Wayne Gretzky 16 at World Juniors

[@Xylo58]

My father, brother and I were at the Montreal forum on Christmas Day to see this kid play. What a beautiful memory.

[@primak3655]

was there too! He turned that goalie into a pretzel

[@cavdragoon]

His vison and ability to read the play on the ice was masterful. The "Greatest" One.

[@cavdragoon]

@Lucas Xox you mean in todays figure skating? The watered down version of hockey Bettmann created? The game was twice as dirty and far rougher back than for a player like Gretzky.

[@cavdragoon]

@Lucas Xox Dude you spelling and grammar is atrocious. No clue what your trying to say.

[@Calers-gu1ib]

@@cavdragoon Rude. What if he was 11?

[@cavdragoon]

@@Calers-gu1ib Then his parents should be monitoring his internet activity and keep him away from engaging in adult conversations. . They should also consider sending him to a different school that can teach him to properly learn how to read and write.

[@Calers-gu1ib]

@@cavdragoon good points but I'm pretty sure his parents wouldn't have a problem with him placing a comment on a Wayne Gretzky post. He removed it so I don't know how bad his spelling was.

[@moody9442]

it was just one of those days.... again and again and again.

[@johncramer3503]

Saw the GREAT one play "his best game " said Wayne. 6-5 over the Russians in the first game of the 87 series...Wayne had 5 assists...what a night

[@vaclavskupa3682]

Veyn,je to pojem vo svete hokeja,je to legenda,je to hokejový Boh.

[@lancel8893]

Still remember seeing Wayne playing at the North Park Arena scoring goals left and right, memories

[@zackyoung9608]

No one will ever touch his individual accomplishments. Forever the great one

[@ivangodin1850]

Hope Alex never catches him up. Gretzky had skills & class. The other one has skills.

[@tommyettinger1353]

Bedard tied this one though which is pretty crazy that it took this many years to get a 16 year old hat trick lol

[@Mcgee833]

Of course not goalies aren’t wearing player gear, and don’t flop like fish. Leaving 90% of the net open.

[@richardmourdock2719]

With my wife, we saw him make his first professional big league goal as an Indianapolis Racer in... 1975? 76?. It was magic. When he touched the puck, the entire crowd kind of went...."oooooo" like "what's about to happen." Truly, The Great One.

[@JohnCritch-tf4mb]

I see him play while I lived in Calgary and in the Cansda cup

[@pooch443078]

"it was just one of those days" He went on to have mostly "those types of days"

[@MrS5x]

3 goals and 3 assist would be a career night for most player, but for the GOAT is just one of those days.

[@hughJ]

I feel like that puck handling with skates he does at 0:41 is something I haven't seen anywhere else. Looks almost like a video game with how it's poke checked away and he catches it and passes it back to his stick without slowing down or making any sudden movements.

[@garyfleming5156]

I so remember that Xmas. It was the first time I noticed "The Great One". He made that Xmas special and now 40 odd years later, he has added so many great hockey moments to the world. I for one don't believe he can be surpassed. However, they do say "Never say Never"?

[@TheBenevolentDictatorship]

He’ll always be the greatest, but I think Ovi will break the all-time NHL goals record.

[@sid7088]

​@@TheBenevolentDictatorship with the legal two line passes and without the clutching and grabbing, yeah he probably will.

[@TheBenevolentDictatorship]

@@sid7088 Ovi is playing in a tougher era, so if he breaks the record, it will be fully deserved. There were a lot more goals scored during Gretzky’s time. We’re starting to see more goals with some rules changes, but still nothing like that period.

[@sid7088]

@@TheBenevolentDictatorship tougher era? LMAO, ovi has two line mates, Gretzky usually had kurri and a goon.

[@TheBenevolentDictatorship]

@@sid7088 Kurri is one of the greatest RW-ers of all time, and Tikkanen is one of the most underrated wingers in league history. For a “Goon,” 130+ points in 180 playoff games is pretty outstanding. Again, you have no idea what you’re talking about.

[@terrancewilliamson6194]

"Just one of those days ya know, scored 3 goals and 3 assists" Wayne Gretzky

[@Ericjr2525]

Those uniforms & him wearing #9. Siiiiick

[@crazyralph6386]

Dude was smooth af

[@psamba1]

Special Player, Special Man.....

[@MrRp25]

I saw him play for the Soo vs Kingston in the OHA playoffs that season.

[@DaveSlamGSS]

GOAT

[@Sportstouring]

Greatest player of all time.

[@seanconsack2786]

Greatest player of that generation. In terms of hockey skills Mcdavid is a much better player. Could you imagine inserting the skill of Mcdavid in 1985 NHL he would average 5 points per game.

[@Sportstouring]

@@seanconsack2786 Could you imagine inserting Gretzky into today's game? Same equipment, same rules, same diet, same workouts, same Drs, OT's and PT's. Gretzky would get 10 pts per game.

[@seanconsack2786]

@@Sportstouring He was 6 feet, 160 pounds, not a great skater, not the greatest shot and in today's NHL do you he would be hanging out behind the net for 5 minutes untouched?

[@Sportstouring]

@@seanconsack2786 Did you ever see him play?

[@Sportstouring]

@@seanconsack2786 And still is the GOAT. Great skater, his gate wasn't as smooth as Paul Coffey but a great skater. Used his edges better than anyone, although Crosby comes close. 894 goals, I think his shot was pretty good. Just ask Mike Vernon. Nobody stood behind the net for 5 minutes unless road hockey maybe.

[@ronniecreager2585]

The blue jerseys tho, dang

[@Calers-gu1ib]

When people on Twitter are putting him down they need to see this video.

[@wilseph1]

What happened to Wayne after this tournament? Hope he made it to the NHL.

[@canbest7668]

I read somewhere he did rather well for himself

[@pellelindbergh4455]

sort of thin ,and slow and not real hard shot .well good luck

[@Roller11111]

I heard he went to that other professional hockey league.... What was it? WHL.... No WHA.

[@wilseph1]

@@Roller11111 Hopefully he was okay in that WHA league. Competition in this video looked subpar.

[@pellelindbergh4455]

@@Roller11111 then he quit and became a salesman !

[@drewzze]

I didn't know that there were board advertisements in 1978!

[@jamesduffy6518]

Probably just for the jr tournament

[@lukebruce5234]

@@jamesduffy6518 All international hockey had those

[@kozmeetorez]

You saw how he controlled the puck in midair at the bottom of his shaft while in stride??

[@johnt1741]

Weird seeing Gretzky with only one 9.

[@toddwinters8731]

Wayne Gretzky age 16 1978 hands down

[@jwfmsu1990]

"It was just one of those careers."

[@jagrcantakeyou]

I don't think you could have fucked this up any more if you tried.

[@jayanxiety]

jagrcantakeyou You took the words right out of my mouth!

[@barryallen827]

BFD, so there was a typo. Comment on the video not the vocab.

[@confucius2616]

Just found a Gretzky Ranger jersey at Goodwill for 4.99

[@byronleemarley9610]

Feel sorry for the people in this generation who never saw Gretzky play during his career. Many of them walk around thinking Crosby is the greatest ever. They have absolutely no clue. He's not even the greatest Penguin ever; maybe third after 66 & 68. Crosby may be a great player, but he's not in the same stratosphere as 99. Their go-to argument is how much easier it was to score in Gretzky's day, yet have absolutely no rebuttal when asked in return why everyone didn't put up Wayne's numbers if it was so easy. Simply put, Wayne Gretzky is THE all-time greatest. Sorry Sid Kids.

[@dwaynemcallister7231]

I agree this is the thing, no player was so far ahead of his competition for so long.

[@claude878878]

great write up and i agree with all u said, except 66 was better than 99.. give mario wayne's health and wayne's teams and switch wayne to mario's back problems and cancer and teams.... and today, Mario would be The Great One and Wayne would be just wayne. Even with all that, Wayne and mario both averaged the same 1.9 pts/game..

[@NyctionMusic]

Great fucking video Wally.

[@hioeo]

I cannot imagine how sad of a human being you need to be to follow this kid around just to boo him. . .

[@peters6119]

Hey, video producers ... at least spell his name right in the opening heading.

[@jamesfranke4521]

Wayne Gretzky not wearing a Jofa helmet. Very strange to see.

[@ultem2323]

poor audio , enjoy old clips ..but..

[@rodmunch4879]

If lemieux played same years as 99 I think he would have been almost as dominant.

[@Calers-gu1ib]

If Howe, Richard and Hull played then as 18 year olds would too. That's why the 5 of them were considered great. They would succeed in any era. Look at the goals Matthews and McDavid are putting up and those 5 were far better than them

[@777RockNRollin]

People say that they should hit Gretz more back in the day but look again , he was deceptive and always puts himself in a position that you'll be called for interference ,..very carefully done ,..plus McSorely would crush you - lol

[@Sportstouring]

Was McSorely on that World jr. team?

[@Calers-gu1ib]

If most players were as dirty as Suter his career would have been shorter

[@sid7088]

There was an unwritten "nobody hit 99" rule, as evidenced by the Leaf player that nailed him and never played another NHL game again.

[@gooddognigel9992]

@@sid7088 bollocks! I watched Gretzky’s entire career. He was hit. He was clever and he knew every player’s tendencies on the ice. He used the glass like a mirror to see who was chasing him, when his back was to the play. Nobody like #99.

[@sid7088]

@@gooddognigel9992 nope, I stand by what I wrote and say bollocks to your biased theory.

[@fraser281]

1:27 lol

[@wuhdee1]

Need to spell his name correctly at the beginning of the clip...

[@davidjp5645]

Another reason for Gretzky points, he was very good however the goalies back in the day were absolutely terrible. Where would you see a goalie turn around and give up his back on a breakaway? Lol times have changed for the better

[@eddy5097]

I akways laugh when ppl say Gretzky would suck today Drives me nuts how dumb kids are

[@WAPBodie]

My God... How can someone write Gretsky???

[@holoholopainen1627]

His # 99 IS retired / in all of Canada !

[@Jim-pq9pm]

@@holoholopainen1627 All of the NHL

[@chungasrevenge9222]

Is that Mitch Marnier?

[@billyfranklin85]

Those uniforms were so awful they were awesome!!! I could never understand the blue concept but who cares!!!! I'd pay big money to have one framed and on the wall...

[@strahinjagov]

I dunno about this kid man, doesn't seem like he'll amount to much.

[@OhJaniceWhyOhWhy]

We are the ONLY country to alter our jersey colors when we play international hockey...I hated the blue maple leaf jersey, it was insulting to me. And now Hockey Canada adds black, I hate it. I don't see the Swedes adding green or the USA adding purple.

[@siddokis2945]

Black is a shade, technically not a colour. Yeah, the blue sucked tho.

[@OhJaniceWhyOhWhy]

Shade, color, lack-of-light (the only way to see black), and the blue makes me think of the USA, those are THEIR flag's colors. Gimme fire engine red / white and end it. Like the Detroit Red Wings.....two colors, best jerseys. Maple Leafs in green? OK, I get it, a part of the past....that is why it is in the past....everyone hated it back then and now we have to relive it? Oye vae!

[@rebeccasmith4186]

That isn't the only way to see black

[@OhJaniceWhyOhWhy]

@@rebeccasmith4186 Gee, thanks Dr. Science.

[@jacobrocks7]

Only 17 points in 7 games as a 16 year old ..disappointing..hope he was able to play beer league hockey after ...

[@royaumeuni5730]

Canada in blue jerseys, why? Soviet Union won the tournament. Canada bronze.

[@hkyplyr61]

Yall must be basket ball fans. Gretzky is the best athlete from 1900 until ??

[@Jim-pq9pm]

Best athlete? Not exactly. He is the most dominant professional athlete of all time though

[@bobbyhulll8737]

@@Jim-pq9pm tell us the difference...?

[@Jim-pq9pm]

@@bobbyhulll8737 I think most would agree that Gretzky didn't particularly excel in any physical area. He wasn't the fastest, the hardest shot, best hitter. I take the term "athlete" to refer to some kind of physical attribute.

[@bobbyhulll8737]

@@Jim-pq9pm I guess that’s why championships aren’t won at the combine .. but I get you point ..

[@ransiebra65]

On a mediocre team

[@МикНич-х6в]

The Soviet model is better (с)

[@sid7088]

Performance enhancing drugs? No, that's cheating.

[@МикНич-х6в]

@@sid7088 Быть лучше советских Грецки не помогают даже препараты, улучшающие работоспособность)

[@caltoo2717]

​@@МикНич-х6в born in Canada, learned in Canada

[@lukebruce5234]

@@sid7088 cheating was what Canadian referees did in CC87

[@richardramsdell5195]

Gretzky was one of the most overrated athletes ever. Mario Lemieux, Bobby Orr, Gordie Howe to mention only a few. How many Stanley Cups did he win without Mark Messier?

[@Calers-gu1ib]

He proved himself long before he met Mark

[@alanharper4910]

These guys can’t even skate

[@deanclark3705]

If he got checked the way they go after crosby no way would he have put up the numbers he did. He was left alone so the nhl could sell hockey in the US and they did not want him to end up like orr.

[@jamesanthony5681]

Denis Potvin said many times he wanted to plaster Wayne into the boards but he couldn't because Gretzky was just too elusive. The era of Gretzky was far more physical than during the Crosby period. A lot of the obstruction and hits-to-the-head have been taken out of the game. You're penalized today for merely putting your hand on someone.

[@saveitmike7228]

Couldn't catch Wayne

[@deanclark3705]

So then you are saying Crosby is slow cause they catch him a lot and Greg Terrion of the Leafs used to catch up to Gretzky and frustrate him regularly. I'm not talking about laying him out just sticking on him and not giving him so many chances.

[@saveitmike7228]

@@deanclark3705 would you want mcsorley coming after you ? Lol

[@bjornyesterday8362]

And there was a guy named Dave Semenko riding shotgun, so Gretz the Ghost was putting up numbers with only 1 1/2 line mates in Edmonton. Then in a World Cup game, Gary Suter of USA, ended Gretz’s effectiveness with an almost career ending hit from behind. Leaving him alone? Don’t think so. Think i have all the details correct here.....has been awhile.

[@rg6093]

editing out Gretz's slash @ 1:45 is essentially why people hate mass media. Mess had 2 more cups.

[@kranmaster]

Not to mention he was a 16 year old kid. How many 16 year olds are, or have been the focal point of their team on & off the ice at the World Juniors?

[@good2goskee]

@@goldenbison9531 That was spit-polish clean for the 70s

[@Roller11111]

It's hockey! There's going to be rough stuff.

[@Calers-gu1ib]

Those Russian teams played together all year long while Canadian Jrs and pros only played a couple of weeks together. They couldn't handle Gretzky. Don't remember Mark impressing me vs the best Jrs in the world. Every great player in history were matched with someone to feed them but Mark had Wayne feeding him and Schutt had Lafleur feeding him. There were more haters for Wayne hence more credit for Mess comments. History of Hockey always noted the great motivators in the dressing room for teams that achieved a lot and that is what Mark was known for, a motivator.