Back in 2016, Wayne Gretzky was just getting reacquainted with the NHL. He had stepped down as head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes in 2009 and stayed away from the league for years.

But by late 2016, he was back as the Vice-President and Partner of the Oilers Entertainment Group. And one of his first big duties brought him to a game everyone was talking about.

Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers were heading to Toronto to face Auston Matthews and the Maple Leafs. The Great One himself flew in just to watch.

"All eyes will be on those two kids, there's no question about it," Gretzky said at the time. "That's why I flew in. I'm excited, and I think it's great for our sport."

McDavid and Matthews tried to downplay the matchup publicly. Neither young star wanted to buy into the rivalry talk.

But Gretzky was not falling for it. He had been through his own share of hyped-up one-on-one battles during his career.

"Absolutely, it fires you up. Listen, it's a team game, but individually, you've got pride too, and that's what makes superstars [into] Hall of Famers," Gretzky said. He pointed to his own rivalries with Mario Lemieux and Guy Lafleur as proof.

He believed the best players actually thrive in those moments. "From my perspective, the best athletes want to be in those situations," Gretzky said.

He compared it to some of the greatest rivalries in sports history. "Whether it was Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, or John McEnroe at Wimbledon or Mark Messier in a Game 7. The best athletes accept that responsibility and they don't look at it as pressure. They look at it as fun," he added.

A Decade Later, Gretzky's Prediction Has Come True

Fast forward to today, and Gretzky's words look pretty spot on. McDavid and Matthews have grown into the two faces of the modern NHL.

They both wear the "C" for marquee Canadian franchises. And they are pushing the sport's offensive game to new heights.

McDavid, leading the Edmonton Oilers, is widely recognized as the game's ultimate playmaker. He dictates the pace of play with unmatched speed and vision.

Matthews has carved out his own legacy in Toronto. He stands as the league's preeminent sniper, with a lightning-quick release and a strong two-way game.

The numbers back up the hype. McDavid has piled up an extraordinary 1,174 career points, built on 394 goals and 780 assists.

Matthews has been just as dominant in his own way. He has scored a league-leading 428 goals along with 352 assists for 780 career points.

Together, they are rewriting the scoring benchmarks for an entire generation. Just like Gretzky predicted on that night in 2016, they really did become must-watch hockey.

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Written by

Sahil Prashar

Edited by

Sahil Prashar