Wayne Gretzky Opens Up on Playing Derek Jeter’s Prized Position, Reveals Critical Impact on His NHL Greatness

Sport is such an arena where the most fascinating cross-overs happen. This time, it is a unique amalgamation of the diamond and hockey rink. While the world is not foreign to Wayne Gretzky’s celebrated career, there is one tidbit that has pretty much remained a secret up until now. The ice hockey legend revealed intriguing connections to the world of baseball. 

That said, when two legends join hands, the story of Derek Jeter and Wayne Gretzky is woven. From having a keen interest in the same sport to having similar business goals, the two share a camaraderie to look up to. Who’d have known that the NHL and MLB would be so coincidently linked? 

Wayne Gretzky on Loving the Game, Being Average at It, and More

@jonmorosi shared a tweet about Wayne Gretzky on @NHL_On_TNT. What one learns through the tweet is the 62-year-old’s “average” relationship with baseball during his early days. The New York Rangers star’s words were, “I played a little bit of shortstop. I was an average baseball player at best, but I loved the game…” Though he modestly acknowledged that he wasn’t all that great at the sport, he imbibed the valuable learnings. 

He further went on to share how the skills he picked up as a shortstop helped him in his hockey career. While the physical aspects of both the sports are different,” thinking and hand-eye coordination” are constant across both sports. He noted that playing baseball “only helped and enhanced my hockey career.” Rightly so, his achievements are totally salute-worthy. 

In honor of his achievements, the National Hockey League retired his number 99 across the league. Gretzky was one of the only six players to be selected to the International Ice Hockey Federation aka IIHF Centennial All-Star Team. Another feather to his cap was his induction to the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2000. Later, in 2012, he became the recipient of the Hockey Order of Canada. While he did credit his baseball experience that helped him as an NHL player, that’s not the only baseball-connection the evergreen player has. 

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The Jeter-Gretzky Team in Business

Be it in baseball or ice hockey, finding a better fitting and better feeling sporting apparel is tough. The UNTUCKit founder Chris Riccobono identified this problem and joined hands with a couple of other athletes revolutionize premium sportswear with Greatness Wins. And guess who were on the panel? It was Wayne Gretzky and Derek Jeter. The two legends, beyond playing shortstops, are now business partners. What are the odds? 

Read More: From Diamond to Design: Derek Jeter’s Unconventional Venture Scores Big in the Fashion World

The brand was created accumulating the business expertise of three athletes. Their partnership with each all-time great in their respective sports has helped them scale their business. While Jeter and Riccobono use their coupled knowledge to push the venture, Misty Copeland is in charge of the women’s line. Gretzky, quite contrary to common expectation, heads the golf and not the hockey division where he’s called ‘The Great One’.