Walter Gretzky A Great One Too.

It was on a warm, sunny, spring afternoon when I saw Wayne Gretzky in person for the very first time. Gretzky was a skinny, pimply faced kid who walked out the front doors of Maple Leaf Gardens that day back on March 29th,1980. It was Gretzky’s first season in the National Hockey League and almost everyone in Canada already knew of this Wonderkid from Brantford Ontario.

Wayne had already dominated every hockey league that he had ever played in. From peewee to juniors and now the pros, Wayne seemed to be virtually unstoppable. As well his boyish good looks coupled with his extreme politeness were now a refreshing change from pro hockey's goon-like public perception like that portrayed in the movie Slapshot. As I watched Gretzky cross Carlton Street he was busy signing a dozen or so autographs and most were for teenage girls all wearing his now famous ninety-nine Edmonton Oilers jersey. 

Who the hell could get away with wearing the number ninety-nine on his jersey anyway and who did this scrawny kid think he was challenging Marcel Dionne for the NHL scoring championship in just his first year?

I was already captivated by this kid six months my junior who was dominating the sport that I loved. I was intrigued by this Boy Wonder and I was curious as to what the future would hold for this prodigy now already crowned The Great One.

The Oilers dominated the Leafs on that Saturday night 8-5 and Gretzky added six more points to his total (2G 4A). When the season ended the following week, Dionne and Gretzky were tied for the scoring championship at 137 points each. Dionne won the Art Ross trophy that year due to the fact he had 53 goals, two more than Wayne's 51. Being Gretzky's first NHL season, the Calder trophy surely would be awarded to Wayne. However, due to the fact Wayne had played professionally in the old WHA, the NHL in its wisdom decided that in reality this was not his first pro season. Therefore, Gretzky's name would not be on the rookie of the year trophy either. Wayne did not need those token awards to prove he was hands down the league's best player; he still won the Lady Byng and the Hart Memorial trophies that first season.

The person Wayne has always credited for his success was his first hockey coach, his father.

I recall another Saturday morning also at Maple Leaf Gardens on a beautiful spring day about Wayne's dad, the senior great one Walter Gretzky. Anyone living in Canada during the 80's knew who Wayne Gretzky was. With Wayne’s constant admiration for his father who also doubled as his hockey teacher and coach, Walter Gretzky was also becoming a household name. The wiry elder Gretzky was also a class act and it was pretty obvious to even the casual viewer where Wayne learned how to handle himself both professionally and personally.

I have met Walter on a couple occasions, March 5th,1983 would be my first time meeting both Mr. Gretzky and Wayne. It was a beautiful Saturday morning in Toronto and I was lucky enough to have a pair of golds for the Edmonton Oilers open practice on that morning. Visiting teams scheduling an open practice for the public were very rare, but Gretzky was a huge draw. The Gardens could sell tickets raising money for a charity just to watch him and the Oilers practice.

Gretzky was a cash cow.

The Oilers were playing the Leafs that night and Wayne was still the hottest player by far in the league. People who did not even watch hockey were now following the antics of Canada's latest hockey hero. Commercials, magazine covers and personal appearances had made both Wayne and Walter Gretzky household names.

The Oilers went through a light practice on that morning amidst thousands of camera flashbulbs that seemed to create a strobe like effect inside the Gardens. I noticed after about thirty minutes or so that Gretzky left the ice and was headed to the visitor's dressing room at the north end of the historic arena. Gretzky loved playing in Toronto and Leaf fans could only salivate over the thought of him someday wearing the blue and white. 

Was it an equipment problem? 

Or was Gretzky leaving practice early to avoid the media and the press that hounded his every move especially in Toronto? 

I immediately rushed outside to my car that was parked on Church Street about a hundred feet north of Maple Leaf Gardens. I sat in my car and waited, but I did not even know for sure what I was waiting for. After about twenty minutes the large wooden white garage door that led down to the Gardens underground basement opened. A large maroon sedan slowly drove up the small ramp and turned left onto Wood Street.

That must be Gretzky I thought to myself after a couple teenage girls chased the car. I now knew for sure it was Wayne and he was splitting early. Hell, his teammates were probably still on the ice. I caught up to the car in my old red '76 Buick Century and by the time the Gretzky car had stopped at Yonge Street, I was right behind them. I thought for sure they would make the easy right hand turn and head north. A left on to southbound Yonge was almost impossible with all the busy traffic and Saturday shoppers enjoying the warm spring sunshine on that day.

The left indicator flashed.

As far as I could tell there was an older gentleman driving with Wayne’s mother Phyllis in the front seat. Walter and Wayne were sitting in the back and Wayne knew I was following them. Wayne knew I was stalking him after I clearly saw him holding a pen in his hand while scratching the side of his head. He knew he would be soon signing something as I too slowly butted my way through and followed the car south on Yonge Street to Dundas Street. Anybody who lives in Toronto knows that there are absolutely no turns at this intersection. Yonge and Dundas is one of the busiest crossroads in the city and for as long as I can remember no turns were ever allowed.

The right indicator flashed.

Both our cars managed to turn right and it was quite obvious Gretzky who was sitting on the passenger side with the window down was being noticed. It was funny to watch a few people do a double take. Is that (with their finger pointed at the slow moving sedan) Wayne Gretzky?

Within five minutes we were smack dab in the middle of Chinatown and I had managed to stay right behind the Gretzky car. I figured now was my chance and I grabbed my Gretzky scrapbook and ran up to the driver’s side backseat window where Walter had the window down. I tossed the scrapbook into the car at the exact same time the car inched forward. The semi-hard covered scrapbook glanced off Walter and landed on the backseat between the two Great Ones.

“Wayne could you please sign my scrapbook?” I asked him before running back to my car. 

Once I was back in my car I realized I had hit Walter and I did not even apologize. I felt terrible, they all must think I am a total ignoramus. I could see Wayne and Walter were huddled together looking at my book. Within ten minutes we were at Spadina Avenue where Gretzky ran into a leather store with his dad and his mother Phyllis brought the scrapbook back to my car. Wayne had put a beauty autograph inside the front cover. After Wayne came back outside I shook his hand and thanked him for the signature. He also then signed a Titan stick and two hockey cards for me before disappearing back into the sedan and driving away. I just stood on the sidewalk, my knees were weak and wobbly. I had just shaken hands with the greatest hockey player on the planet. The greatest hockey player in the history of the sport.

Nothing else mattered to me at that moment.

The evening quickly approached, I was sitting on the north end rail right behind the Oilers net for the first and third periods. Rail seats at the Gardens were the single row of seats that ringed around the entire rink. They were the first row right behind the glass. My friend Paul who always seemed to come through for me had gotten the tickets from his dad who was the Leafs coach Mike Nykoluk’s longtime friend. Those rail seats were the best seats I have ever sat in during my hundreds of visits to the Gardens, bar none.

During the first intermission, Paul and I were out in the cramped corridor. Standing all alone by himself was Walter drinking a coffee. 

“Hello Mr. Gretzky,” I said as his head tilted upward to see who I was. 

I reminded him of our afternoon encounter as he grinned his signature Walter Gretzky grin. 

“Was that you?” he asked. “Wayne loved your book” he added.

“Walter, I just want to apologize for hitting you this afternoon with my scrapbook.” I said.

We shook hands and at that exact moment Walter had now been recognized by other fans. All were now quickly approaching with their hands out also. I wondered how many hands Walter would shake in a day.

Dozens I would bet.

I told Paul my story from that afternoon. He laughed and called me a 'fathead'. It was such a great way to end such a great day.

A Walter Gretzky follow-up story twenty-five years later:

During the 2008/09 season I attended a Leafs / Devils game at the Air Canada Centre. A group of us had decided we would have dinner at Wayne Gretzky's restaurant before heading over to the game. What made this evening so special for all of us was that we were visited at our table by Walter. Walter attends quite a few Leaf games and can often be seen chatting up the guests at his son's popular eating establishment before many home games. Walter kept our table amused for about twenty minutes as he recited stories about Wayne, his late wife Phyllis and his other children. It felt as if Walter had invited us personally and he was our gracious host. It was quite obvious Walter is a true Canadian celebrity as he was recognized by most of the patrons in the packed restaurant that evening.

On that night the Leaf's had changed the start of the game to seven o'clock and Walter was not aware that the game was now starting a half-hour earlier. I offered Walter and his friend a ride to the Air Canada Centre and he gladly accepted. As I drove the Great One's father in my car; he continued with more stories, jokes and recounted his recent acceptance of the Order of Canada. I only wish the Air Canada Centre had been an hour's drive away instead of the ten minutes that it took us.

When I dropped Wally and his friend off at the main entrance, all I could hear was the "Walter, Walter" chants as he made his way to the front door. Walter was getting the rock star treatment from the adoring crowd. I parked my car and made my way back over to the game where the Leafs actually won in overtime. Although for me the evenings highlight was not the game itself, but driving the man who sired the world’s greatest hockey player of all time in my car to the game.

About three weeks later an autographed picture of Wayne arrived in the mail, just as Walter Gretzky the other Great One had promised.

*Update- Sadly Walter Gretzky passed away on March 4, 2021, in his hometown of Brantford Ontario. Walter was 82 years old. Also in 2021, Wayne Gretzky's Restaurant was completely leveled to make room for a new condo tower.