Here is an ultimate collection of the 200+ best Wayne Gretzky quotes you need to know.
Wayne Gretzky is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Wayne is the greatest hockey player who played for Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues and the New York Rangers during his long career.
Below are some motivational Wayne Gretzky quotes that will inspire you to not give up even if the people surrounding you think negatively about you.
Table of Contents
Best Wayne Gretzky quotes of all time
“When your leading goal scorer and your best player has 15 goals, you’ve got to play airtight. When we play airtight, we’re a tough team to play against. When we believe that we can throw pucks in the middle, backhand passes, plays like that – and it’s not one guy, it’s a group effort – then we’re in trouble.” – Wayne Gretzky
“Yes, Sidney Crosby. He’s the best player I’ve seen since Mario (Lemieux).” – Wayne Gretzky
“We’re going to get a lot of calls over the next four weeks. Obviously, we’ll listen.” – Wayne Gretzky
“We’ve got an uphill battle, but nobody’s going to quit.” – Wayne Gretzky
“Obviously, you feel bad. It’s a situation that obviously concerns the organization at this point, so other than that, hopefully things work out.” – Wayne Gretzky
“My hat goes off to both of them. It was a heavyweight fight on both sides. … I didn’t think it was going to end.” – Wayne Gretzky
“His records speak for themselves. He’s a consummate professional.” – Wayne Gretzky
“He just has to get off to the kind of start that he’s capable of and it’s as simple as that.” – Wayne Gretzky
“I will say it one more time, I said it the other night, I didn’t bet, it didn’t happen, it’s not going to happen, it hasn’t happened, it’s not something that I’ve done.” – Wayne Gretzky
“We need toughness. We’re not tough enough. It is a simple fact.” – Wayne Gretzky
“We’ve been working with our defensemen that when they get the puck, don’t look to pass, but take it to the net and try to score.” – Wayne Gretzky
“When Mess came in to the league from the WHA at 17 he was kind of raw.” – Wayne Gretzky
“We’ve got a long way to go, let’s be honest. We know we’ve got an uphill battle, but nobody’s going to quit.” – Wayne Gretzky
“What records show are consistency, and that’s what he’s shown in his career. When a guy gets that many wins it’s from a lot of effort and a lot of hard work and a lot of hours. I know the players tonight wanted him to get this at home.” – Wayne Gretzky
“We need to get guys re-energized and refocused. This should be the greatest week of their lives … they should be having fun.” – Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky motivational quotes
“The last uniform was unique. And it was so different from any other team in the National Hockey League. But this one is very much of a classic look. We wanted to make it something kids would want to wear and minor hockey league teams across North America would want to wear.” – Wayne Gretzky
“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.” – Wayne Gretzky
“The last year I was playing, I asked the stick boy to get me a Diet Coke and he said, “Really?” But I always had one on the bench because that’s what I did in 1979 when there wasn’t Gatorade. If you needed energy you went and got a Snickers or a Kit Kat. Nobody knew any better.” – Wayne Gretzky
“The only shot I ALWAYS miss, is the one I don’t take!” – Wayne Gretzky
“We’re in a tough situation because of teenage children, and then we have a 2-year-old and a 5-year-old, so my family and my responsibilities is sort of a juggle.” – Wayne Gretzky
“When I played in a 21-team league, there were six or seven goalies who were just average, and the equipment and pads were smaller. I came in the right era. I played for the right team. It was all speed, and creativity and imagination.” – Wayne Gretzky
“You miss the ball you do not hit 100%” – Wayne Gretzky
“The 2002 (Olympic) team was a great team, we won the gold medal, they deserved all the accolades that they got. But this team seems to have a little more depth and maybe a little more talent to pick from. So it makes the job of picking the right 23 guys even more difficult.” – Wayne Gretzky
“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.” – Wayne Gretzky
“Gordie Howe and Bobby Hull and Jean Béliveau probably looked at us in the ’80s and said, “These guys are soft. We used to take the train.” – Wayne Gretzky
“Good players skate to the puck. Great players skate to where the puck is going to be.” – Wayne Gretzky
“You miss 100 percent of the selfies you never make.” – Wayne Gretzky
“Most players go where the puck is. I go where the puck will be.” – Wayne Gretzky
“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.” – Wayne Gretzky
“I wasn’t a great skater and I needed my skates to be perfect – really tight around the ankles. But I couldn’t break in new ones because my feet would hurt so much. I wore a size 9 shoe and a 6.5 skate – my foot was really crunched.” – Wayne Gretzky
“It looked like he cheated a little to his glove side, which left his stick side a little bit open. We talked about it a little bit on the bench. Usually we don’t talk about it but this time we did.”
“It was a hard fought game, our guys played a tough game. They’re a team that plays really hard and our guys really came to work tonight.” – Wayne Gretzky
“I’m really glad they’re taking steps to clean it out of the sport.” – Wayne Gretzky
“I’m really excited about the team we’ve put together in the last 12 months, … We’ve added speed, skill and character, and I really believe we’re going to be a good team.” – Wayne Gretzky
“I’m thrilled to be sort of back in the hot seat.” – Wayne Gretzky
“I like how hard this team played (on the trip) and how unselfish it was. . . . We’re playing as a group and that’s most important. The outcomes have been better because we’re playing better as a group.” – Wayne Gretzky
“I’m just too tired mentally and physically to talk any more about it. There’s nothing more for me to talk about. And if you have questions for people involved, contact them.” – Wayne Gretzky
“I’m truly honored to be the first person to appear on the Campbell’s Soup can. I intend to score a lot of points this year to help the Rangers and to feed the hungry.” – Wayne Gretzky
“But you know it’s time to move forward. We will invite him to our training camp. He’s an elite player and I expect him to have a great year and be part of Team Canada come February in Italy.” – Wayne Gretzky
“He’s a nice young man. We just feel at this point in time maybe he needs a change, maybe he needs a new venue.” – Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky inspirational quotes
“We didn’t get into it, other than she was concerned about Rick and she felt that it was a tough situation for him and that she would sit down at some point and answer questions that everybody has for her and be her own person.” – Wayne Gretzky
“Todd feels worse about what happened than anybody, … He has been punished and served his time.” – Wayne Gretzky
“What records show is consistency, and that’s what he’s been in his career. He’s been a professional and been liked with every team he’s been with.” – Wayne Gretzky
“We got a little bit lucky. It’s hard to keep all of your good, young defensemen. He’s a tremendous young man who works hard every single game, every single practice. He never cheats in one drill, and that’s how he plays.” – Wayne Gretzky
“This one kind of came out of nowhere. We’ve got a big battle on our hands coming up. I don’t really have a lot of words on this one. He’s got a great attitude right now.” – Wayne Gretzky
“Blake takes a nice shot, and I think that changed the momentum of the hockey game. We just couldn’t find our way back into it.” – Wayne Gretzky
“Every game is a stepping stone to getting to the final game. We had a really good first period and all of a sudden the tide turned.” – Wayne Gretzky
“As I said seven days ago, it doesn’t involve me. I’m not involved. I’ve said it for seven days, it’s over and done with.” – Wayne Gretzky
“At the end of the day, everybody lost. We almost crippled our industry. It was very disappointing what happened.” – Wayne Gretzky
“There’s going to be a lot of good unrestricted free-agent defensemen (available) this summer. We’re in the game for those guys now. We have the opportunity to bring in some impact players.” – Wayne Gretzky
“There’s no bubble for Stevie Y. If he’s not playing great, and his knee is bothering him, he’d be the first guy to tell me.” – Wayne Gretzky
“The tough part now is that we’re in a different situation than we were in 2002. We just missed one full season and I know there’s probably some concerns from owners, probably more in the United States, in the sense of getting started again and trying to build that enthusiasm for the National Hockey League again and then having to shut it down for 17 days.” – Wayne Gretzky
“The success of Team Canada got me interested in teaching again which is something I really enjoy doing.” – Wayne Gretzky
“Ballard’s hit tonight was a tremendous hit. I haven’t seen that in hockey in 30 years, a hip check like that. We’ve got to keep believing what we’re trying to accomplish here and stay within ourselves, not get too emotionally excited and not get too down, simple as that.” – Wayne Gretzky
“It’s a big game, it’s on Hockey Night in Canada and he’s been outstanding all year.” – Wayne Gretzky
“It’s not my call. You have to ask those guys. I’m retired. You’re asking the wrong guy. I would tell you honestly I couldn’t play with a visor. But that doesn’t mean I have all the answers.” – Wayne Gretzky
“It’s always a tough situation when a great player has to retire. He’s meant so much to not only the National Hockey League, but the city of Pittsburgh and that franchise. You don’t replace players like Mario Lemieux. He’s a great hockey player and a good person. The game will miss him.” – Wayne Gretzky
“It’s nice to see that line going. It takes a lot of pressure off the whole team when you have a line that can be that strong.” – Wayne Gretzky
“It’s not a question of shutting him (Thornton) down. It’s a question of playing against him hard and our guys have played against him hard, and we played against him hard.” – Wayne Gretzky
“The ball is a little bit in his court. We want to keep him. He?s a consummate pro and a wonderful man.” – Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky quotes on leadership & coaching
“He was an exceptional leader who was unselfish, hardworking and dedicated. He truly loved the game. He was the best player I ever played with.” – Wayne Gretzky
“In our game, every now and then we get very lucky that we get a true superstar, great team leader and great person — and he’s that guy.” – Wayne Gretzky
“You are not a leader until you have developed another leader who has developed a leader.” – Wayne Gretzky
“My answer is, why not? … It’s what I love, it’s what I know. Glen Sather was the best coach that I had and what made him good was his confidence in what he did. I believe that I’m going to be a good coach.” – Wayne Gretzky
“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.” – Wayne Gretzky
“I’m not going anywhere. I’m still going to coach the Phoenix Coyotes. I’ve done nothing wrong.” – Wayne Gretzky
“I watched him and how much he enjoyed it. His success was probably a factor on my wanting to be a coach.” – Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky quotes on NHL
“At the end of the day everybody lost. We almost crippled our industry. It was very disappointing what happened.” – Wayne Gretzky
“If I had to pick three players to start a franchise, I’d choose Hasek, Peter Forsberg and Eric Lindros.” – Wayne Gretzky
“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.” – Wayne Gretzky
“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.” – Wayne Gretzky
“If I bet on sports ? I would never embarrass Team Canada or the country or hockey ? I would phone (NHL commissioner) Gary Bettman and Bob Nicholson right now and say you know what, I resign, it’s over, even if I made a $1 bet.” – Wayne Gretzky
“I’ll be honest with you, when I was 22, 23, 24, I never thought I’d be a coach in the NHL. But I’m excited about the challenge . . . . The last couple of weeks I’ve been following my son’s baseball team around and I kind of got the itch to coach, as silly as that sounds.” – Wayne Gretzky
“I’m glad the NHL has finally stepped in and put him back in the game and reinstated him.” – Wayne Gretzky
“It is kind of ironic how when I broke into professional hockey at 17 I was told that I was too small, and too slow, and that I wouldn’t make it to the NHL. And now it has flip-flopped.” – Wayne Gretzky
“I don’t know what the record is for scoring the fastest goal on your first shift, but that’s got to be up there. That’s a great way to start your NHL career.” – Wayne Gretzky
“If this is not decided in the next few days, I’m scared we could be looking at a year, a year and a half, two years, not just three months like a lot of people thought in September. From April to October, the players don’t get paid, so I can’t see us coming to an agreement in August or September. If we don’t find a way to make everyone who is part of this sort of happy and get a deal done, we could be looking at a long, long time before hockey is played in the NHL and that’s very alarming too. I hope in the next couple of weeks we can come to an agreement.” – Wayne Gretzky
“It’s an honour and a thrill and a privilege just to play in the NHL.” – Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky quotes on winning
“In one sense we are a favorite because we won a gold medal in 2002.” – Wayne Gretzky
“Lifting the Stanley Cup for the first time. There’s nothing like it. It’s the greatest story. In my era, they used to say you couldn’t be a superstar without winning one. I remember thinking when I lifted it: “Now they can’t say that about me.” – Wayne Gretzky
“Let me tell you, if Luongo doesn’t play the way he did in the Czech game, we don’t win the World Cup. It’s as simple as that. And we now know what a guy like him can do.” – Wayne Gretzky
“We played hard tonight. Curtis made some big saves. We played well and deserved to win. But, the Kings did play last night. That’s just scheduling. We were more rested than the home team.” – Wayne Gretzky
“We know that this country wants gold and nothing else is good enough. That’s the expectation for Canada when it comes to hockey and we know that. We aren’t kidding ourselves. We know we have to win the gold. We don’t have anything else on our minds.” – Wayne Gretzky
“When you’re playing, there’s nothing like it, … You know you can go out there and affect the outcome of the game each and every night. Now the effect I can have on the game is very different, but the passion I have to help this team win is still the same I had as a player.” – Wayne Gretzky
“We definitely need to win some people back. We hope we can reach out to people as best we can.” – Wayne Gretzky
“There is so much parity in the game, there are so many teams that are stronger, and it is much tougher to get 400 wins now. There is such a fine line between winning and losing, so to accomplish something like that in this era is pretty special.” – Wayne Gretzky
“This team seems to be more talented. Whether we win or not though remains to be seen.” – Wayne Gretzky
“What records show are consistency, and that’s what he’s shown in his career. When a guy gets that many wins it’s from a lot of effort and a lot of hard work and a lot of hours. I know the players tonight wanted him to get this at home.” – Wayne Gretzky
“They played like a team that was desperate to win and we played like a team that was standing around. Not battling and taking penalties. You win and lose as a group. No question tonight it’s a total team effort as far as the loss went. We had no battle and had no fight.” – Wayne Gretzky
“In a lot of ways he reminds me of ( Mark ) Messier . He’s solid. He’s hard. He just wants to win.” – Wayne Gretzky
“Their goaltender made some key saves in the second period. If not for that, we could have been tied up.” – Wayne Gretzky
“That second goal sort of broke our back. Lenny probably would like to have that one back and keep it a 1-0 game. The intensity level from their team was a lot higher tonight than when we played them a few weeks ago in Phoenix.” – Wayne Gretzky
“It’s the easiest thing in the game of hockey, and I was a player, that you always turn back and try to blame the goaltender. There’s no excuse there. Curtis will be fine. It’s not Curtis’ fault that we got beat 8-4.” – Wayne Gretzky
“We didn’t have a very good first period to say the least. Then Johnson’s goal was a big goal. That was a big sort of turning point for us in the hockey game to be able to come in after the first period only down 2-1.” – Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky quotes on hockey
“The biggest difference between L.A. and Edmonton was that instead of people looking at me I was looking at them.” – Wayne Gretzky
“And people who know me would tell you that away from hockey I’m really not that competitive.” – Wayne Gretzky
“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.” – Wayne Gretzky
“Everything I did in hockey, I worked for.” – Wayne Gretzky
“I can remember hockey. It was my life, my passion. It’s what I love the most.” – Wayne Gretzky
“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.” – Wayne Gretzky
“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.” – Wayne Gretzky
“Sometimes people ask, ‘Are hockey fights real?’ I say, ‘If they weren’t, I’d get in more of them.” – Wayne Gretzky
“I heard people say, ‘Why would he want to do this?’ My answer is ‘Why not?’ It is what I love. It’s what I know.” – Wayne Gretzky
“One hundred percent of shots not taken don’t go in.” – Wayne Gretzky
“People talk about skating, puck handling and shooting, but the whole sport is angles and caroms, forgetting the straight direction the puck is going, calculating where it will be directed, factoring in all the interruptions. Basically, my whole game is angles.” – Wayne Gretzky
“I played everything. I played lacrosse, baseball, hockey, soccer, track and field. I was a big believer that you played hockey in the winter and when the season was over you hung up your skates and you played something else.” – Wayne Gretzky
“Hullie’s a lot like a garbage can. You step on the pedal with your foot and the top opens up.” – Wayne Gretzky
“When I broke into professional hockey at 17 I was told that I was too small and too slow and I wouldn’t make the NHL. Now it’s kind of flip-flopped and the sense is I can’t be a good coach because I was a great athlete.” – Wayne Gretzky
“Eight days ago, we were the toast of the town. Eight days later we’re Thanksgiving turkeys.” – Wayne Gretzky
“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.” – Wayne Gretzky
“Hockey is my life. I love every minute of it.” – Wayne Gretzky
“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.” – Wayne Gretzky
“My best friend had a hockey scholarship at Ohio State, so I would get a couple of pairs at the beginning of the season and send them down to him. They practised two hours a day. He’d skate in them for three weeks then ship them back.” – Wayne Gretzky
“Kids don’t fight in minor hockey anymore. There’s very few fights in junior and college hockey. So growing up, all these guys are not fighting.” – Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky quotes on teamwork
“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.” – Wayne Gretzky
“I’m very proud of our NHL players. I think they all handle themselves extremely well and they all work really hard.” – Wayne Gretzky
“Look at guys like Larry Bird and George Brett and John McEnroe; that’s what they did in their careers. They all wanted to be the guy under the microscope late in the game or late in the match. So you just take on that know-how that that’s part of your responsibility, and you learn that’s what makes it exciting. That’s what makes it fun!” – Wayne Gretzky
“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.” – Wayne Gretzky
“I miss all the shots I don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky
“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.” – Wayne Gretzky
“But in my mind, I don’t think there’s any question Sidney Crosby is the best all-around player in the game. His hockey sense is so strong and so solid, combined with his God-gifted talent of being able to see the ice, see the entire picture in front of him. And, most importantly, I don’t care how good you are, if you don’t have a work ethic, it doesn’t matter. There’s no question that each and every game, he’s one of the hardest-working guys on the ice. In my mind, he’s the best player in the game today.” – Wayne Gretzky
“I’m not sure Mario is going to get accolades he deserves, especially from outside the game. But from within, the players, the people who follow closely, realize exactly what he’s brought to the table, exactly what he has done. People tend to forget… hockey was dying in Pittsburgh before he got there. I played there. It was almost dead. I’m sorry, but the NHL would not have a franchise in Pittsburgh today had Mario not come along. Think about it, no hockey in Pittsburgh.” – Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky quotes on success
“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.” – Wayne Gretzky
“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.” – Wayne Gretzky
“Skating alone is an art. Doing it on a substance? I don’t know. That’s got to be tough.” – Wayne Gretzky
“A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.” – Wayne Gretzky
“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.” – Wayne Gretzky
“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.” – Wayne Gretzky
“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.” – Wayne Gretzky
“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
“When you’re playing an exhibition, you’re kind of letting everyone get an opportunity.” – Wayne Gretzky
“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.” – Wayne Gretzky
“Ninety percent of hockey is mental and the other half is physical.” – Wayne Gretzky
“By 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.” – Wayne Gretzky
“It’s an honor and a thrill and a privilege just to play in the NHL.” – Wayne Gretzky
“I love everything about hockey.” – Wayne Gretzky
“I get a feeling about where a teammate is going to be. A lot of times, I can turn and pass without even looking.” – Wayne Gretzky
“I don’t think any one person will ever be bigger than the game.” – Wayne Gretzky
“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.” – Wayne Gretzky
“I just like to keep my money in the bank; I’m not a big risk-taker. I don’t know anything about the stock market. I stay away from things I don’t know anything about.” – Wayne Gretzky
“I think the greatest thing about playing obviously is winning, and you can’t replace that experience with anything.” – Wayne Gretzky
“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.” – Wayne Gretzky
“You know, I’ve held women and babies and jewels and money, but nothing will ever feel as good as holding that Cup.” – Wayne Gretzky
“People in general want to build somebody up and then try to knock them down. They always root for the underdog.” – Wayne Gretzky
“You’ll never catch me bragging about goals, but I’ll talk all you want about my assists.” – Wayne Gretzky
“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.” – Wayne Gretzky
“You always miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky quotes on goals
“When you win, say nothing, when you lose say less.” – Wayne Gretzky
“Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy.” – Wayne Gretzky
“The highest compliment that you can pay me is to say that I work hard every day, that I never dog it.” – Wayne Gretzky
“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.” – Wayne Gretzky
“Most people marry their mother. I married my father.” – Wayne Gretzky
“I’m not a big risk-taker. I stay away from things I don’t know anything about.” – Wayne Gretzky
“I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.” – Wayne Gretzky
“The only way a kid is going to practice is if it’s total fun for him… and it was for me.” – Wayne Gretzky
“Only one thing is ever guaranteed, that is that you will definitely not achieve the goal if you don’t take the shot.” – Wayne Gretzky
“No matter who you are, we’re creatures of habit. The better your habits are, the better they will be in pressure situations.” – Wayne Gretzky
“Maybe it wasn’t the talent the Lord gave me – maybe it was the passion.” – Wayne Gretzky
“The day I stop giving is the day I stop receiving. The day I stop learning is the day I stop growing. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” – Wayne Gretzky
“If you surround yourself with quality people and great friends, the sky’s the limit.” – Wayne Gretzky
“It’s easier to lose than to win.” – Wayne Gretzky
“Not doing it is certainly the best way to not getting it.” – Wayne Gretzky
“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.” – Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky quotes on life
“He brings something special. I don’t know what it is, but if you ask him, you couldn’t understand his answer.” – Wayne Gretzky
“…But I don’t think you should force your kid to become a professional athlete.” – Wayne Gretzky
“The Power of WHO provides great lessons about how to succeed in business and in life. If you surround yourself with quality people and great friends, the sky’s the limit.” – Wayne Gretzky
“I get a lot of parents coming up to me, telling me they are grooming their kids to be professional athletes. I’m really against that. I think it’s a great life, and yeah, you can lead them in that direction. I think a lot of parents live their lives through the kids. Because they didn’t make it, they want their kids to make it. It puts a lot of undue pressure on the kids.” – Wayne Gretzky
“It’s not the ideal situation, but when you have a daughter who is 17 and doesn’t want to move away from high school, that’s life, … The way we’re looking at this is, this is a great opportunity and we’re having fun.” – Wayne Gretzky
“I have absolutely no complaints about my life. But people think I got handed everything, all this kind of fell in my lap, that I was just God-gifted with all this talent. I wanted people to realize it’s a lot tougher than just waking up one day and you’re in the NHL.” – Wayne Gretzky
“It’s not going to be easy every day, but I’m going to work hard, and our players are going to work hard, … I look forward to this as a new chapter in my life, and I can’t wait to get started.” – Wayne Gretzky
“We played in an era where you were taught to hate your opponent. But life changes. I raise my kids differently than my mom and dad raised their kids.” – Wayne Gretzky
“It’s really hard. And it’s harder today because of the salary cap. It starts in September at training camp – getting every guy on the same page, being as mentally and physically as focused as you can be. Then in April and May, you basically spend eight weeks practising, watching video and playing games. That’s your life.” – Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky quotes on family
“Growing up, I was always the small guy.” – Wayne Gretzky
“My kids are no different than anyone else’s – they tend to disagree with everything I say!” – Wayne Gretzky
“It’s been a hard week for my family and the only focus I have right now is this hockey team.” – Wayne Gretzky
“Not much really to add to what I said two days ago. Nothing for me to talk about. I’m not involved. It’s been a hard week for my family.” – Wayne Gretzky
“Your friends, family, and kids have to understand that’s your priority. It’s the only way you can be successful.” – Wayne Gretzky
“Listen, first of all, my wife is my best friend. My love for her is deeper than anything. The reality is, I’m not involved, I wasn’t involved and I’m not going to be involved. Am I concerned for both of them Sure there’s concern from me. I’m more worried about them than me. I’m like you guys, I’m trying to figure it all out.” – Wayne Gretzky
“She was a person who stayed back and didn’t really enjoy the limelight. But in our house, she was the limelight.” – Wayne Gretzky
“I won’t let my son go on the ice without a helmet and a visor on.” – Wayne Gretzky
“I’m happy for Todd, … He worked his rear-end off he was at every meeting and invested his own money and his own time. I hope this does great, because he’s put a lot of time and energy into it. My son has seen this movie 21 times.” – Wayne Gretzky
“Thankfully, in my youth I had the best financial advisor a son could ask for: my dad Walter. When I got that first signing bonus in 1978, Dad took my cheque, announced, ‘This is what we’re going to do,’ and bought an annuity with it.” – Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky quotes on love
“I’m thrilled to be back in the hot seat, … This is what I love, what I know, and I felt I was the best person to coach this team. We finally feel like we’ve got a pretty good hockey club, and I wanted to be part of it, simple as that.” – Wayne Gretzky
“By no means am I Scotty Bowman, but I know the game, I love the game, I have a really good staff and we have a really good team. It’s exciting. I haven’t felt this way since I was 17.” – Wayne Gretzky
“Nothing can replace the Olympics. I love the Olympics. I was so proud when I played in ’98 and I was so proud when we won in 2002.” – Wayne Gretzky
“When emotions are high, things are said, things are done. Ultimately, these players want to play. I know too many of them love the game too much.” – Wayne Gretzky
“Hopefully this is the start of a great year for everyone in the league. It was nice to be part of it, although we would have loved to have won.” – Wayne Gretzky
“The Rangers are the most loved/hated team in hockey. I know from playing there that anywhere they go, city to city, whether it’s Miami or Dallas or Chicago or Phoenix, the Rangers have a tremendous following of New Yorkers.” – Wayne Gretzky
“You look at what he did at the World Cup and what he did in the Stanley Cup final and all the way through the playoffs for Tampa Bay. He goes to another level. We love guys like that on our team.” – Wayne Gretzky
“The sad thing about this whole scenario is that Rick is a wonderful person and a great guy, so I hope everything works out in his favor. It’s hard because I love the guy. He’s a great guy, you know. I just hope it all works out for him.” – Wayne Gretzky
Famous Wayne Gretzky quotes
“We know what we have with Boucher, and we know Curtis is a tremendous goalie and got a year off to get healthy, … We expect it to be a competitive battle between both of them. . . . I’d like to see one of them jump up and grab that starting position.” – Wayne Gretzky
“We’re here for a little bit of a tour for four or five days, just to get together and kind of talk about the season. The players everybody is talking about are all playing well, and decisions are very difficult. No matter what we do, there is going to be a controversy.” – Wayne Gretzky
“Obviously you don’t replace a guy like Mario, not only what he does on the ice but his presence on the locker-room, how much the players respect him and how much they look up to him.” – Wayne Gretzky
“Rick worked with him a little bit and showed him a couple of things. It was a nice deflection, nice goal, and that’s the way you’re going to beat a team like that. You’re going to get kind of a weird goal, crash the net. Fancy plays aren’t going to work against that team; they’re too good.” – Wayne Gretzky
“I basically told him he’s been a big part of our team, and we’re not going to just give him away; we’re not going to loan him to any team. I was honest with him. If we were offered a couple of really good, young players that would help us for a long time we’d have to seriously consider it . . . . But we’re not phoning people, we’re not calling teams. At this point in time, I don’t anticipate moving Curtis.” – Wayne Gretzky
“I felt like the last three days I’ve defended myself over something that absolutely and unequivocally never happened, that I was not involved with. The three days have been horrible and I’m too tired, mentally and physically to talk any more about it. There’s nothing for me to talk about.” – Wayne Gretzky
“I don’t understand it. We played two tremendous games Thursday and Saturday. The success of this team is pretty simple. We’re not a great goal-scoring machine, so if we think that we’re going to play that way we’re never going to be successful. The success this team has had is when it has played methodically well, sound defense and doesn’t give any chances to the opposition.” – Wayne Gretzky
“He works harder than any athlete I’ve ever been around as far as off-season conditioning goes. He’s a maniac . . . I see him playing another three years no question. He could be our ( Julio ) Franco .” – Wayne Gretzky
“Hopefully, they can come up with a compromise that everyone’s happy with because it would be great to see us keep playing hockey.” – Wayne Gretzky
“We looked at the tape and the referee made a good call.” – Wayne Gretzky
“I watched how fast he skated and how hard he shot that puck. I wish I had an extra No. 7 in a red jersey. I could have found a spot for him on my power play.”
“Over the last couple of months, I’ve really been leaning toward stepping in and taking on this responsibility, … I’m really excited about it. I’m really excited to be back in the locker room and back on the ice. I’m sort of back on the hot seat. And I’m looking forward to it. I don’t have to sit up top anymore. I can be on the ice. That’s the part I’m looking forward to.” – Wayne Gretzky
“Our Achilles’ heel has been killing penalties at home. They get a power play goal and it’s a 2-1 hockey game. You get the number of points they have as a team by hard work, and we knew they weren’t going to quit by any means.” – Wayne Gretzky
“Marty felt disappointed with the loss Saturday and wanted to come right back the next day, but I just felt he needed a day off to get ready for this game.” – Wayne Gretzky
“We’ve talked about this for it seems like months. When the team plays disciplined, plays smart and plays the way that they need to play to be successful, we have some success.” – Wayne Gretzky
“We finally feel like we have a pretty good hockey club here and I wanted to be a part of that, simple as that.” – Wayne Gretzky
“We have a lot of hurdles to overcome, but there’s a definite light in the tunnel here. Are we satisfied with what’s happened (this season)? Absolutely not. But more and more pieces of the puzzle are in place.” – Wayne Gretzky
“We are disappointed that Eddie can’t participate for Team Canada at the World Cup. But we are thrilled that Jose is a part of our team.” – Wayne Gretzky
“We don’t have the depth or the skill level of Detroit so our work ethic has to be as high as theirs. Obviously, the first part of the game it wasn’t . . . .Quite frankly it looked like we were enjoying the fruits of Thursday night’s victory (over Dallas) too much.” – Wayne Gretzky
“We worked hard and took a lot of pride in that for the first 35 games, and we were killing big penalties at crucial times. It’s been non-existent these last three losses.” – Wayne Gretzky
“I don’t think that we as a group worked as strong early in the game as they did, and that was the difference. If you look at a team like Los Angeles, they are successful because they are pulling together in the same boat. Everybody is going in the same direction, everybody knows their responsibility and does their job.” – Wayne Gretzky
“I don’t want to get in a situation where he is 90 percent and gets re-injured and is out for another week. . . . We won’t take that risk.” – Wayne Gretzky
“He’s meant so much not only to the National Hockey League but to that franchise and the city of Pittsburgh.” – Wayne Gretzky
“You can’t give the puck away in your own zone against a team that’s that good. They just have so much explosive power it makes it difficult to come back.” – Wayne Gretzky
“The commissioner, Gary Bettman , promises a season starting in October. If that means replacement players, I don’t like it. The real players, I think, won’t cross the line. You know hockey guys, how proud they are, how united. But in Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, they’ll fill the buildings, even for replacements. Fans are mad. They want hockey. Other cities, I’m not sure.” – Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky on the athlete’s mindset
FAQs | Motivational Wayne Gretzky quotes
Here are some frequently asked questions about Wayne Gretzky quotes.
Who is Wayne Gretzky?
Wayne Gretzky is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Wayne is the greatest hockey player who played for Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues and the New York Rangers during his long career.
What is Wayne Gretzky famous for?
Wayne Gretzky is famous for his exceptional skills in ice hockey, often considered one of the greatest hockey players of all time.
What was a famous Wayne Gretzky quote?
“Skate to where the puck is going, not where it has been.”
Final thoughts on Wayne Gretzky quotes
I hope you enjoyed this epic list of the best inspirational Wayne Gretzky quotes.
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