Wayne Gretzky Essay

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“A good hockey player plays where the puck is, a great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.” “The Great One”, known as Wayne Douglas Gretzky, was born and raised in Brantford, Ontario on January 26, 1961. Gretzky is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League (NHL), all by setting and breaking numerous records. Wayne Gretzky’s status as the greatest hockey player ever as well as one of the most giving athletes in the world has made him a great Canadian. Gretzky’s numerous feats include forty regular-season records, fifteen playoff records, and six All-Star records (Gretzky NHL Records). He’s also a competitor and leader for Canada internationally by winning multiple medals in the World Championship, Canada Cup, and World Cup. Even after retirement, Gretzky continues to be a great Canadian by launching The Wayne Gretzky Foundation as well as giving his time to countless other charitable endeavours. Wayne Gretzky should be considered a great Canadian because many has regarded Gretzky as the greatest hockey player ever in the NHL which made lots of people proud to be Canadian and changed hockey into a Canadian sport. Firstly, ever since Wayne Gretzky was a kid, he played minor hockey at a level far above his peers (Larry Schwartz). When he was six years old, his father, Walter, built a rink in the family's backyard, and it was there that Wayne skated for hours on end, every day, practising his skating, shooting and stick handling and learning everything about the game from his dad (Wayne Gretzky Biography). This shows that ever since Gretzky was a kid, he was committed and devoted to hockey which resulted in such a successful NHL career. Secondly, Despite Gretzky’s unimpressive stature, strength and speed, Gretzky's intelligence and reading of the game were unrivalled. He was adept at dodging checks from opposing

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