“Was Bigger and Better Than I Thought”: Wayne Gretzky Was Once ‘Fascinated’ by Gordie Howe’s Kind Gesture Before Breaking His Idol’s Goal Record (2024)

FAQs

“Was Bigger and Better Than I Thought”: Wayne Gretzky Was Once ‘Fascinated’ by Gordie Howe’s Kind Gesture Before Breaking His Idol’s Goal Record? ›

Elaborating on this, Wayne said, “A lot of times when you meet your idol, you're somewhat taken aback or disappointed. For me, when I met Gordie, he was bigger and better than I thought”. In his encomium for Gordie, Gretzky even expressed his heartfelt gratitude towards his idol.

History was scored into a yawning cage March 23, 1994, Wayne Gretzky snapping his 802nd regular-season goal into a virtually empty net. And just like that, 30 years ago, on a Los Angeles Kings power play 14:47 into the second period, The Great One was the NHL all-time goal-scoring leader.

Leaders. Although he played a record 2,421 professional hockey games, Gordie Howe himself achieved only two "Gordie Howe hat tricks" in his NHL career. The all-time leaders in Gordie Howe hat tricks are Rick Tocchet with 18 and Brendan Shanahan (who would later become the NHL's chief disciplinarian) with 17.

Wayne Gretzky Quotes

When you win, say nothing, when you lose say less. I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been. You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.

Playing on a line with son Mark and Ralph Backstrom, Gordie contributed seven points in seven games at age 46. The Soviets won the series four wins to Canada's one, and with three ties. In the final season of the WHA, Gordie had the opportunity to play with Wayne Gretzky in the 1979 WHA All-Star Game.

He retired following the 1987–88 IHL season. Bill McCreary is most remembered for his open-ice hit on Wayne Gretzky on January 3, 1981. The myth that McCreary never played another shift in the NHL is false – the January 3 game was McCreary's second game in his 12-game NHL career.

Ovechkin needs 54 more goals to surpass Wayne Gretzky (894) as the NHL's all-time scoring leader. If you operate under the assumption that this contract — which expires at the end of the 2025-26 season — is his last, Ovechkin has up to 180 games to catch Gretzky (if he stays healthy).

Wayne Gretzky has gotten the most career hat tricks, with 50 hat tricks.

Gordie Howe (born March 31, 1928, Floral, Saskatchewan, Canada—died June 10, 2016, Toledo, Ohio, U.S.) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who led the Detroit Red Wings to four Stanley Cup championships (1950, 1952, 1954, and 1955) and to seven consecutive first-place regular-season finishes (1949–55) in a ...

Though he did not do much weightlifting, Howe had a physique resembling a bodybuilder's. He had massive shoulders, thick forearms and thick trapezius muscles that made the area from his ears down to the shoulders look like a ski slope. "And one thing people forget about Gordie...he was ambidextrous," MacGregor said.

Who was Wayne Gretzky's hero? ›

Wayne Gretzky's first jersey was No. 9 after his hockey hero, Gordie Howe of the Detroit Red Wings.

The Philosophy of Wayne Gretzky

Gretzky's approach to hockey was built on anticipation, agility, and innovation. He was known for his ability to think several steps ahead, predict movements, and position himself strategically on the ice to make the most impact.

Gretzky is the leading career goal scorer, assist producer and point scorer in NHL history, and has more career assists than any other player has total points. He is the only NHL player to total over 200 points in one season, a feat he accomplished four times.

Six years ago, Wayne Gretzky was seen recalling the time he spent with his idol, Gordie Howe. Gretzky was nothing but grateful for everything that he learned from Howe.

Howe retired after the 1970-71 season with Detroit, took a year off, and then joined his sons on the WHA's Houston Aeros for four seasons. They then became NHL teammates in 1979 when the three joined the Hartford Whalers.

Colleen Howe

Gordie Howe / Wife (m. 1953–2009)

Gordie Howe got his most goals in a season in 1952-53, with 49 scored.

Howe was 52 years old when he scored his 801st and final NHL regular-season goal with the Hartford Whalers against the Detroit Red Wings on April 6, 1980.

He's broken Wayne Gretzky's long-standing record of 31 assists in a single post-season run and is just five points away from the Great One's record of 47 set in the 1985 playoffs.

Gretzky took with him 61 NHL records, including a handful that are truly staggering: single-season marks of 92 goals, 163 assists and 215 points; a point streak of 51 games; 894 career goals and 2,857 career points; 15 seasons of 100 or more points, 13 of them consecutive.