Wayne Gretzky has been skating by a number of talks shows to promote his new book, 99: Stories of the Game, which was released in conjunction with the 99th anniversary of the NHL.
In chats with Stephen Colbert, Conen O’Brien, Graham Bensinger and Bill Simmons, Gretzky has dished on everything from his seemingly-audacious nickname to being humbled at the Hockey Hall of Fame.
ORIGIN OF A NICKNAME
Last month, Gretzky came on the The Late Show with Stephen Colbert where he explained the origin of his nickname. “The Great One” told Colbert that the name was bestowed upon him at the tender age of ten by a small-town newspaper writer.
“This guy wrote in the paper, 'Everyone should have their own nickname. A player of that caliber should have a name.' And he said, 'We'll call him the Great One.' And I remember thinking, 'Oh my goodness, I don't want that name,' and it stuck with me my whole life.”
HALL OF FAME SHAME
On Conan, Gretzky shared with the host how an employee at the Hockey Hall of Fame taught the incognito hockey legend how to properly hold his stick at an interactive exhibit that allowed visitors to take shots on a goal.
“The kid who was directing the line came over and said, 'Sir, just move your hand down the stick a little bit.' I lifted my hat up and said, 'Okay, I'm out of here.'”
FIXING HOCKEY WITH BILL SIMMONS
On Any Given Wednesday with Bill Simmons, Gretzky expressed pleasure with how far the NHL has come over its history, pointing to the success of sunbelt teams that were one thought incapable of competing with the traditional powers.
“First of all, we've come a long way from the years when it was just Bobby Orr and Gordie Howe and Detroit, Boston and Chicago. Last year, two teams in Florida, and three teams in California... five sunbelt teams made the playoffs.”
WATCHING DUSTIN JOHNSON
Gretzky shared with Bensinger how emotionally invested he gets in future son-in-law and PGA golfer Dustin Johnson’s tournaments. So much so, that it hurts his stomach and he has to turn away at times.
“I never thought once I retired that I would have this same feeling going into tournaments that you're pulling so badly, and wanting someone to win so desperately that your stomach hurts when you're watching.”
99: STORIES OF THE GAME
On the CBC’s Q show, Gretzky explained his motivation for pairing with author Kirstie McLellan Day to write 99: Stories of the Game.
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