I never got a chance in person to see Wayne Gretzky play in an Oilers jersey. The first time was when he was playing along Mark Messier in a Rangers jersey. As a life-long, Oilers fan, let’s just say I was very emotional. Anyone who knows anything about me knows I am a HUGE Oilers fan. I was introduced to hockey during the Oiler dynasty years.
I can’t think of a better time to fall in love with the Game. So when I found out that The Great One was going to be the guest speaker at the RDC scholarship breakfast, I was floored. I was prepared to fight the sports guys for the assignment. Fortunately the guys were more than happy to let me have my wish.
We were told Gretzky wouldn’t be giving media interviews. That didn’t stop us! (I think he may have been annoyed that we were so persistence). Anyway before we made the magic happen, I shook his hand and he winked at me. (I am not making this up!)
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| Lots of media from Red Deer, Calgary and Edmonton took part in the media scrum. I asked the first lame question about education and the final about how often he laces up his skates. We also asked questions about grassroots hockey, the Iginla trade and random stuff. Some kid crawled under the scrum to do gawd knows what. Weird. Gretzky is still The Great One for many people. |
All of the money raised from the event went to fund athletic scholarships at the college. This was the biggest event in the college’s history. Who would have thought Wayne Gretzky would speak in Red Deer?
Below is my story for the Red Deer Advocate published on Friday March 29:
GRETZKY SPEAKS AND RED DEER LISTENS
BY CRYSTAL RHYNO
Wayne Gretzky is used to breaking records.
So there is little doubt that The Great One broke another at the 10th annual Red Deer College Kings & Queens Scholarship Breakfast at Westerner Park on Thursday.
Gretzky, with a little help from St. Louis Blues sportscaster and former NHL tough guy Kelly Chase, gave a hockey-crazed crowd an inside look into Gretzky’s playing days, with some locker room talk, some trash talk and insight into his prolific 20-season career.
Keith Hansen, RDC’s director of athletics, said this was the most successful scholarship breakfast in college history.
“Honestly, I don’t know if I have ever enjoyed a morning as I did this one,” said Hansen. “I would say it was a wonderful event. … What can you say about Wayne Gretzky and Kelly Chase? They were absolutely outstanding.”
Hansen said more than 60 per cent of the student-athletes are receiving academic awards this year.
More than 1,400 people jammed into the Parkland Pavilion to hear National Hockey League royalty talk hockey. The event tally will be released sometime next week.
But Hansen did say that $350,000 worth of donations to the Athletic Leadership Fund. Money raised from the event will go into funding student athletic scholarships.
“You can probably understand why I say this was one of the best mornings I had,” said Hansen.
RED DEER
The Hockey Hall of Famer told the crowd he always knows when he is in Red Deer.
“Half the city wears blue and the other half wears red,” laughed Gretzky.
Joking about the city’s divide on NHL hockey teams — the Edmonton Oilers or the Calgary Flames — Gretzky said he has fond memories of practising with the Oilers in Red Deer. He also noted one of the NHL’s best coaches, Mike Babcock of the Detroit Red Wings, coached at Red Deer College.
This was Gretzky’s first time speaking in Red Deer but he is no stranger to talking about his Oiler glory days and his playing career. Gretzky played for four NHL teams in his career — the Oilers, the L.A. Kings, the St. Louis Blues and the New York Rangers.
“It’s easy for me to come and enjoy myself and talk hockey because I could talk hockey all day long,” he said.
Twenty-five years ago in August, Gretzky was traded to the L.A. Kings, sending shock waves through Oil Country.
IGINLA
Gretzky touched on the Jarome Iginla trade announced on Thursday. He called the tremendous rivalry between the Flames and the Oilers one of “mutual respect and hatred” during his playing days.
Gretzky said it is not easy being traded, especially for someone who is as beloved as Iginla is in Calgary. For the first bit, it may be a bit of a culture shock.
But he will get to look down the bench to see “(Sidney) Crosby and (Evgeni) Malkin and that will make life pretty good for him.”
“I never imagined not being an Edmonton Oiler,” said Gretzky. “I’m sure people felt Jarome would be a lifer with the City of Calgary. But listen, there’s a business side of sports. It’s probably going to be a good deal for the Calgary Flames and a good deal for Jarome. Unfortunately, the people who suffer are real true fans. That’s just the way sports is.”
The former Oiler and Chase received an unexpected standing ovation at the Flame game at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Wednesday night.
While Gretzky only admits to hitting the ice once for four days a year during his hockey camp, the Brantford, Ont., native says hockey is still in his blood.
“It’s the greatest game in the world and I got a chance to play in the NHL,” said Gretzky. “I got a chance to play with and against the greatest players. But I am not good anymore.
FUTURE IN NHL
Because I am not as good as I used to be (my passion) has gone out of it a little bit. The love for the game is still there. I wish I could still play but unfortunately I am not as good as I used to be.”
A return behind the bench isn’t likely on the horizon either. Gretzky coached the Phoenix Coyotes from 2005 to 2009. He said he was selfish as a player and now he’s selfish about spending time with his family. Gretzky watches as many games as he can on television, including the odd Oiler game.
Gretzky says he really likes what he sees on the Oilers bench with young talent in the right city at the right time.
“The fans will be patient with them,” he said. “They saw us go through as young guys. The fans will be patient with them. It’s going to be a really good team but it’s just going to take some time. They are young guys right now.”
Excellent article…, even though it "wasn't supposed to happen." 🙂
The Oilers glory days were definitely the highlight in my hockey watching days. When he was traded, I felt very betrayed, not agreeing with the business aspects of the best sport out there. Since then I whenever I see a game, it's usually compared to that hockey in my mind.
Thanks for beating out the guys for getting this interview with the Great One,
Bob.