Wayne Gretzky built his entire career as a forward, so the idea of him lining up on the blue line sounds strange. In his peewee days, though, it happened regularly – and the reason had nothing to do with his defensive ability.
By age 11, Gretzky was already an absurdity in his hometown league in Brantford, Ontario. Nicknamed “The White Tornado” for his white gloves and his speed, he scored 378 goals in a single season, and in one game he managed three goals in 45 seconds. What he refused to do was rest. Rather than sit out a shift like everyone else, he simply dropped back to defense and stayed on the ice.
Wayne Gretzky as a D-man
Darren Eliot, a former NHL goaltender who played against Gretzky in that same league, described the routine to Sports Illustrated.
“He would never come off the ice,” Eliot said. “He moved to defense instead of actually taking a break on the bench.”
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That obsession started early. Gretzky learned to skate on a rink his father built in the family’s backyard, and by the time he was five he was already playing against kids who were 10 and 11. At nine, some newspapers were calling him “the next Bobby Orr.”
The dominance eventually became a problem off the ice. By 14, Gretzky had become a target of resentful parents in Brantford, some of whom cheered when he was injured during a game. He left town to play minor hockey for the Toronto Nationals, then scored 70 goals and 182 points in 63 games for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds at 17.
He retired in 1999 with 894 NHL goals, 2,857 points, four 200-point seasons and 61 league records.
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