Wayne Douglas Gretzky CC, a former Canadian professional ice hockey player who was also a former head coach. From 1979 to 1999, he played for four different teams in the National Hockey League. He is often referred to as “the Great One” and is at the top of the list of greatest hockey players by many players, sportswriters, and the NHL.
Wayne Gretzky quotes can be applied to many aspects of life and we can learn from it in every day life.
You may also like:
Best Tiger Woods Quotes & Inspiration
Lou Holtz Quotes & Inspiration
Let’s look at some of the top Wayne Gretzky quotes that inspire generations to come..
Inspiring Wayne Gretzky Quotes (Handpicked)
1. “As a player, you have one responsibility, to focus yourself and be ready for the game. As a coach, your responsibility is to get 20 guys ready and have them all on the same page. If you can’t get every guy ready every night, you’re going to struggle.“
2. “It doesn’t matter what I think. It doesn’t matter what other people think. You have to get on the ice and participate and play and the best team wins.“
3. “I can remember hockey. It was my life, my passion. It’s what I love the most.”
4. “If you surround yourself with quality people and great friends, the sky’s the limit.”
5. “The day I stop giving is the day I stop receiving. The day I stop learning is the day I stop growing.”
6. “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.”
7. “Only one thing is ever guaranteed, that is that you will definitely not achieve the goal if you don’t take the shot.”
8. “I get a feeling about where a teammate is going to be. A lot of times, I can turn and pass without even looking.”
9. “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.”
10. “No matter who you are, we’re creatures of habit. The better your habits are, the better they will be in -pressure situations.“
11. “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.”
12. “The success of Team Canada got me interested in teaching again which is something I really enjoy doing.“
13. “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.”
14. “Now kids are so focused on team play, and the coaches are so focused on positioning. You can’t change it at the NHL level.“
15. “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.”
16. “If we’re going to change the game it has to start at eight, nine and 10 years old. When we were that age we’d go to the pond or backyard rink and throw a puck on the ice and play five on five, or seven on seven.“
17. “I think that from the time you start playing sports as a child you see that your responsibility to your team is to play the best that you can play as an individual… and yet, not take anything away from being part of a team.”
18. “You get this creativity and this imagination that comes from within, just having fun on the pond.”
19. “Hopefully, they can come up with a compromise that everyone’s happy with because it would be great to see us keep playing hockey.“
20. “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.”
21. “Ninety percent of hockey is mental and the other half is physical.”
22. “A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.”
23. “It’s an honor and a thrill and a privilege just to play in the NHL.”
24. “I think the greatest thing about playing obviously is winning, and you can’t replace that experience with anything.”
25. “By no means could I play at the level of these kids who play in the NHL.”
26. “You’ll never catch me bragging about goals, but I’ll talk all you want about my assists.”
27. “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.”
28. “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.”
29. “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.”
30. “Not doing it is certainly the best way to not getting it.”
31. “You always miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
32. “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.”
33. “That’s the hardest part of this whole process. The best part is picking the players and the worst part is telling basically five players they are not going to play tonight.”
34. “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.“
35. “It’s just amazing how many companies suddenly want you to hold up their products after you’ve held up the Stanley Cup.”
36. “Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy.”
37. “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.”
38. “People in general want to build somebody up and then try to knock them down. They always root for the underdog.”
39. “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.”
40. “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.”
41. “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.”
42. “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.”
43. “My kids are no different than anyone else’s – they tend to disagree with everything I say!”
44. “Most people marry their mother. I married my father.”
45. “I don’t think any one person will ever be bigger than the game.”
46. “You know, I’ve held women and babies and jewels and money, but nothing will ever feel as good as holding that Cup.”
47. “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.”
48. “The highest compliment that you can pay me is to say that I work hard every day.”
Wayne Gretzky: The Greatest Player of The Game
Gretzky’s size and strength were not that impressive but his intelligence was what made him the greatest player of the game. Gretzky’s ability to read the game and to make decisions on the fly was unmatched.
It was his prediction moves that helped him make amazing shots at the right moment. He was so good on the court that the only thing opponents could do was rattle their teeth and watch him score.
He was also regarded as one of the most innovative players in hockey. He always had a surprise for the opposition team. He would always make a spontaneous decision every time he was on the ice. This is what made him such an incredible player.
Gretzky’s ability for improvisation was a highlight at the 1998 Olympics held in Japan. He was an older player at the end of his career and had been overlooked for the captaincy. His unique abilities made him a leader as the series progressed.
