83 Best Wayne Gretzky Quotes For Aspiring Ice Hockey Players

Luca Demetriou
Dec 12, 2023 By Luca Demetriou
Originally Published on Feb 11, 2021
Player Wayne Gretzky
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Age: 0-99
Read time: 12.5 Min

Michael Scott quotes Wayne Gretzky by saying “you miss 100% of the shots you don't take”.

Gretzky was considered one of the greatest players in the history of ice hockey. Gretzky holds the record of having 61 records in the official guide and record book: 40 for the regular season, 15 for the Stanley Cup playoff, and six for the all-star game.

Wayne was exceptionally talented, and made many iconic moments. The rule of making mutual penalties so that the ratio of players could become favorable was known as 'Gretzky's rule'.

He was one of the leading NHL players in history and had achievements more than anyone. That's why to inspire you from the best we're here with our collection of some amazing Wayne Gretzky quotes.

If you like this article, do check out hockey quotes and Tom Brady quotes after you finish this one.

Best Wayne Gretzky Quotes

We all love Gretzky. He was the idol of many as he inspired them with his hard work and dedication. Gretzky was not known for ice hockey but the ice hockey was known because of Gretzky.  That's why we're bringing all of you ice hockey fans, our collection of some of the best Gretzky quotes.  

1. “The greatest thing about playing obviously is winning, and you can't replace that experience with anything. ”

- Wayne Gretzky.

2. “A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

3. “Only one thing is ever guaranteed, that is that you will definitely not achieve the goal if you don't take the shot. ”

- Wayne Gretzky.

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

- Wayne Gretzky.

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

- Wayne Gretzky.

6. "The day I stop giving is the day I stop receiving. "

- Wayne Gretzky.

7. "The day I stop learning is the day I stop growing. "

- Wayne Gretzky.

8. "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take."

- Wayne Gretzky.

9. "I wasn’t naturally gifted in terms of size and speed; everything I did in hockey I worked for, and that’s the way I’ll be as a coach."

- Wayne Gretzky.

10. "When you win, say nothing, when you lose say less."

- Wayne Gretzky.

11. "Most people marry their mother. I married my father."

- Wayne Gretzky.

12. "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."

- Wayne Gretzky.

13. "I’m not a big risk-taker. I stay away from things I don’t know anything about."

- Wayne Gretzky.

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

- Wayne Gretzky.

15. "No matter who you are, we’re creatures of habit. The better your habits are, the better they will be in -pressure situations."

- Wayne Gretzky.

16. "Maybe it wasn’t the talent the Lord gave me - maybe it was the passion."

- Wayne Gretzky.

17. “People in general want to build somebody up and then try to knock them down. They always root for the underdog.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

18. “Ninety percent of hockey is mental and the other half is physical.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

19. “I get a feeling about where a teammate is going to be. A lot of times, I can turn and pass without even looking.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

20. “It’s just amazing how many companies suddenly want you to hold up their products after you’ve held up the Stanley Cup.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

21. “Not doing it is certainly the best way to not getting it.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

22. “You know, I’ve held women and babies and jewels and money, but nothing will ever feel as good as holding that Cup.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

23. “Competitive spirit is still at a premium. The more you win, the better you play, the more money you make, so they all have that in mind.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

24. “I knew at a young age, whether I was playing baseball or hockey or lacrosse, that my teammates were counting on me, whether it be to strike the last batter out in a baseball game or score a big goal in a hockey game.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

25. “I can’t remember the last time I went to a game and there was a fight. I think they fight more in baseball now than they do in hockey."

- Wayne Gretzky.

26. "Listen, everything I have in my life is because of the NHL and because of hockey, and I love the game and I loved every minute of being a player, I loved coaching, I loved being involved in the NHL."

- Wayne Gretzky.

27. “My answer is, why not? It’s what I love, it’s what I know.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

28. “Hockey is a unique sport in the sense that you need each and every guy helping each other and pulling in the same direction to be successful.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

29. “I grew up such a fan. It was my life. Everything I did was hockey related and everything I have is because of hockey and the NHL.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

30. “It’s kind of ironic - when I broke in at 17, I was told I was too small, too slow and I wouldn’t make the NHL.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

31. “Growing up, I was always the small guy.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

32. “No matter who you are, we’re creatures of habit. The better your habits are, the better they will be in pressure situations.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

33. “I love everything about hockey.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

34. “Skating alone is an art. Doing it on a substance? I don’t know. That’s got to be tough.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

35. “I miss all the shots I don’t take.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

36. “I think sports for kids is the greatest thing in the world because it teaches you how to share, about winning and losing and pressure.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

37. “…But I don’t think you should force your kid to become a professional athlete.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

38. “In one sense we are a favorite because we won a gold medal in 2002.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

39. “Everything I did in hockey, I worked for.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

Inspiring Wayne Gretzky Quotes

Gretzky inspired all of us to do better in life. He was the hero of many and inspired a lot of people. His sayings were indeed deep and motivating. That's why to inspire you from the one who inspired many, we're here with some of the most inspiring Wayne Gretzky quotes, so do check it out.

Close-up with the puck during the game.

 

40. “I can remember hockey. It was my life, my passion. It’s what I love the most.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

41. “And people who know me would tell you that away from hockey I’m really not that competitive.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

42. “I’m probably the only guy in hockey who can win a scoring title and everybody is saying I had a bad year. I don’t worry about it.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

43. “When I was 5 and playing against 11-year-olds, who were bigger, stronger, faster, I just had to figure out a way to play with them.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

44. “I don’t think any, one person will ever be bigger than the game.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

45. “When you’re playing an exhibition, you’re kind of letting everyone get an opportunity.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

46. “You’ll never catch me bragging about goals, but I’ll talk all you want about my assists.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

47. “I think it’s essentially a matter of taking care of what takes care of you.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

48. “There’s no perfect coach in the world. Coaches are human, too. Mistakes are made. But, fundamentally, if you’re sound, you eliminate as many mistakes as possible.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

49. “He brings something special. I don't know what it is, but if you ask him, you couldn't understand his answer.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

50. “You miss the ball you do not hit 100%.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

51. “We're in a tough situation because of teenage children, and then we have a 2-year-old and a 5-year-old, so my family and my responsibilities is sort of a juggle.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

52. “The only shot I always miss, is the one I don't take!”

- Wayne Gretzky.

53. “At the end of the day everybody lost. We almost crippled our industry. It was very disappointing what happened.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

54. “That's the hardest part of this whole process. The best part is picking the players and the worst part is telling basically five players they are not going to play tonight.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

55. “It really doesn't matter or concern me what people are saying or who thinks who is the favorite. The bottom line is you have to play.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

56. “I think a lot of parents live their lives through the kids. Because they didn't make it [achieve something], they want their kids to make it. It puts a lot of undue pressure on the kids.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

57. “By no means could I play at the level of these kids who play in the NHL now but as 50-year-olds go, I feel really good and I feel blessed that I'm still healthy.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

58.“It's an honor and a thrill and a privilege just to play in the NHL.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

59. “I couldn't beat people with my strength; I don't have a hard shot; I'm not the quickest skater in the league. My eyes and my mind have to do most of the work.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

60. “Hockey is a unique sport in the sense that you need each and every guy helping each other and pulling in the same direction to be successful.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

61. “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.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

62. “My kids are no different than anyone else's - they tend to disagree with everything I say!”

- Wayne Gretzky.

63. “We're going to get a lot of calls over the next four weeks. Obviously, we'll listen.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

64. “We know what we have with Boucher, and we know Curtis is a tremendous goalie and got a year off to get healthy, ... We expect it to be a competitive battle between both of them. . . . I'd like to see one of them jump up and grab that starting position.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

65. "The Power of who provides great lessons about how to succeed in business and in life. If you surround yourself with quality people and great friends, the sky's the limit."

- Wayne Gretzky.

66. "It doesn't matter what I think. It doesn't matter what other people think. You have to get on the ice and participate and play and the best team wins."

- Wayne Gretzky.

67. "Sometimes people ask, 'Are hockey fights real?' I say, 'If they weren't, I'd get in more of them."

- Wayne Gretzky.

68. "If we're going to change the game it has to start at eight, nine and 10 years old. When we were that age we'd go to the pond or backyard rink and throw a puck on the ice and play five on five, or seven on seven."

- Wayne Gretzky.

69. “You get this creativity and this imagination that comes from within, just having fun on the pond.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

70. “Now kids are so focused on team play, and the coaches are so focused on positioning. You can't change it at the NHL level."

- Wayne Gretzky.

71. "As a player, you have one responsibility, to focus yourself and be ready for the game. As a coach, your responsibility is to get 20 guys ready and have them all on the same page. If you can't get every guy ready every night, you're going to struggle."

- Wayne Gretzky.

72. “I’m very proud of our NHL players. I think they all handle themselves extremely well and they all work really hard.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

73. “When I was 5 and playing against 11-year-olds, who were bigger, stronger, faster, I just had to figure out a way to play with them.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

74. “The biggest difference between L.A. and Edmonton was that instead of people looking at me I was looking at them.”

- Wayne Gretzky.

75. “Look at guys like Larry Bird and George Brett and John McEnroe; that’s what they did in their careers.

They all wanted to be the guy under the microscope late in the game or late in the match. So you just take on that know-how that that’s part of your responsibility, and you learn that’s what makes it exciting. That’s what makes it fun!”

- Wayne Gretzky.

76. "There is so much parity in the game, there are so many teams that are stronger, and it is much tougher to get 400 wins now. There is such a fine line between winning and losing, so to accomplish something like that in this era is pretty special."

- Wayne Gretzky.

77. "It's a big game, it's on Hockey Night in Canada and he's been outstanding all year."

- Wayne Gretzky.

78. "When Mess came in to the league from the WHA at 17 he was kind of raw."

- Wayne Gretzky.

79. "We know that this country wants gold and nothing else is good enough. That's the expectation for Canada when it comes to hockey and we know that. We aren't kidding ourselves. We know we have to win the gold. We don't have anything else on our minds."

- Wayne Gretzky.

80. "Hopefully, they can come up with a compromise that everyone's happy with because it would be great to see us keep playing hockey."

- Wayne Gretzky.

81. "If I bet on sports ? I would never embarrass Team Canada or the country or hockey ? I would phone [NHL commissioner] Gary Bettman and Bob Nicholson right now and say you know what, I resign, it's over, even if I made a $1 bet."

- Wayne Gretzky.

82. "He works harder than any athlete I've ever been around as far as off-season conditioning goes. He's a maniac . . . I see him playing another three years no question. He could be our [Julio] Franco."

- Wayne Gretzky.

83. "The success of Team Canada got me interested in teaching again which is something I really enjoy doing."

- Wayne Gretzky.

Here, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly quotes  for everyone to enjoy! if you liked the suggestions for 80+ best Wayne Gretzky quotes for aspiring Ice Hockey players then why not take a look at Tim Tebow quotes or [ Woody Paige quotes].

main image credit: Anton_Ivanov / Shutterstock.com

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Written by Luca Demetriou

Bachelor of Arts specializing in English and Drama, Master of Arts specializing in Performance: Design and Practice

Luca Demetriou picture

Luca DemetriouBachelor of Arts specializing in English and Drama, Master of Arts specializing in Performance: Design and Practice

Experienced in writing and sub-editing, Luca holds a Bachelor's in English Literature and Drama from the University of Birmingham, where he served as the culture editor at Redbrick Paper. He is currently pursuing a Master's in Performance: Design and Practice at the University of the Arts in London, showcasing his passion for the arts, performance, and history. With a keen interest in traveling, Luca enjoys exploring new cultures and experiencing diverse perspectives.

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