Kings owner said, “This is impossible no way they just accepted my trade offer!” The Kings practically traded half their team for Wayne. Boy, he did not like it there, after the trade was completed the Oilers fans had protests. Others sent hate videos, some even sent the worst of the worst, death threats. 

Of course, Wayne couldn’t stay in L.A. forever. Shortly after he played with the St. Louis Blues. After a few seasons with them, he moved to New York to play with the Rangers. After that he retired, but that doesn’t mean he had to quit hockey! After that he became head coach and manager of the Phoenix Coyotes. He was head manager of the 2006 winter Olympic games and final torch bearer in the 2010 Olympic winter games. He now owns restaurants and hockey camps. He donates lots to charities and has a big happy family! 

          The End 

Sources 

Ducksters.com 

Who Is Wayne Gretzky 2017 Who Was... 

Hockeyrefrence.com 

King's Ransom, ESPN documentary 

Wikipedia.com  

Thanks to my mom and dad for helping edit!