Wayne Gretzky Disappointed With Performance at Alumni Game; Says It May Be His Last.

[USC Trojans]

when you're the greatest player to ever play the game, anything short of perfection will be a disappointment to him.

 

[WesMcCauley]

LOL. I guess even god gets old.

Note to Wayne ... no one cares how you skate in a meaningless old timer's game. They only care that you are out there. You can come out in a bobsled and people will still be awed.

To be honest he isnt that old, but if he doesnt train in the gym or play some sports and stay fit, you get old fast when you turn 50.

 

[oilinblood]

I don't think he realized how much his skills have diminished.

All athletes care about how well they perform; it's the only way for them to improve and motivate themselves. As much as he tries to be modest publicly, he takes pride in the fact that he used to be the best. He used to chase records and view them as challenges for him to overcome. He knew he could accomplish anything if he worked hard for it.

Today, he was hardly noticeable at all -- it was a far cry from the player he used to be, and it seems to have saddened him to see all of that natural talent dissipate.

the thing he doesnt realize...is you have to keep practicing.

he is too prideful to play with guys on a weekly fun basis so he cant even keep his vision or muscle-memory intact. he plays five games a year at a celeb thing he hosts...thats it.

he really needs to ask himself why he allows his pride to get in the way of something he loves.

thats the sad part

ego is in the way of him having fun

he said it in the interview...he plays those 5 games at his camps and wonders why he doesnt play every week. then he thinks of playing with normal guys and being one of them...and he discardss the idea.

pride...ego...


---------------
this is why i love Paul Coffey, Doug Weight etc... just through alumni and charities etc i know they play 10 or so games a year and they are still directly involved with a team on the ice.

Paul says retirement just allows him to finally wear skates that fit LOL (he used to make his feet scream by wearing 3 sizes too small)

 

[clunk]

I could totally believe that he played bad on purpose just so people would stop saying how great he is so he could compliment more people and take the attention off of himself, lol. He's just that kind of guy.

 

[oilinblood]

I could totally believe that he played bad on purpose just so people would stop saying how great he is so he could compliment more people and take the attention off of himself, lol. He's just that kind of guy.

definitely not that kind of guy

 

[ScaredStreit]

Lol if you are Wayne Gretzky you can't just show up to the pickup game and expect to not be bothered.

This. I worked at a hockey camp in my late teens/early 20's and Gretzky sent his kid there on year AND brought him himself. I'd guess the year was 05 or 06? Gretzky was swamped everywhere he went, I remember he couldn't even order a coffee without people bothering him. The kid's uncle picked him up after camp was over because it was that much of a hassle. People couldn't understand and/or didn't care that Gretzky was trying to have father-son time and enjoy themselves before his kid left for the week.

 

[Riddum]

The Great One is the biggest humble/brag and egomaniac in hockey (Rightfully so). His comments don't surprise me at all.

 

[BigEezyE22]

He basically says anything he can to keep himself in the spotlight.

 

[Jarey Curry]

A 55-year old former athlete who probably hasn't trained in more than a decade is now worse than his former teammates, despite being twice as good as any of them during their time together.

Why am I not surprised?

He is still a better player than he realises, it was a reality check and now if there was a alumni series Gretzky would be the one to grow most as the series went on.

 

[ScottyK]

Wahhhyne has always been a cry baby...what a mickey mouse performence that was....way to let everyone down who came to see you. Maybe next time before you cash the check make sure you can still skate.

 

[THall4]

He said on After Hours tonight he might have one more in him.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/hours-wayne-gretzky-dale-hawerchuk/

First question asked by Oake.

I'm pretty sure Gretzky also said the alumni game at the 2003 Heritage Classic was going to be his only one, too. Getting back together with all your old teammates is too much fun to say no to.

Watched that as well.

I believe what he light be referring to is the Oilers planning on hosting another outdoor game soon. My guess is they will host the Flames. That may in fact be the last time we ever see 99 play hockey.

 

[THall4]

Wahhhyne has always been a cry baby...what a mickey mouse performence that was....way to let everyone down who came to see you. Maybe next time before you cash the check make sure you can still skate.

You still salty he called the Devils a Mickey Mouse franchise? that was like 30 years ago man.

 

[PensBandwagonerNo272*]

Wow wait, these guys actually take it serious?

 

[FDBluth]

"When you play in the NHL, you know, playing in the NHL, you get to play with the greatest players and you meet the nicest people and the greatest memories, and there's only one National Hockey League.

When I retired from there, that was it. I can't -- I don't have the same excitement to go play pickup hockey with buddies. I love the game. I love every aspect of the game. But I have no interest to play with guys who were not at my level at one point in time. So I don't play hockey anymore. I play once a year. I love it when I do go out there. But, you know, I'm 56 in two months and, you know, that might have been my -- I'm not doing a roadshow -- that might have been my last game. It's hard now when it's just tough to tie up your laces."

That's kinda weak, Wayne. My mom's over 60 and she bikes at least an hour or two every day. My dad's over 60 and retired and he paints houses 8 hours a day for something to do. I played drop-in hockey with a guy who must have been at least 75 and he still had some spring in his step. 56 is nowhere near too old to make excuses to not be active anymore.

 

[Butch 19]

not one funny joke in this thread and many of you tried

Yeah but he's still better than a 55 year old McDavid


- is not a bad one at all...

 

[Pancakes]

That's kinda weak, Wayne. My mom's over 60 and she bikes at least an hour or two every day. My dad's over 60 and retired and he paints houses 8 hours a day for something to do. I played drop-in hockey with a guy who must have been at least 75 and he still had some spring in his step. 56 is nowhere near too old to make excuses to not be active anymore.

For a guy like Gretzky it is demeaning to play with players who were never anywhere near as good as he was.

I also remember reading an ex NHLer - name slips me at the moment - saying that they played beer league hockey for a while and decided to stop because guys treated playing against him like it was their Stanley Cup playoffs and he said he'd already won one and didn't need that kind of abuse. So that may be a concern for Gretzky as well. Imagine all the goofs out there who would be eager to play hockey with Gretzky and test themselves against him.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

That's kinda weak, Wayne. My mom's over 60 and she bikes at least an hour or two every day. My dad's over 60 and retired and he paints houses 8 hours a day for something to do. I played drop-in hockey with a guy who must have been at least 75 and he still had some spring in his step. 56 is nowhere near too old to make excuses to not be active anymore.

He's an elitist that doesn't want to play with non-nhl'ers to stay in shape. But you know what, when you're the greatest player in history it's probably kind of hard not to be.

 

[FDBluth]

Yeah, I could see that.

I just don't like how he's making it sound like he's an old man now, when many people far older than him are still out and doing things.

 

[Appleyard]

He's an elitist that doesn't want to play with non-nhl'ers to stay in shape. But you know what, when you're the greatest player in history it's probably kind of hard not to be.

He should just move back to Brantford!

There was an interview with Lindros the other year on life after hockey... and he was saying that he was still playing once or twice a week in a Toronto league mainly composed of ex-pros.

When they interviewed him that morning he had been playing on a:

Kypreos -- Lindros -- DiMaio line!

 

[Soundwave]

He was also sick during the game, listen to his post game interview he basically lost his voice

 

[General Zodd]

Greztzy is his own worst critic. Of course his performance is going to drastically slow down. Whose wouldn't? Man I used to be Like Erik Karlsson out there I was that good! In the beer leagues that is! Today many years later I'm more like Luca sbisa and quite bad......

 

[popo]

Gretzky also wasn't impressive at the original Heritage Classic, 13 years ago, in Edmonton. Not a big deal, it is for a good cause and does not tarnish his legacy.

 

[Frank Drebin]

But I have no interest to play with guys who were not at my level at one point in time.

I get it, I totally understand his POV but I can't help feeling slightly offended at this comment. Not sure why.

 

[Butch 19]

Gretzky also wasn't impressive at the original Heritage Classic, 13 years ago, in Edmonton. Not a big deal, it is for a good cause and does not tarnish his legacy.

thanks for clarifying that his legacy will be just fine...

 

[Big Phil]

I mean let's face it, his last year in 1999 his back was so messed up by then and his speed was almost non-existent. He relied on his hockey sense to get by, which was still there of course. So should any of us be surprised that 17 years later at 55 years old he can't dangle or make the no-look pass like he used to? We shouldn't be. Gretzky doesn't need to prove a thing to anybody. We already saw how he played the game. And a reminder again............he's 55.

By the way, I am sure many former athletes felt this way but Joe DiMaggio was one player who never played in old timers baseball games for the same reason. He didn't want people to see his skills diminished.