Wayne continues to be one of the greatest sportsmen of any sport. He's genuinely there for the betterment of the sport and made a lot of his decisions based on that. There's a reason why Edmonton has a street named after him.
"they let me sit on the ice".... words out of the mouth of one of the greatest hockey players to play the game. "they let me"... the humility of that is great.
@@C4duke Jordan presented himself well in interviews, mostly because he's actually pretty shy, but his conduct behind closed doors is notoriously cruel and self-centered.
@@C4duke Jordan was definitely dominant but I don't think he has the same "actually nice person" persona that Gretzky does, or at least not to the same level.
*My favorite quote!!!* 😁❤️ My _second_ favorite quote - “Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy.” - Wayne Gretzky 😉
That was a fun interview. Thought I knew a lot about Wayne. But I Never knew Bobby Clarke had such an impact on Wayne. Tidbit - If Wayne never scored a single goal in the NHL he'd still be the NHL's all-time point leader just via assists. And that boggles the mind. Wayne, always a class act, charitable and one of the humblest men anyone will ever see. Thanks Wayne for all the memories, motivation and inspiration to me and an entire generation. LONG LIVE THE GREAT ONE 99!
There's an interview where he says one of his coaches, after watching him practice for a bit, told him to go home and watch Bobby Clarke and really study what he did. Clearly, a smart guy. Bobby also played down low because he wasn't the biggest guy and he suffered from diabetes but he found the areas where he could control the game. Wayne took that and improved it and became the most dominant hockey player ever.
Once when I was a kid, maybe 10 or 11, Wayne Gretzky was the keynote speaker at this banquet in Toronto, around 3 hours away from where I lived. We weren't well off, living from paycheck to paycheck type family, but my uncle found us tickets. My cousin and I really hoped to get the Great One's autograph, so we brought a few magazines etc with Gretzky on the cover. Not only did he refuse, but he asked security to shoo us away. Im sure that from his point of view we were being pesky kids or we just came at a bad moment, but ever since then, I've always felt let down by Wayne Gretzky. I guess that it's like the old saying goes, never meet your celebrity idols
Had the privilege of watching him in Edmonton. Saw him raise a cup in his last game as an Oiler and his first game back playing for LA. The game back was the loudest I ever heard a crowd, my hands are still sore from clapping. He is a hockey god to me and deserves a constellation. I always said my favorite player was Messier, as Gretzky was just in his own league. I was so lucky to live so close to a team that was so talented and honestly, hockey has never been the same for me. I loved it when they just flew down the ice back and forth and that doesn't happen the same way very often now, which may be why his record will be difficult to beat.
I was a huge NY Ranger fan growing up, but you could not help but love the Oilers. I remember the first thing in the morning wanting to grab the newspaper to see the Oilers Box Score to see how many points Gretzky had. I mean, it was ridiculous. He was so much greater than the next best player. No NHL player will EVER break his records of fastest to 50 goals, or total points. There are many other records he owns...but those two are just insane records that will be impossible to break. The NHL would have to increase their season to be as long as a baseball season for players to get close. Gretzky was probably greater to the sport of hockey than any other athlete was to their respective sport. The "Greatest" is a well deserved title. It was awesome watching the Oilers beat up my NY Rangers. You had to appreciate the skill they displayed on the ice. Gretzky, Messier, Kurri, Anderson, Coffey...etal.
Gretzky was adored by the SNL people.....not because of his sport but due to how he acted around them. Conan remembers. Everyone who worked there remembers.
There was a time early in his career where a big defenseman was lining him up and and was just going to plow him over. Wayne had the puck and purposefully passed the defender the puck and it completely confused him and stopped him in his tracks because he wasn't expecting it. The next thing Wayne did was steal the puck back and skate around him, lol.
@@cherkovision You people are using very basic statistics. It is pretty obvious that if he never scored a goal only being an assist man would take you out of the running for GOAT. It is just what goobers parrot for likes. It is a stupid talking point. If he never scored a goal then he would be the worst goal scorer of all time. Use very basic logic.
@@Onthebrink5 That's why he said "statistically". The point that Gretzky has more assists than anyone else has points is just to emphasize the margin of greatness that he has.
@@danaisallin3346 Funny. :^) But seriously, Gretz's assists were usually just as amazing as his goals, if not more so! I loved the all-star and Team Canada performances, where he just fed the puck to other amazing players (like Lemieux), and the plays were so exquisitely perfect, they were automatic goals.
My Dad took me to see him in Burlington. The thing I saw was the kids he played against were really good players and he'd still get 10 goals. It was amazing to watch. When he stick handled through the other them it was like the puck was glued to the blade of his stick.
Ore, Lefleur and Tretiak? The great one! How about the inside protected, hedgefunder, Alberta deserter! If you were half a man, you would give Alberta back, 50% of your wealth! Without Alberta, ice bodyguards, and fans living under bridges today, who would you be? Weiner!
@@briangall8442 - lol, ask Dennis Potvin or Neel Sheehy or Joel Otto if they tried not to hit Gretzky in the playoffs (while they were trying desperately to win a Stanley Cup) and they’ll all laugh at the question.
@@briangall8442 I saw a video where they talked about Gretzky and how hard it was to land a hit on him because of his hockey sense. There was no fine. Stop the cap! Plus, he had Semenko. Most stars had an enforcer to prevent ugly hits on them... before the crap instigator rules.
It was actually 50 in 39, but it's still impressive. He managed to reach that total the day before New Year's Eve 1981. The fact that he finished that season with 92 is just insane.
Wayne Gretzky was known to people who didn't watch hockey , I didn't watch hockey at all, but I knew who Wayne Gretzky was, what sport he played and why he was The Greatest
AS a 14-year-old, I played against Bobby Clarke in a scrimmage while he was at his peak in the NHL. Clarke was known as a dirty player. He and I became friends. He was kind of like my older brother. Then, we played against each other and we were no longer friends. In the corners he treated me, a 14-year-old, like I was a fellow NHL player and it was the Stanley Cup finals. He hacked me, he speared me, I remember the blade of his stack flying inches past my face. Then, after the game we were back to being friends and he took me for a ride in his Mopar GTX to go and get us a couple popsicles. Bobby left it all on the ice, but when the game was over, he was just a very nice, soft-spoken, shy guy. Clarke taught me about hard work and desire to win. He let nothing stand in his way.
Bobby Clarke had to have his arms tied down during flights because if he fell asleep, he’d dream of fighting, and in his confusion would actually swing at whoever was sitting next to him. True story.
@@wilhelmvg9978 I've heard Bobby had some minor issues related to his diabetes I think, but I don't believe I've heard anything like that. Bobby and mine's big brother-little brother relationship drifted apart once I grew older and we were no longer involved in what was kind of a teacher-student relationship. Full disclosure: We have not stayed in touch abd I think it's possible he may not even remember me, given the tumult and excitement of his career around that time with the Summit Series and the Flyers winning the cup a couple tines. I will add thought that Bobby's off-ice persona was nothing like his on-ice persona. Bobby was and is a very quiet and kind man and I am privileged for once being able to call him my friend.
My favourite player of all time. I grew up in a small town in North Western Ontario and our tv cable provider in 1979 installed a giant satellite dish that got, if I remember the name correctly, the CANCOM signal that gave us the networks BCTV (Vancouver), ITV (Edmonton) CHCH (Hamilton) and a couple of channels with French programming. So, I’m at school and all my buddies are talking about watching ITV the previous night and in particular watching the Edmonton Oilers game…and they’re all talking about this guy named “Gretzky” that was unbelievable!!! I couldn’t wait for the next ITV broadcast of the Oilers (they aired all home and away games) and when it did happen…FAN FOR LIFE!!! I remember watching him score 39 in 50 but was thinking, “What the hell are the Flyers doing??? They are about to become the team that gave Gretz his 50th!!!! Here it comes…!!!”. Side note. Love how Gretzky made the reference to somehow having to get 50 in 38…but he’ll be there to be the first to shake his hand if it happens!!!
Just so people understand how great Gretzky was,in his career he had 2857points. The 2nd player right after him had 1921 points. (Gretzky played 300 fewer games than him) Gretzky has had more assists than anyone ever had points. This is truly insane and will never be touched (considering the goaltenders were garbage in his time too)
The goalies weren't garbage. They did have smaller pads and less protection, but they were exceptional, .....Gretzky was simply ahead of his time,... and that much better than everyone else!
He’s too modest. He avoided getting hit because, while not fast, he was quick and elusive. Grew up watching him as a child, but now so much fun watching video clips of him now that I understand the game better and see what people meant by his “vision”.
While he was an Oiler and King, he had McSorley watching is back too. There was an understanding in the 80s and early 90s that if you went after a star player, there was a guy on the ice whose job it was to make sure you knew the consequences of your actions. Marty also had his own "hockey sense" from playing with the Great One where he would come to the net to pick up Wayne's beautiful assist. The 80s Oilers were truly a marvel of the time.
my favourite athlete of all-time. so humble and just a great person overall. realistically, i don't think anyone will beat his point total in our lifetime.
Love that the kids warned him before hitting him toward the end. The respect they show the elders in hockey has always been great to see. Hope this guy is around for many more years to be an ambassador for the most exciting sport out there.
Being from Southern Ontario myself, Wayne Gretzky is a legend, he's from this neck of the woods in Brantford, ON, just down the 403 from Hamilton and Toronto, he may have never played for the Maple Leafs, but he's a proper Southern Ontarian
Those were the days when i was a kid. Saturday night. Homemade pizza. Family around the tv. Remember? Gretzky, Bossy, Dion, Lafleur, Esposito, Brodeur. Thanks for the nostalgia trip Conan.
I'm not a hockey guy, but I remember hearing Wayne Gretzky's name a lot growing up. People saying he was the greatest hockey player in the world and he was the Michael Jordan of hockey.
The one guy who got Gretzky clean coming over the Blue Line and laid him out was a Toronto Maple Leaf and never played another game after .. make of that what you will
Soccer and hockey sports that do not involve any jumping. Even the worst NBA player is more athletic than Pele and Ali. I don't think you know what the word means. Even an MMA fighter would have taken out Ali in fighting. Athleticism is the whole not the specific.
@@Onthebrink5 no jumping in soccer? Ever seen Cristiano Ronaldo score a header? Ever see Iker Casillas make a diving save? I'd like to see NBA players last 90 minutes on a 120-yard field or 20 minutes of ice time in a Stanley Cup playoff game. No MMA fighter would take out Ali in a regulation boxing match.
@@jsquared1013 WTF are you babbling about? Basketball players have to jump every single time that they shoot. On rebounds. On defending shots. On helping out on defense. Why are the dumbest people the ones that feel the need to chirp? Soccer players almost never need to jump which is why Basketball players vertical is very important. You are a clown.
I say that people who weren’t alive to see Michael Jordan play, have no idea what it was really like. Multiply that x 2 for Gretzky. He was on a completely different planet from everyone before or since. He was so good that it doesn’t even make sense. If he played his prime years in New York, Chicago, or Boston, he’d be better known to the general public but I don’t think any hockey fan doesn’t have him as their GOAT
He got hit but he always had a Dave Semenko type on his team. I love how he gave props to Bobby Clarke. Everybody talks about his goals but he was the greatest setup guy to ever lace up.
I mean, it helps to have enforcers on your team. Everyone in the league knew that if you messed with Gretzky, you would certainly be getting crunched on the boards by Oilers enforcers for the rest of the game, if not the season. There were consequences to threatening the golden goose. :)
The other reason Gretzky didn't get hit a lot was his fearsome winger tough guy Dave Semenko. When Dave wanted to start a scrap he would often say "We need to go for a canoe ride"...few dared to ridicule Dave "cement head" Semenko.
Agreed - Gretzky was a well-known golden goose so all of his teams had enforcers whose main job was to punish people who hit Gretzky. Gretzky got hit and he was in a few fights but if you hurt him, you were going to hurt.
Why saddle him with that albatross? Every year when I was a kid they said "this is the year the Leafs will go all the way." It was never the year. I learned to like the Blue Jays instead.
Another crazy Gretzky fact is when he scored 50 goals in 39 games. What is extra remarkable is that after 37 games he had 41 goals. He had a 4 goal game and then a 5 goal game against the Flyers to hit 50!!!
Gary Suter of the Calgary Flames sure laid him out big time...I think both in Olympics and Regular Season/Playoffs. I'm surprised he never mentions his name, prolly still has nightmares about it.
He absolutely was protected by the league and opponents. A friend was at ice level when Al McInnes had him lined up to pummel into boards. Apparently McInnes looked up, saw Gretzky, eyes went like saucers and peeled off to avoid hitting him. Plus word was out from people hanging around with players off ice.
It's more than an unwritten rule. I wasn't a hockey fan back then (what was wrong with me?!), but every team has a few "enforcers" that will deal with an opposing player if he dares try to hurt their star players. I remember back in the day, the Nashville Predators had Jordin Tootoo. He wasn't a very big guy, but he could seriously mess you up. If he played for your team, you loved him, but if you were the other teams, he was hated.
Any hits attempted on Gretzky we're just half hearted affairs and he could easily avoid them. The hitters we're probably having second thoughts about their actions and having to face a freight train like Mark Messier coming at them. Gretzky was well protected on that Edmonton team!
When Kings were on road trips I followed attendance stats in Hockey News.....home teams usually had 2000 more tickets sales vs the Kings compared to other visiting teams......
Lots of nice facts about Gretzky in the comments, but my favourite is this: pointwise, the most dominant two brothers to play in NHL are Wayne and Brent Gretzky, with 2,857 points by Wayne and 4 points by Brent. If we measure by any number of brothers, they are second only to Sutter family (6 brothers) who have 73 points more than brothers Gretzky.
they knew if they messed him up then they would have to deal with Semenko or McSorley.. Gretzky always had top enforcers making sure the other teams didn't mess with him too much.
Come people let's be real. They were basically shooting pucks in soccer nets. Goalies would stand up right and wear thin padding. Now goalies are like padded up like sumon wrestlers that are athletic and alot bigger to cover more net
Hockey is a game of anticipation so being able to disguise your intentions and being difficult to read is key. Look left... pass right.. Fake pass... shoot 5 hole.. Ect..
Gretzky took fewer games to reach 1000 points than anyone in history. Second place belongs to Gretzky as well, when he scored another 1000 points.
He had the most assists and goals - so he wasn't just a goal scorer, but he was an amazing team player.
Still holds the all-time points record on his assists alone, most insane stat I've ever heard.
With a 100,000 dollar fine for anyone who hit Gummy on the ice!
@@briangall8442 You can't hit what you can't catch. Gretz was playing chess while everyone else was playing checkers.
if you take away all of his goals he is still the all-time points leader 🤯
Wayne continues to be one of the greatest sportsmen of any sport. He's genuinely there for the betterment of the sport and made a lot of his decisions based on that. There's a reason why Edmonton has a street named after him.
and one in Brantford Ontario Canada his hometown
It is Wayne Gretzky Way and it is a Freeway...not just a street. Originally called Capilano Freeway
And now he advertises sports betting to children. Lost all respect for the Wayner.
@@alexstewart9068😂😂😂 That’s such a stupid thing to say.
@@btgkg9639
🤣
"they let me sit on the ice".... words out of the mouth of one of the greatest hockey players to play the game. "they let me"... the humility of that is great.
the great one
I've got a Gretzky Jersey
He's the single most-dominant athlete of any team sport ever, yet talks as if he's your neighborhood mechanic. Such an interesting contrast.
thαnks fσr wαtchíng..
mαkє α nσtє tσ єnσs kєnt вч tєхtíng hím чσu whєrє rєfєrrєd вч mє чσu’ll вє guídєd rєgαrdíng crчptσ ínvєstmєnt вtc/єth skílls………..±𝟏𝟓𝟏𝟎𝟓𝟕𝟓𝟗𝟔𝟑𝟒
lєt hím knσw í sєnt чσu💯…………
Michael Jordan….
@@C4duke Jordan presented himself well in interviews, mostly because he's actually pretty shy, but his conduct behind closed doors is notoriously cruel and self-centered.
@@C4duke Jordan was definitely dominant but I don't think he has the same "actually nice person" persona that Gretzky does, or at least not to the same level.
@@C4duke Jordan was fantastic, no doubt. But no one dominated a sport like Gretzky. He has so many records, it's incredible.
All time points leader and if you take away all his goals he’d still be the all time points leader. Dude was amazing.
Imagine his goal total if he hadn't passed so much.
And he's the all time goals leader
*Ovechkin has enter the chat*
@@BuckarooBanzai333 For goals. Not for points. Not even close. Still...what Ovi is doing is pretty phenomenal.
@@doublestrokeroll yeah total points and 50 in 39 are untouchable
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. - Wayne Gretzky" - Michael Scott
Quote on quote on quote
*My favorite quote!!!* 😁❤️ My _second_ favorite quote -
“Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy.” - Wayne Gretzky 😉
I played with guys who miss 100% of the shots they DO take!
@@jaypritchett6846 oof. that one hits me a little. 😅
That was a fun interview. Thought I knew a lot about Wayne. But I Never knew Bobby Clarke had such an impact on Wayne.
Tidbit - If Wayne never scored a single goal in the NHL he'd still be the NHL's all-time point leader just via assists. And that boggles the mind.
Wayne, always a class act, charitable and one of the humblest men anyone will ever see.
Thanks Wayne for all the memories, motivation and inspiration to me and an entire generation.
LONG LIVE THE GREAT ONE 99!
There's an interview where he says one of his coaches, after watching him practice for a bit, told him to go home and watch Bobby Clarke and really study what he did. Clearly, a smart guy. Bobby also played down low because he wasn't the biggest guy and he suffered from diabetes but he found the areas where he could control the game. Wayne took that and improved it and became the most dominant hockey player ever.
What a guy he is. A true gem. Nice, soft spoken and intelligent.
Booooo
Out of all the superstars in sports Gretzky seems like the most down to earth and the guy you could walk up to and say hi.
Once when I was a kid, maybe 10 or 11, Wayne Gretzky was the keynote speaker at this banquet in Toronto, around 3 hours away from where I lived. We weren't well off, living from paycheck to paycheck type family, but my uncle found us tickets. My cousin and I really hoped to get the Great One's autograph, so we brought a few magazines etc with Gretzky on the cover. Not only did he refuse, but he asked security to shoo us away. Im sure that from his point of view we were being pesky kids or we just came at a bad moment, but ever since then, I've always felt let down by Wayne Gretzky. I guess that it's like the old saying goes, never meet your celebrity idols
you can! Walked past him in Toronto a few years ago said OMG you Gretzky! he said yup want a picture?
Had the privilege of watching him in Edmonton. Saw him raise a cup in his last game as an Oiler and his first game back playing for LA. The game back was the loudest I ever heard a crowd, my hands are still sore from clapping. He is a hockey god to me and deserves a constellation. I always said my favorite player was Messier, as Gretzky was just in his own league. I was so lucky to live so close to a team that was so talented and honestly, hockey has never been the same for me. I loved it when they just flew down the ice back and forth and that doesn't happen the same way very often now, which may be why his record will be difficult to beat.
🍻 from Edmonton
@@ezgezg8618 Red Deer 💜
@@22Energies 🍻🍻
I was a huge NY Ranger fan growing up, but you could not help but love the Oilers. I remember the first thing in the morning wanting to grab the newspaper to see the Oilers Box Score to see how many points Gretzky had. I mean, it was ridiculous. He was so much greater than the next best player. No NHL player will EVER break his records of fastest to 50 goals, or total points. There are many other records he owns...but those two are just insane records that will be impossible to break. The NHL would have to increase their season to be as long as a baseball season for players to get close. Gretzky was probably greater to the sport of hockey than any other athlete was to their respective sport. The "Greatest" is a well deserved title. It was awesome watching the Oilers beat up my NY Rangers. You had to appreciate the skill they displayed on the ice. Gretzky, Messier, Kurri, Anderson, Coffey...etal.
50 goals in 38 games is a record that will never be beaten.
You can tell Conan prepared for this interview. Unlike the Lenos and Fallons of this world who just shows up to play games. We'll miss you Conan.
Oh did he retire
@@Scorpio7500 from late night. He's doing his podcast now and something coming out on HBO in the near future
Gretzky was adored by the SNL people.....not because of his sport but due to how he acted around them. Conan remembers. Everyone who worked there remembers.
Leno never played games with guests. Get educated.
Leno >>> Conan
There was a time early in his career where a big defenseman was lining him up and and was just going to plow him over. Wayne had the puck and purposefully passed the defender the puck and it completely confused him and stopped him in his tracks because he wasn't expecting it. The next thing Wayne did was steal the puck back and skate around him, lol.
I love how even if Gretzky had never scored a single goal, he would still statistically be the greatest in history
Uhhhhhhh…….
@@007Hutchings Gretzky has more assists than any other player has goals + assists combined.
Yeah. He had more assists than Howe had goals AND assists.
@@cherkovision You people are using very basic statistics. It is pretty obvious that if he never scored a goal only being an assist man would take you out of the running for GOAT. It is just what goobers parrot for likes. It is a stupid talking point. If he never scored a goal then he would be the worst goal scorer of all time. Use very basic logic.
@@Onthebrink5 That's why he said "statistically". The point that Gretzky has more assists than anyone else has points is just to emphasize the margin of greatness that he has.
love when the greats give it up to the guys who were the greats to them. love the respect in hockey
My cousin played against Wayne Gretzky in a bantam tournament. Gretzky's team won 12-1--and he scored 11 goals.
I guess that's why they called him 'The Great One'
Shocking! Shocking that another player actually managed to score a goal while Gretzky was on the ice.
Gretzky probably got the assist
@@danaisallin3346 Funny. :^) But seriously, Gretz's assists were usually just as amazing as his goals, if not more so! I loved the all-star and Team Canada performances, where he just fed the puck to other amazing players (like Lemieux), and the plays were so exquisitely perfect, they were automatic goals.
My Dad took me to see him in Burlington. The thing I saw was the kids he played against were really good players and he'd still get 10 goals. It was amazing to watch. When he stick handled through the other them it was like the puck was glued to the blade of his stick.
Gretz was the reason I'm a hockey fan and an LA Kings fan. His influence on the sport and in the US will never be touched.
As a Bruins fan, I remember that it was really hard to watch guys try to hit Gretzky, and hated it for a whole decade. He is the greatest.
thαnks fσr wαtchíng..
mαkє α nσtє tσ єnσs kєnt вч tєхtíng hím чσu whєrє rєfєrrєd вч mє чσu’ll вє guídєd rєgαrdíng crчptσ ínvєstmєnt вtc/єth skílls………..±𝟏𝟓𝟏𝟎𝟓𝟕𝟓𝟗𝟔𝟑𝟒
lєt hím knσw í sєnt чσu💯…………
A hundred thousand dollar, silent fine if you checked Gretzky! Isn't that right, Wayne! Bobby Ore never had that convenience, did he?
Ore, Lefleur and Tretiak? The great one! How about the inside protected, hedgefunder, Alberta deserter! If you were half a man, you would give Alberta back, 50% of your wealth! Without Alberta, ice bodyguards, and fans living under bridges today, who would you be? Weiner!
@@briangall8442 - lol, ask Dennis Potvin or Neel Sheehy or Joel Otto if they tried not to hit Gretzky in the playoffs (while they were trying desperately to win a Stanley Cup) and they’ll all laugh at the question.
@@briangall8442 I saw a video where they talked about Gretzky and how hard it was to land a hit on him because of his hockey sense. There was no fine. Stop the cap! Plus, he had Semenko. Most stars had an enforcer to prevent ugly hits on them... before the crap instigator rules.
I was just trying to explain how good Wayne Gretzky was; "50 goals in 38 games is a lot of goals" ya, exactly.
It was actually 50 in 39, but it's still impressive. He managed to reach that total the day before New Year's Eve 1981. The fact that he finished that season with 92 is just insane.
@@bluebear1985 Wayne meant that to beat his record a new player would have to score 50 in 38. Give it another listen.
Wayne Gretzky was known to people who didn't watch hockey , I didn't watch hockey at all, but I knew who Wayne Gretzky was, what sport he played and why he was The Greatest
If people who don't know anything about hockey have heard of Wayne Gretzky.
The shout out to Bobby Clark is fantastic
AS a 14-year-old, I played against Bobby Clarke in a scrimmage while he was at his peak in the NHL. Clarke was known as a dirty player. He and I became friends. He was kind of like my older brother. Then, we played against each other and we were no longer friends. In the corners he treated me, a 14-year-old, like I was a fellow NHL player and it was the Stanley Cup finals. He hacked me, he speared me, I remember the blade of his stack flying inches past my face. Then, after the game we were back to being friends and he took me for a ride in his Mopar GTX to go and get us a couple popsicles. Bobby left it all on the ice, but when the game was over, he was just a very nice, soft-spoken, shy guy. Clarke taught me about hard work and desire to win. He let nothing stand in his way.
thαnks fσr wαtchíng..
mαkє α nσtє tσ єnσs kєnt вч tєхtíng hím чσu whєrє rєfєrrєd вч mє чσu’ll вє guídєd rєgαrdíng crчptσ ínvєstmєnt вtc/єth skílls………..±𝟏𝟓𝟏𝟎𝟓𝟕𝟓𝟗𝟔𝟑𝟒
lєt hím knσw í sєnt чσu💯…………
Yeah sorry that sounds...psychotic.
@@aluisious That was perhaps the most important lesson anyone ever taught me.
Bobby Clarke had to have his arms tied down during flights because if he fell asleep, he’d dream of fighting, and in his confusion would actually swing at whoever was sitting next to him.
True story.
@@wilhelmvg9978 I've heard Bobby had some minor issues related to his diabetes I think, but I don't believe I've heard anything like that. Bobby and mine's big brother-little brother relationship drifted apart once I grew older and we were no longer involved in what was kind of a teacher-student relationship. Full disclosure: We have not stayed in touch abd I think it's possible he may not even remember me, given the tumult and excitement of his career around that time with the Summit Series and the Flyers winning the cup a couple tines.
I will add thought that Bobby's off-ice persona was nothing like his on-ice persona. Bobby was and is a very quiet and kind man and I am privileged for once being able to call him my friend.
My favourite player of all time. I grew up in a small town in North Western Ontario and our tv cable provider in 1979 installed a giant satellite dish that got, if I remember the name correctly, the CANCOM signal that gave us the networks BCTV (Vancouver), ITV (Edmonton) CHCH (Hamilton) and a couple of channels with French programming. So, I’m at school and all my buddies are talking about watching ITV the previous night and in particular watching the Edmonton Oilers game…and they’re all talking about this guy named “Gretzky” that was unbelievable!!! I couldn’t wait for the next ITV broadcast of the Oilers (they aired all home and away games) and when it did happen…FAN FOR LIFE!!! I remember watching him score 39 in 50 but was thinking, “What the hell are the Flyers doing??? They are about to become the team that gave Gretz his 50th!!!! Here it comes…!!!”.
Side note. Love how Gretzky made the reference to somehow having to get 50 in 38…but he’ll be there to be the first to shake his hand if it happens!!!
Just so people understand how great Gretzky was,in his career he had 2857points.
The 2nd player right after him had 1921 points. (Gretzky played 300 fewer games than him)
Gretzky has had more assists than anyone ever had points.
This is truly insane and will never be touched (considering the goaltenders were garbage in his time too)
thαnks fσr wαtchíng..
mαkє α nσtє tσ єnσs kєnt вч tєхtíng hím чσu whєrє rєfєrrєd вч mє чσu’ll вє guídєd rєgαrdíng crчptσ ínvєstmєnt вtc/єth skílls………..±𝟏𝟓𝟏𝟎𝟓𝟕𝟓𝟗𝟔𝟑𝟒
lєt hím knσw í sєnt чσu💯…………
Roy and Brodeur?
The goalies weren't garbage. They did have smaller pads and less protection, but they were exceptional, .....Gretzky was simply ahead of his time,... and that much better than everyone else!
Goalies were smaller and no butterfly technique. He was amazing but those facts made him seem that much better than other greats
Take away every goal he scored and he’s still the all time points leader. Insane.
I like how he doesn't disrespect the players who came after him like a lot of great athletes do, classy man. Nothing but respect for him.
Always a Canadian hero we love you Grez
Two legends , both first class in their own league
You're talking about Wayne and Andy right?
thαnks fσr wαtchíng..
mαkє α nσtє tσ єnσs kєnt вч tєхtíng hím чσu whєrє rєfєrrєd вч mє чσu’ll вє guídєd rєgαrdíng crчptσ ínvєstmєnt вtc/єth skílls………..±𝟏𝟓𝟏𝟎𝟓𝟕𝟓𝟗𝟔𝟑𝟒
lєt hím knσw í sєnt чσu💯…………
@@colesmith7754 AHA! Conan is king
What a gem this guy is to the world really. We need more like him.
LOL LOL LOL
not really, if you have more of him then he would become average
He’s too modest. He avoided getting hit because, while not fast, he was quick and elusive. Grew up watching him as a child, but now so much fun watching video clips of him now that I understand the game better and see what people meant by his “vision”.
He used the expression "Hockey sense." He had great peripheral vision. I saw a video of him as a child; and credits coaching from age 14. Amazing.
While he was an Oiler and King, he had McSorley watching is back too. There was an understanding in the 80s and early 90s that if you went after a star player, there was a guy on the ice whose job it was to make sure you knew the consequences of your actions. Marty also had his own "hockey sense" from playing with the Great One where he would come to the net to pick up Wayne's beautiful assist. The 80s Oilers were truly a marvel of the time.
He was actually quite fast, not the fastest, but quite fast... but obviously his "hockey sense" made him great.
@@desyncer don’t forget cementhead Dave Semenko. U did do this sh$t like today running Eichel. U would pay!
@@johnj8069who cares if he's the fastest when he's the greatest?
I’m pretty sure that 92 goal season is untouchable lol
unlikely for sure but I think the single season 200 + point seasons will be much harder than that.
my favourite athlete of all-time. so humble and just a great person overall. realistically, i don't think anyone will beat his point total in our lifetime.
Wayne’s father was the most down to earth man.Regular Bell Telephone worker.Loved by everyone.
Not the fastest player, not the biggest player, but the smartest player ever.
It’s a hard thing to coach, Anticipation. He could read plays like no one else.
Bruce Hood, an NHL referee said, "Gretzky seemed to know what other players were going to do before they even knew themselves."
Love that the kids warned him before hitting him toward the end. The respect they show the elders in hockey has always been great to see. Hope this guy is around for many more years to be an ambassador for the most exciting sport out there.
Wayne Gretzky couldn’t be SNEEZED at without a penalty being called
2:06: He meant to say; "made this team of 10 year olds at 5 years old"
What a great person to represent hockey & Ontario, Canada 🇨🇦
Thanks for all the memories 99 he truly IS the Great One 👏🏼
"I'm not that great" casually mentions how he played with 10 year olds as a 5 year old.
Being from Southern Ontario myself, Wayne Gretzky is a legend, he's from this neck of the woods in Brantford, ON, just down the 403 from Hamilton and Toronto, he may have never played for the Maple Leafs, but he's a proper Southern Ontarian
thαnks fσr wαtchíng..
mαkє α nσtє tσ єnσs kєnt вч tєхtíng hím чσu whєrє rєfєrrєd вч mє чσu’ll вє guídєd rєgαrdíng crчptσ ínvєstmєnt вtc/єth skílls………..±𝟏𝟓𝟏𝟎𝟓𝟕𝟓𝟗𝟔𝟑𝟒
lєt hím knσw í sєnt чσu💯…………
When I was a kid in that area playing on my neighbors frozen pond I always thought "I'll be the next Gretzky."
I was terrible at hockey 😂
@@aluisious It's like going to Hollywood thinking that you'll be an Oscar Winning actor
@@coastaku1954 Yep, it happens, but it's rare.
who has lived in the states for almost 40 yrs give me a break
Wow I never knew Bobby Clark was his biggest influence being a Flyers fan
I read somewhere that Bobby Clark once said to a referee, "Hurry up and drop the puck. They didn't come here to see you. They came here to see us."
The numbers are mind-boggling!
LEGEND! This man is the reason I started skating as a kid. I fell in LOVE with Hockey because of this man!
This is a really great interview, great insight into his game.
“Look out Wayne here I come” in Conan’s Old Timey Baseball voice. 😆
Those were the days when i was a kid. Saturday night. Homemade pizza. Family around the tv. Remember? Gretzky, Bossy, Dion, Lafleur, Esposito, Brodeur. Thanks for the nostalgia trip Conan.
Are we talking Kraft pizza kit in the orange box?
I think hockey players are the most nice out of all sports
The all time most dangerous offensive player to ever hit the ice.
I only met Wayne a handful of times, but man did I ever know his dad.. (Brantford Resident)
Gretzky was so good that he even set a record after he had ended his career 👑
I'm not a hockey guy, but I remember hearing Wayne Gretzky's name a lot growing up. People saying he was the greatest hockey player in the world and he was the Michael Jordan of hockey.
Some would say that Michael Jordan was the Wayne Gretzky of basketball.
Some would say hockey is the Micheal Jordan of basketball.
@@DR-sv8ke I think Conan is the basketball of talk show hosts
@@DR-sv8ke Some would say Michael hockey is the Wayne basketball of Jordan.
You silly mfs
The one guy who got Gretzky clean coming over the Blue Line and laid him out was a Toronto Maple Leaf and never played another game after .. make of that what you will
The man is pure class... easily on my Mount Rushmore of 20th century athletes... with Ali Pele and Jordan ...
Soccer and hockey sports that do not involve any jumping. Even the worst NBA player is more athletic than Pele and Ali. I don't think you know what the word means. Even an MMA fighter would have taken out Ali in fighting. Athleticism is the whole not the specific.
@@Onthebrink5 no jumping in soccer? Ever seen Cristiano Ronaldo score a header? Ever see Iker Casillas make a diving save? I'd like to see NBA players last 90 minutes on a 120-yard field or 20 minutes of ice time in a Stanley Cup playoff game. No MMA fighter would take out Ali in a regulation boxing match.
@@jsquared1013 WTF are you babbling about? Basketball players have to jump every single time that they shoot. On rebounds. On defending shots. On helping out on defense. Why are the dumbest people the ones that feel the need to chirp? Soccer players almost never need to jump which is why Basketball players vertical is very important. You are a clown.
I hung out with Wayne a few times. He is a super nice, down to earth dude. So was his dad Walt.
Wayne learned his style from bobby clarke??!??! First time I’ve heard this. I always wondered where Wayne got his violent streak from!
Yes, Every game Wayne gave the back of the opposing goalies net a savage beating. 😊
A total legend. And a retired gentleman full of well spoken words..
Greatest of all time in all team sports.
Imagine if there was a last dance documentary for Gretzky last yr in Edmonton
I say that people who weren’t alive to see Michael Jordan play, have no idea what it was really like. Multiply that x 2 for Gretzky. He was on a completely different planet from everyone before or since. He was so good that it doesn’t even make sense. If he played his prime years in New York, Chicago, or Boston, he’d be better known to the general public but I don’t think any hockey fan doesn’t have him as their GOAT
Thats respect. Gretzky single handedly (almost) made hockey more profitable for everybody. Dont hurt the guy that is making everybody rich
Ovi is gonna break his goal record and I hope wayne gets to travel with the team as soon as ovi is in the final stretch
thαnks fσr wαtchíng..
mαkє α nσtє tσ єnσs kєnt вч tєхtíng hím чσu whєrє rєfєrrєd вч mє чσu’ll вє guídєd rєgαrdíng crчptσ ínvєstmєnt вtc/єth skílls………..±𝟏𝟓𝟏𝟎𝟓𝟕𝟓𝟗𝟔𝟑𝟒
lєt hím knσw í sєnt чσu💯…………
He'll be drafted to Ukraine soon. LoL
@@sid7088 And you? What unnecessary war is murrica in?
@@dreamawake2670 war on drugs?
If he does, he doesn’t deserve it. He’s spoon fed all those goals… 😒
He stands in one spot on the ice, waiting for someone to pass him the puck.
He got hit but he always had a Dave Semenko type on his team. I love how he gave props to Bobby Clarke. Everybody talks about his goals but he was the greatest setup guy to ever lace up.
Lotta folks that wanted to give Gretz a go in the mid-80s found themselves "going for a canoe ride," as Cementhead would call it.....
Yeah, Gretz feeding Jari Kurri's one-timers.
Living legend.
Imagine you are about to break a Gretzky record and there HE is, ringside, center ice, waiting to shake your hand...no pressure though.
Glad he acknowledged the great Bobby Clarke as influencing his game.
They tried. Wayne was slippery.
thαnks fσr wαtchíng..
mαkє α nσtє tσ єnσs kєnt вч tєхtíng hím чσu whєrє rєfєrrєd вч mє чσu’ll вє guídєd rєgαrdíng crчptσ ínvєstmєnt вtc/єth skílls………..±𝟏𝟓𝟏𝟎𝟓𝟕𝟓𝟗𝟔𝟑𝟒
lєt hím knσw í sєnt чσu💯…………
I mean, it helps to have enforcers on your team. Everyone in the league knew that if you messed with Gretzky, you would certainly be getting crunched on the boards by Oilers enforcers for the rest of the game, if not the season. There were consequences to threatening the golden goose. :)
Conan's cranium is Macy's parade size in this clip.
The other reason Gretzky didn't get hit a lot was his fearsome winger tough guy Dave Semenko. When Dave wanted to start a scrap he would often say "We need to go for a canoe ride"...few dared to ridicule Dave "cement head" Semenko.
Agreed - Gretzky was a well-known golden goose so all of his teams had enforcers whose main job was to punish people who hit Gretzky. Gretzky got hit and he was in a few fights but if you hurt him, you were going to hurt.
42 years old and always wished he became a Maple Leaf. Just lucky we had the pleasure to watch the greatest ever play
Why saddle him with that albatross? Every year when I was a kid they said "this is the year the Leafs will go all the way." It was never the year. I learned to like the Blue Jays instead.
He tried. Leafs leadership wouldnt have him so he went to NY instead. Sad really. He shoulda been a Leaf.
@@matthiasamaderro6102 I do remember something of that sort. Been dumb forever
Another crazy Gretzky fact is when he scored 50 goals in 39 games. What is extra remarkable is that after 37 games he had 41 goals. He had a 4 goal game and then a 5 goal game against the Flyers to hit 50!!!
What a fantastic compliment to Bobby Clarke.
" LOOK OUT WAYNE, HERE I COME "....😂😂
Gary Suter of the Calgary Flames sure laid him out big time...I think both in Olympics and Regular Season/Playoffs. I'm surprised he never mentions his name, prolly still has nightmares about it.
All the great hockey guys are just like this, humble, normal and nice. The lesser hockey players tend to be the jerks.
*Totally agree!!!* They need to take a lesson!!! 😒
Wayne Gretzky , Dan Akroyd, Geddy Lee
Class
Professionalism
Canadian 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
He absolutely was protected by the league and opponents. A friend was at ice level when Al McInnes had him lined up to pummel into boards. Apparently McInnes looked up, saw Gretzky, eyes went like saucers and peeled off to avoid hitting him. Plus word was out from people hanging around with players off ice.
It's more than an unwritten rule. I wasn't a hockey fan back then (what was wrong with me?!), but every team has a few "enforcers" that will deal with an opposing player if he dares try to hurt their star players. I remember back in the day, the Nashville Predators had Jordin Tootoo. He wasn't a very big guy, but he could seriously mess you up. If he played for your team, you loved him, but if you were the other teams, he was hated.
Never will anyone score 92 goals unless they turn hockey nets into soccer nets
Yup lol
Any hits attempted on Gretzky we're just half hearted affairs and he could easily avoid them. The hitters we're probably having second thoughts about their actions and having to face a freight train like Mark Messier coming at them. Gretzky was well protected on that Edmonton team!
Don't forget McSorley. That was pretty much his entire job.
215 points in a single season - unbreakable
Now I know why Michelangelo made a reference of Wayne to Casey Jones in the original TMNT movie
I'm 36 years old and that will forever be one of my favorite movies. I still have a copy on Blu-ray. Raphael was the man.
I love how much this guy still loves the greatest game on earth.
"They let me sit on the ice" ... hockey royalty has the humility to say that.
Humility is one reason why he is so great.
When Kings were on road trips I followed attendance stats in Hockey News.....home teams usually had 2000 more tickets sales vs the Kings compared to other visiting teams......
Legend.
Lots of nice facts about Gretzky in the comments, but my favourite is this: pointwise, the most dominant two brothers to play in NHL are Wayne and Brent Gretzky, with 2,857 points by Wayne and 4 points by Brent. If we measure by any number of brothers, they are second only to Sutter family (6 brothers) who have 73 points more than brothers Gretzky.
they knew if they messed him up then they would have to deal with Semenko or McSorley.. Gretzky always had top enforcers making sure the other teams didn't mess with him too much.
Semenko and McSorley
Enforces yes
Top enforces no
3:45 foreshadowing Connor Bedard lol
Wayne is a class act...like his Dad.
Somewhere Bobby Clark is grinning watching this.
I remember when Isles goalie Billy Smith used to whack Gretzky with his stick every chance he got.
I met his father Wally, apple tree. Classy gentlemen,
GOAT of GOATS
Man of high talent and wisdom. The public better open their ears.
That jacket button is making a better save on Gretzky than any netminder he faced.
Classy guy.
Great interview. Love how humble Gretz answered everything.
Come people let's be real. They were basically shooting pucks in soccer nets. Goalies would stand up right and wear thin padding. Now goalies are like padded up like sumon wrestlers that are athletic and alot bigger to cover more net
Still the greatest ever!!
Hockey is a game of anticipation so being able to disguise your intentions and being difficult to read is key.
Look left... pass right..
Fake pass... shoot 5 hole..
Ect..
Great interview
Smartest player ever, which made him the best ever.