"I wasn't naturally gifted in terms of size and speed; everything I did I worked for."

"I wasn't a natural scorer, but I developed a way to score."

"The highest compliment that you can pay me is to say that I work hard every day."

"You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them."

"I wasn't the biggest guy in the league, but I was the most competitive."

"It's not about how much talent you have, it's about how hard you work."

"A good player plays where the puck is. A great player plays where the puck is going to be."

"Success is not a matter of desire, but the product of hard work."

"The only way a kid is going to practice is if it's total fun for him, and it was for me."

"I have a tip that can take five strokes off anyone's golf game. It's called an eraser."

"If you surround yourself with quality people and great friends, it's always going to be fun."

"I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been."

"The only way to truly judge success is by feeling like you're giving back to the community."

"A good player plays where the puck is. A great player plays where the puck is going to be."

"I don't like my sticks touching other sticks, and I don't like them crossing one another, and I kind of have them hidden in the corner."

"I wasn't a naturally gifted athlete, but I had to work hard to learn how to play."

"Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy."

"The highest compliment that you can pay me is to say that I work hard every day."

"You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them."

"You have to be able to score in different ways in different situations."

"The day I stop giving is the day I stop receiving. The day I stop learning is the day I stop growing."

"The only way a kid is going to practice is if it's total fun for him and it was for me."

"It's a funny game. You have to prove yourself every shift, every game. It's not up to anybody else. You have to take pride in yourself."

"The highest compliment that I can pay anyone is that they're a hard worker."

"I think that from the time you start playing sports as a child you see that your responsibility to your team is to play the best that you can play as an individual... and yet, not take anything away from being part of a team."

"If you surround yourself with quality people and great friends, they will represent you well."

"I wasn't naturally gifted, not like the way I was with skating. I had to learn how to play. I practiced my skating just as much as I practiced my shot and my stickhandling."

“Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy.”

“The day I stop giving is the day I stop receiving. The day I stop learning is the day I stop growing. You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.”

“The highest compliment that you can pay me is to say that I work hard every day, that I never dog it.”

“You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.”

“The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club won't be worth a dime.”

“I wasn't focused on the money. I was focused on playing the game that I love and that I dreamed of playing as a kid.”

“The only way a kid is going to practice is if it's total fun for him... and it was for me.”

“I love to compete. That's the essence of who I am.”

“I always tell kids if you have a dream and you believe in yourself and you work hard, anything is possible.”

 

 

Wayne Gretzky

Wayne Gretzky, born in 1961 in Ontario, Canada, is widely regarded as the greatest player of all time.

He began playing at the age of two and quickly showed a natural talent for the sport. By the time he was six, he was already playing in organized leagues and dominating his competition.

In his professional career, he played for several teams including the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues, and New York Rangers. He is known for his incredible offensive skills, and is the only player in NHL history to score over 200 points in a single season, which he did four times.

He is also known for his playmaking abilities, and he holds the record for most assists in a single season, with 163. He was a ten-time scoring champion, and his 894 career goals are the most in NHL history.

In addition to his individual accomplishments, he led the Edmonton Oilers to four Stanley Cup championships in the 1980s, and he won another with the New York Rangers in 1994. He was also a key member of the Canadian national team that won the Canada Cup in 1984, 1987, and 1991, and he won an Olympic gold medal in 2002.

He retired from professional play in 1999, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame the following year. He went on to become a successful coach and executive, and is widely respected throughout the world.

Despite the many great players who have come after him, he remains the standard by which all others are measured. His incredible talent, work ethic, and leadership have made him a legend, and his impact on the sport will be felt for generations to come.

Major Achievements

Gretzky's incredible career spans over two decades, and during that time, he set numerous records and accomplished numerous feats. He is the all-time leading scorer in NHL history, with 2,857 points in 1,487 games. He also holds the record for the most goals in a single season, with 92 in the 1981-1982 season. Gretzky was a 10-time Art Ross Trophy winner for being the NHL's leading scorer and a nine-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner for being the league's most valuable player.

In addition to his NHL success, Gretzky was also a star on the international stage. He played for Canada in multiple international tournaments, including the Canada Cup and the Winter Olympics. He won a gold medal with Team Canada in the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Awards and accolades

His list of awards and accolades is extensive. In addition to his NHL and international success, he was also inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1999. He has also been named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in history, was named to the NHL First All-Star Team ten times, and was named to the Second All-Star Team twice.

Off the ice, he has also been recognized for his contributions to the game and to Canada. He was awarded the Order of Canada in 1984 and was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in 2000. He was also named a Companion of the Order of Canada in 2009, the country's highest civilian honor.

Wayne Gretzky is widely considered the greatest player of all time, and for good reason. His incredible talent, skill, and dedication to the sport set him apart from his peers and made him a true legend. His impact on the game will be felt for generations to come, and his legacy will continue to inspire young players around the world to strive for greatness.

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