Athletes Personal Details
This athlete, Wayne Gretzky, is a former professional ice hockey player. He was
born on January 26, 1961, in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. He was considered by
many to be the greatest player in the history of the sport (Britannica, T. Editors of
Encyclopedia, 2022).
Reasons For Sport Selection
Winters in Ontario are very cold, and it was not difficult to build an ice rink in the
backyard. Hockey was most convenient for him, which made him more attracted
to it than other sports. He quickly realized that he excelled against older players
because of his stick handling and shooting skills (Stubbs, 2017). Later, Gretzky
decided to pursue a career in the sport (Stubbs, 2017).
Training Activities Used
Wayne's father, Walter, built a rink in his family's backyard, where he learnt how
to skate. There, Gretzky practiced for hours to develop his skating, shooting, and
stick handling techniques. He later got to play with older children, thereby
developing his skills and decision-making with much larger and bulkier youths
(Gretzky Story, 2020).
Other Sports or Activities Enjoyed by the Athlete
Wayne Gretzky was solely focused on ice hockey, but he was a very skilled
baseball and lacrosse player. It was believed that Gretzky chose not to play
hockey in the summer instead opting to play baseball and lacrosse. After retiring
from the sport of hockey, he developed a passion for golf, which he continues to
play as a pastime to this day (The Great One: Wayne Gretzky on the golf course).
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Teams The Athlete Has Played for
Wayne Gretzky has played in four NHL franchises and started his career as a draft
with the Edmonton Oilers (Biography, 2021). After 9-10 seasons, he was traded to
the LA Kings. He played about 7-8 seasons in LA before joining the St. Louis Blues
mid-season. After completing the rest of the season with St. Louis, he signed as a
free agent with the New York Rangers and played four seasons before his
retirement (Biography, 2021).