Hockey Legend Wayne Gretzky Was Once Shown the Door by a Bartender While Celebrating With His Edmonton Oilers Teammates

Every win calls for a celebration. There is nothing like the after-party of your first win. But even the victors have some rules to follow, doesn’t matter if someone is Wayne Gretzky, the rising star. Yes! The Great One was not allowed to celebrate with his team despite a huge win.

Wayne Gretzky is one of the most celebrated ice hockey players in history. No doubt about that. However, even the once-rising star couldn’t fully celebrate his first big win with his teammates.

A bartender asked Wayne Gretzky to leave

Wayne Gretzky started playing at a very young age. By the time he was 14, he was already giving a tough time to rivals who were older than him. At 17, Gretzky moved to his first pro season. Doing so, he became the youngest player in WHA history and the youngest member of the team then. Gretzky had his first big win and the only win with the Edmonton Oilers. However, his celebration was interrupted because of his age.

The book “The Great One: The complete Wayne Gretzky collection” by Sports Illustrated mentions the event that took place when Wayne went out to celebrate the win with his teammates. The chapter, “Minor Miracle Up North” by Jerry Kirshenbaum, was originally published in December 1978. It narrates the incident where the 17-year-old was “politely shown the door” by one of the bartenders at the Edmonton Coliseum. The young Gretzky was abiding by the rules and not practicing underage drinking by sticking with his ginger ale in a corner.

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However, there was one rule he wasn’t aware of then. And the kind bartender took it upon himself to gently inform the Oilers’ star about it. As the bartender walked up to him, he told Gretzky, “Sorry, Wayne, but you’ve got to be 18 even to be in here.” And just like that, Wayne was shown the door, while his teammates giggled.

The Great One’s career at a glance:

Wayne Gretzky has had one of the most decorated careers of all time. He holds 61 records in the National Hockey League, which include the play-offs, regular seasons, and All-star records.

Gretzky has more career assists than the total points any other player has ever gained. His career spanned from 1979 to 1999. He has received several awards. These include the Hart Memorial Trophy, Art Ross Trophy, NHL Plus-Minus Award, Sports Illustrated Sports Person of the Year, and Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year.

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Gretzky’s achievements speak volumes about why the star is called The Great One. What are your thoughts on Gretzky not being allowed to celebrate with his team because of his age barrier?