Wayne Gretzky once admitted to drawing mini rinks and studying Bobby Clarke's gameplay to improve his hockey IQ

By Abhishek Dilta

Modified Jul 20, 2024 08:25 GMT

Wayne Gretzky is widely regarded as one of the greatest players ever to skate in the NHL. Mind-boggling stats and long lists of his impressive accomplishments, for example, scoring 894 goals during his magnificent 21-year career, speak volumes about how much he has influenced professional hockey.

In today's NHL landscape, the up-and-coming skaters are inspired by "The Great One," aiming to emulate his success. They study his skills and techniques, eager to walk the same path of greatness that Gretzky carved during his illustrious career.

Wayne Gretzky's impact on the Edmonton Oilers and the NHL was significant, shaping and helping to inspire a more team-oriented approach to the game. Interestingly, Gretzky himself drew inspiration from another player to enhance his hockey intelligence.

In a video posted by Historic Videos on X/Twitter, Gretzky shared a childhood memory where he described his early passion for hockey.

When "The Great One" was just four years old, he would watch hockey games on TV and draw rinks on paper, following the puck's movements without looking at the paper.

"When I was four years old, I used to watch hockey night in Canada. And I would take a piece of paper and draw a rink. And there, without looking at the paper, I watch a hockey game on TV, and I would pick up my pen, follow the puck, and see which part of the ice the puck was in more often than the other side. And I would do it every game," Gretzky said.

"At 14, I moved to Toronto to play Bantam hockey, and I'm thinking, gosh, I was like five, six, and a half and 125 pounds. On the very first practice, this coach had me on the ice, and he said when you go home tonight, the Leafs are playing the Philadelphia Flyers. He said you spend the next month and you watch Bobby Clarke play," he continued.

Wayne Gretzky recalled his early days of learning from his coach, who encouraged him to study the Philadelphia Flyers legendary defenseman Bobby Clarke.

Clarke's unique style of playing from the corner rather than behind the net inspired Gretzky to adopt a similar approach. By observing Clarke's gameplay closely, "The Great One" innovatively used the net as a decoy, avoiding being knocked over in front of the net.

Bobby Clarke was the first centerman who played on the powerplay and played the game over the corner not so much behind the net. And I studied him and watched him and it was new for people that I started playing out of the corner and from behind the net. Because nobody had ever done that before. And I started using the net as a decoy," Gretzky added.

Gretzky humorously reflected on this unique technique, mentioning that by the time his opponents realized his tactics and strategies, he had already retired.

How many cups did Wayne Gretzky have in his career?

Gretzky spent most seasons (9) with the Edmonton Oilers in his 21-year career. During his stint with the Oilers, "The Great One" won four Stanley Cup championships before moving to the LA Kings in the 1988–99 season.

Apart from the most goals (894), Wayne Gretzky also holds the record for the most career assists (1,249), including the most points (2,857) in 1,487 games in NHL history. Moreover, "The Great One" also leads the league with the most career goals (122), assists (260), and points (382) in 208 playoff games.

His career also included stints with the LA Kings, St. Louis Blues, and the New York Rangers, in addition to the Oilers.