Wayne Gretzky had almost coached superstar Patrik Kane — Wayne Gretzky had almost coached superstar Patrick Kane. Source: IMAGO

Wayne Gretzky narrates the untold story of Patrick Kane almost being drafted into now-defunct NHL franchise

Modified Nov 07, 2024 12:57 GMT

NHL legend Wayne Gretzky served as the Phoenix Coyotes coach of the then-active team from 2005 to 2009. Unbeknownst to many, the Great One had almost coached superstar Patrick Kane while he coached the Coyotes.

During an appearance on Wednesday’s episode of "NHL on TNT," Gretzky shared an unusual story from the 2007 NHL Draft about a mix-up involving Kane. Gretzky spoke about how the draft lottery results were being announced over the phone that year.

“Not a lot of people know this, but in '07 when he got drafted, they had the lottery, and they did it by telephone. And the guy actually said on the telephone, 'The first pick goes to the Phoenix Coyotes.' And he goes, 'Oh, I got it wrong. It's the Chicago Blackhawks.’”

The person calling out the results mistakenly declared that the Phoenix Coyotes had won the first pick, which would give them the chance to draft the top player that year: Patrick Kane. The caller quickly corrected himself, realizing it was actually the Chicago Blackhawks who had won the first pick.

The panel even humorously likened the situation to comedian Steve Harvey’s famous Miss Universe mix-up, where Harvey mistakenly announced the wrong winner. Gretzky insisted that the caller’s slip-up was an honest mistake.

“Patrick Kane became a generational player, obviously. But it was one of those things. It was just an honest mistake. The guy misread the ball, thought it said the Coyotes, and it was the Blackhawks,” he said.

Kane, meanwhile, went on to have a stellar career in Chicago. He scored 446 goals and recorded 779 assists in 1,161 games for the Blackhawks until signing with the Detroit Red Wings in 2023.

Wayne Gretzky attended Donald Trump’s private party with family

This week, Wayne Gretzky, his wife Janet, their daughter Paulina, and son Trevor attended Donald Trump’s election night gathering at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. Paulina shared a group photo from the event on her Instagram, which also featured her husband, pro golfer Dustin Johnson.

The exclusive gathering saw notable guests like Tesla CEO Elon Musk, UFC President Dana White, and pro golfer Bryson DeChambeau attend the event. Trevor Gretzky was seen wearing a red "Make America Great Again" cap on the night.

After Trump’s win, Janet Gretzky shared a congratulatory message on her Instagram account. She wrote:

“Congratulations Mr. President Donald J Trump ♥️🤍💙🇺🇸 You did it, You deserved it , you earned every bit of it . The world is a better place to have you as our Leader , Proud to be an American . Thank you for being such a great friend . May God keep watching over you ♥️🙏🏻♥️ Love our family to yours !”

Alongside the message, she also shared a reel compilation of her family’s time with Trump. The video included snapshots from the election night gathering at Mar-a-Lago, as well as throwback photos of Gretzky and Trump golfing together.