Jun 21, 2019; Vancouver, BC, Canada; Wayne Gretzky on stage as Philip Broberg is selected as the number eight overall pick to the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 21, 2019; Vancouver, BC, Canada; Wayne Gretzky on stage as Philip Broberg is selected as the number eight overall pick to the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports
Before Wayne Gretzky went on to become the greatest player in NHL history, he was just a kid in Brantford, Ontario, dreaming of a baseball career.
In February 2017, he made an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show, and Gretzky revealed that hockey was not his first love and that if he were given the choice, he would have traded the ice for baseball without hesitation.
"My favorite sport, believe it or not, was baseball," Gretzky told Patrick. "I wanted to be a Major League Baseball player."
Gretzky grew up in southern Ontario. He lived close enough to Detroit to listen to the Tigers' games on the radio. He explained how he used to tune in late at night to follow the St. Louis Cardinals because the Cardinals played in the Central time zone. Their games were always an hour behind local time.
"I used to listen to Jack Buck on the radio because we got their station in my hometown," he said. "The great thing about the Cardinals was they were an hour behind, so they came on at 8:30. So, when I usually went to bed around 7:30, 8 o'clock, I listened to the Cardinal game on the radio and fell asleep."
1987; Landover, MD, USA; Edmonton Oilers Wayne Gretzky. Mandatory Credit: Porter Binks/USA TODAY NETWORK
1987; Landover, MD, USA; Edmonton Oilers Wayne Gretzky. Mandatory Credit: Porter Binks/USA TODAY NETWORK
Baseball was not the only sport he dreamed of; Gretzky also played box lacrosse and admitted that he dreamed of competing for Canada in Olympic distance running events. That included the 1,500 meters and the marathon. But he ended up in hockey, as his father Walter kept reminding him that was where his future lay.
"I had all these aspirations, and my dad kept kind of clipping me over the head, saying, 'You know you're a hockey player,'" Gretzky said.
By the time he was 14 or 15, Gretzky had reached the same conclusion as his father. For him, hockey offered the easiest path to a professional career.
"I would have taken baseball all day long. I would have loved to have been the shortstop for the Detroit Tigers," he said.
Gretzky's long-standing legacy on the Ice
Wayne Gretzky played across 20 NHL seasons with the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues, and New York Rangers. He made a total of 894 goals and 1,963 assists and held a record of 2,857 career points.
His record also includes four Stanley Cups, nine Hart Trophies as league MVP, and 10 Art Ross Trophies; he stood as the NHL's leading scorer.
When he retired in 1999, the Hockey Hall of Fame inducted him immediately, giving him the recognition he deserved for his impact on the sport.
Decades after his playing career, Gretzky is still one of hockey's most visible ambassadors. He is now an analyst who attends league events and continues to promote all the games.
Read more at NHL Fan Central!
Written by
Aadhya Nalla
Edited by
Ankita Yadav