“He kept hitting”: Wayne Gretzky admits his last NHL game was “awful” as his dad kept pushing him to play one more year | NHL News
Wayne Gretzky’s last NHL appearance on April 18, 1999, at Madison Square Garden is remembered as a celebration of the “Great One’s” extraordinary career. Yet, for Gretzky, the moment wasn’t only about the sold-out crowd, the ovations, or the history—it was about a quiet car ride with his father, Walter Gretzky.
The final drive with Walter Gretzky that meant more than the farewell ovation
On the 25th anniversary of his retirement, Wayne Gretzky reflected on why he asked Walter to drive him to Madison Square Garden that night. “For my final game, I decided that since my dad drove me to the first game I ever went to, it would be great to drive my dad to my last game,” he told NHL.com.That ride, however, was far from ordinary. Gretzky admitted, “The ride was good, but it was kind of awful in the same sense because every three minutes, he kept hitting my leg and telling me that I could play one more year. I said, ‘No, dad, I’m done.’”While the NHL and fans worldwide treated the day as a fitting farewell to the greatest player in hockey history, Gretzky cherished that personal moment most. To him, it was the perfect full-circle memory, blending his first steps in hockey with the end of his iconic journey.
Lessons from Walter Gretzky that shaped a hockey icon
Walter Gretzky was more than just a supportive parent—he was the guiding force behind Wayne’s rise. When officials tried to block young Wayne from moving to Toronto in 1974, Walter stood firm, saying, “No, they can’t tell me where to send my own boy… If he will be happy elsewhere, we decide between the family.”Also Read: What is the Wayne Gretzky Rule and how it changed the modern NHL foreverWalter’s philosophy of family first left a lifelong mark on Wayne, who carried those values into his career and personal life. Though Walter passed away in 2021, his wisdom continues to influence Gretzky, reminding fans that behind the hockey legend was always a devoted son.
