Sometimes people ask, ‘Are hockey fights real?’ I say, ‘If they weren’t, I’d get in more of them.
WAYNE GRETZKYBy 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.
More Wayne Gretzky Quotes
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In one sense we are a favorite because we won a gold medal in 2002.
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The greatest thing about playing obviously is winning, and you can’t replace that experience with anything.
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I can’t remember the last time I went to a game and there was a fight. I think they fight more in baseball now than they do in hockey.
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At the end of the day everybody lost. We almost crippled our industry. It was very disappointing what happened.
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It’s kind of ironic when I broke in at 17, I was told I was too small, too slow and I wouldn’t make the NHL.
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The biggest difference between L.A. and Edmonton was that instead of people looking at me I was looking at them.
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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.
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I think the Americans are ready to play, they want to beat us. I think that players like Chris Chelios and his leadership over there goes a long way.
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I think a lot of parents live their lives through the kids. Because they didn’t make it [achieve something], they want their kids to make it. It puts a lot of undue pressure on the kids.
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Eight days ago, we were the toast of the town. Eight days later we’re Thanksgiving turkeys.
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The game is played out of instinct, but everyone on the ice has habits – good and bad. So the key to the game is to exploit the bad habits of your opponent.
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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.
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I love everything about hockey.
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You’ll never catch me bragging about goals, but I’ll talk all you want about my assists.
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What you want to do with your best players is, it doesn’t matter how many goals and assists they get, but when they get goals and assists. The best players get them at the most important times, and that’s when we need those guys to come through.
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It’s easier to lose than to win.
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When people come up to me and say, “I was at your Game 7 in the playoffs in Toronto,” or, “I saw your first goal in the NHL,” that triggers memories. But I don’t sit around my kitchen table and tell my kids, “You know, one year I got 92 goals.”
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I really wanted to write a book [99: Stories of the Game] on the tradition and history of the league, where kids can pick it up and read it and learn things and say, “Geez, I didn’t know that. That’s pretty cool.”
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One of the key qualities that you need to be a great hockey player is fantastic anticipation and feel for the game – if you know where the puck is going before it is hit, that is half the battle.
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I grew up such a fan. It was my life. Everything I did was hockey related and everything I have is because of hockey and the NHL.
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Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy.
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We feel fortunate [with Canada hockey team]. We have got a lot of guys who love to play, but they also love to win even more. We are pretty happy. Although we are young, we like our group of players.
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You know, I’ve held women and babies and jewels and money, but nothing will ever feel as good as holding that Cup.
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Growing up, I was always the small guy.
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He brings something special. I don’t know what it is, but if you ask him, you couldn’t understand his answer.
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It’s just amazing how many companies suddenly want you to hold up their products after you’ve held up the Stanley Cup.
WAYNE GRETZKY