Wayne Gretzky is one of the greatest hockey players of all time. His career began with a simple dream to become a professional hockey player. In 1958, at the age of fifteen years, Wayne signed a three-year contract with the Indianapolis Capitols of the World Hockey Association (WHA).
Wayne started playing for his hometown team, the Brantford Akromes in Ontario, in 1959 and was immediately noticed by Stan Mikita and Fred Shero, who were scouts for the Detroit Red Wings. He joined them in 1960, where he started playing for their farm team, the Springfield Indians.
In 1961, Wayne tried to make a comeback with Brantford Akromes, but it was not possible due to his departure from Detroit. He played for the Edmonton Oilers for 20 seasons, scoring more than 3,000 points in that time. His final season was 1995-96 when he won the Stanley Cup as captain of the Dallas Stars.
Find out what the most inspiring quotes of your favorite entrepreneur have to say and draw motivation from them.
59 Inspiring Wayne Gretzky Quotes To Achieve Your Goals
“If you surround yourself with quality people and great friends, the sky’s the limit.”
“The day I stop giving is the day I stop receiving. The day I stop learning is the day I stop growing. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
“No matter who you are, we’re creatures of habit. The better your habits are, the better they will be in pressure situations.”
“Only one thing is ever guaranteed, that is that you will definitely not achieve the goal if you don’t take the shot.”
“I’m not a big risk-taker. I stay away from things I don’t know anything about.”
“When you’re playing an exhibition, you’re kind of letting everyone get an opportunity.”
“The highest compliment that you can pay me is to say that I work hard every day, that I never dog it.”
“Growing up, I was always the small guy.”
“It’s easier to lose than to win.”
“You always miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
“Skating alone is an art. Doing it on a substance? I don’t know. That’s got to be tough.”
“Competitive spirit is still at a premium. The more you win, the better you play, the more money you make, so they all have that in mind.”
“The highest compliment that you can pay me is to say that I work hard every day, that I never dog it.
“Not doing it is certainly the best way to not getting it.”
“By no means could I play at the level of these kids who play in the NHL now but as 50-year-olds go, I feel really good and I feel blessed that I’m still healthy.”
“You’ll never catch me bragging about goals, but I’ll talk all you want about my assists.”
“He works harder than any athlete I’ve ever been around as far as off-season conditioning goes. He’s a maniac . . . I see him playing another three years no question. He could be our ( Julio ) Franco .”
“Hockey is a unique sport in the sense that you need each and every guy helping each other and pulling in the same direction to be successful.”
“A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.”
“You know, I’ve held women and babies and jewels and money, but nothing will ever feel as good as holding that Cup.”
“Maybe it wasn’t the talent the Lord gave me – maybe it was the passion.”
“It’s an honor and a thrill and a privilege just to play in the NHL.”
“I knew at a young age, whether I was playing baseball or hockey or lacrosse, that my teammates were counting on me, whether it be to strike the last batter out in a baseball game or score a big goal in a hockey game.”
“I’m probably the only guy in hockey who can win a scoring title and everybody is saying I had a bad year. I don’t worry about it.”
“The only way a kid is going to practice is if it’s total fun for him… and it was for me.”
“Ninety percent of hockey is mental and the other half is physical.”
“When I was 5 and playing against 11-year-olds, who were bigger, stronger, faster, I just had to figure out a way to play with them.”
“The only way a kid is going to practice is if it’s total fun for him… and it was for me.”
“The highest compliment that you can pay me is to say that I work hard every day.”
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
“I think the greatest thing about playing obviously is winning, and you can’t replace that experience with anything.”
“The only way a kid is going to practice is if it’s total fun for him – and it was for me.”
“My kids are no different than anyone else’s – they tend to disagree with everything I say!”
“People in general want to build somebody up and then try to knock them down. They always root for the underdog.”
“I think sports for kids is the greatest thing in the world because it teaches you how to share, about winning and losing and pressure.”
“Most people marry their mother. I married my father.”
“Everything I did in hockey, I worked for.”
“It’s a big game, it’s on Hockey Night in Canada and he’s been outstanding all year.”
“Maybe it wasn’t the talent the Lord gave me -maybe it was the passion.”
“I wasn’t naturally gifted in terms of size and speed; everything I did in hockey I worked for, and that’s the way I’ll be as a coach.”
“…But I don’t think you should force your kid to become a professional athlete.”
“Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy.”
“I just like to keep my money in the bank; I’m not a big risk-taker. I don’t know anything about the stock market. I stay away from things I don’t know anything about.”
“There’s no perfect coach in the world. Coaches are human, too. Mistakes are made. But, fundamentally, if you’re sound, you eliminate as many mistakes as possible.”
“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.”
“It’s just amazing how many companies suddenly want you to hold up their products after you’ve held up the Stanley Cup.”
“Listen, everything I have in my life is because of the NHL and because of hockey, and I love the game and I loved every minute of being a player, I loved coaching, I loved being involved in the NHL.”
“I couldn’t beat people with my strength; I don’t have a hard shot; I’m not the quickest skater in the league. My eyes and my mind have to do most of the work.”
“There is so much parity in the game, there are so many teams that are stronger, and it is much tougher to get 400 wins now. There is such a fine line between winning and losing, so to accomplish something like that in this era is pretty special.”
“I can remember hockey. It was my life, my passion. It’s what I love the most.”
“If I bet on sports ? I would never embarrass Team Canada or the country or hockey ? I would phone (NHL commissioner) Gary Bettman and Bob Nicholson right now and say you know what, I resign, it’s over, even if I made a $1 bet.”
“It really doesn’t matter or concern me what people are saying or who thinks who is the favorite. The bottom line is you have to play.”
“I get a feeling about where a teammate is going to be. A lot of times, I can turn and pass without even looking.”
“He brings something special. I don’t know what it is, but if you ask him, you couldn’t understand his answer.”
“I don’t think any one person will ever be bigger than the game.”
“I don’t like my hockey sticks touching other sticks, and I don’t like them crossing one another, and I kind of have them hidden in the corner. I put baby powder on the ends. I think it’s essentially a matter of taking care of what takes care of you.”
“I love everything about hockey.”
“I will say it one more time, I said it the other night, I didn’t bet, it didn’t happen, it’s not going to happen, it hasn’t happened, it’s not something that I’ve done.”
