“What Took You So Long?”: Wayne Gretzky Was Once Left Shocked by His Father’s Animated Reaction After Scoring a Historic Goal

Wayne Gretzky is a legend whose exploits remain unmatched in the NHL. Fans and experts unanimously regard Gretzky as the greatest ice hockey player. The legendary player holds more records than anyone who has come after him. Incredibly, Gretzky honed his skills in a backyard skating rink and didn’t attend any hockey schools.

Among his numerous records, Gretzky also holds the record for the highest goals scorer in the NHL. Once Wayne set his sites on scoring 50 goals in 50 games. However, he reached his goal even before playing 50 games. During an interview with Graham Bensinger in 2016, Gretzky revealed his father’s animated reaction after learning about the achievement.

Wayne Gretzky called his father immediately after the game

When Graham asked Gretzky, “What did you say to your dad when you call them immediately after getting off?” The hockey legend gave some context before getting to answering Graham’s question. The Oilers’ legend said he called his father immediately because he wasn’t sure if his father could watch the game.

“Well, those days things were different… Because all the games weren’t on TV. You don’t know if they got it on the satellite dish or they’re able to see it,” said Wayne. However, he also thought his father’s friends must’ve already told him. “I knew he probably heard, even if he wasn’t watching the game. He had friends obviously, in Edmonton,” Gretzky said.

However, Walter Gretzky shocked Wayne when he answered the phone call. “What took you so long?” Walter told Wayne. After hearing his dad’s reaction, Wayne knew his father had watched the game. Graham also recalled Walter’s animated reaction while telling him the story of his son’s 50 goals in 50 games achievement.

READ MORE: “It’s Superstition”: NHL GOAT Wayne Gretzky Once Explained His Absurd Pre-game Ritual That Became a Tradition Throughout His Hockey Career

Trying to score 50 goals in 50 games was a massive deal for Wayne. Few players had succeeded in doing so. However, Wayne didn’t require 50 matches to score 50 goals. Gretzky scored five goals in his 39th game of the season and brought his total to 50. 11 games earlier than he had hoped.

The incredible talent of the hockey legend

Like American Football or Soccer, Ice Hockey is a full-contact game. Players try to out-muscle one another as much as attempting to outplay one another. However, Gretzky wasn’t the most intimidating player on the field. What Gretzky lacked in brawn, he more than made up for in stamina, skill, and overall game sense.

In his book The Game of Our Lives, Peter Gzowski wrote, “Wayne had the highest stamina out of every player on his team, the Edmonton Oilers.”

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Walter Gretzky’s reaction may have shocked Wayne. However, he knew how passionate Walter was about his son’s success.