Most people’s main impression of Canada is maple leaf, ice and ice hockey. To be sure, ice hockey is already a distinctly Canadian thing. Here in Canada, whether people appreciate ice hockey or not, it’s impossible to ignore it completely, since there is outdoor and indoor skating rinks in every community, and the scene of a hockey game is on the back of the five-dollar bill. In 2004, millions of Canadians voted Wayne Gretzky among the list of the ten greatest Canadians. The novelist David Adams Richards wrote that, “Hockey is where we’ve gotten it right”(Dr. Paul Martin, 2011).
One might ask, why does Wayne Gretzky have such high public recognition? In the world of ice hockey, Gretzky is one of the greatest players in this sport. During his 20-year career, Gretzky won the NHL Most Valuable Player award 10 times and was named to the World All-Star team 18 times. When Gretzky left the rink, he set an all-time high of 2,587 goals. Armed with a strong instinct and ability to predict, he can navigate complex situations and score from tricky angles with fast speed. He joined team Canada at the age of 20, and in the 1981-82 season, he scored 55 goals and assisted 109 goals, and was named world Sports Personality of the Year in 1981 by Us Sports News Weekly (“The Legend of Wayne Gretzky,” 2015).
In fact, his talent in hockey has been reflected in his early years. He began skating at the age of 2 and joined professional games at the age of 11. In 78 games in his first year, he scored 330 goals. This was a big hit across Canada. At the age of 16, he was named Ontario’s Best Junior hockey player. His body shape, however, doesn’t look like a tough guy. He doesn’t have any great talent for power or speed, but he can predict the situation on the ice quickly and determine where the other 11 players will be in the next few seconds.
“I was always the small one in the team,” Gretzky once said in an interview. “When I was five, I played with 11-year-olds who were taller, stronger and faster than me, and I had to find a way to compete with them. At 14, I was playing against 20-year-olds; At 17, I was already playing against adults. The way I play is pretty much the same. I’m not as strong as the others; My shot wasn’t sharp enough; I’m not the fastest player in the league. I have to do most of the work with my eyes and brain” (Santiago, 2019).
Hall of Famer Bobby Orr, who played for the Boston Bruins, called Gretzky “far ahead of his time,” and Gretzky himself said he felt other players’ positions more than he looked at them. “I knew where my teammates were going and a lot of times I would turn around and pass the puck without looking,” he said (Santiago, 2019).
In 1999, when Wayne Gretzky retired, NHL officials declared that no.99 belonged to Gretzky’s forever. This jersey has the same importance as the basketball “air man” Jordan’s no. 23 jersey. Wayne Gretzky tells us from his own experience that even if we are not born strong, we can eventually succeed if we are willing to practice and not be afraid of difficulties, even though our opponents seems stronger. NANMO Lions will follow the lead of Wayne Gretzky, his passion and determination will lit up our heart, and let us shine on the field with the enthusiasm of hockey.