“It Stuck Forever”: NHL Goat Wayne Gretzky Once Revealed the History Behind His Famous Nickname ‘The Great One’

Wayne Gretzky is undeniably the ice-hockey GOAT, with a total of 894 goals and 2857 points. To date, he has multiple records and titles that remain unbeaten. In commemoration of what he had achieved, NHL paid tribute to his legacy by retiring jersey number 99. The Great One, as he is fondly called by his fans, remains an undying force in ice hockey even today.

Over his 20 NHL seasons, he may have won numerous awards, but there’s one thing that has become synonymous with his identity. And that’s his nickname! But what’s the story behind him getting such an unusual name? Let’s find out.

How did Wayne Gretzky get his nickname?

For ice hockey, the legacy that Wayne created is commendable. He was skilled at avoiding opponent players’ checks, regularly anticipated where the puck would be, and made the right move at the appropriate time. He was, thus, ‘The Great One.”

Wayne was just “10 years old when a reporter friend from a little town gave” him the nickname ‘The Great One.’ As the NHL star player sat down for an interview with Dan Patrick, he said, “It stuck forever. I never got a different one, and I’ve never had anything else but that.”

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Talking further, he also added that sometimes when he had a bad game, people would take a slight dig at him. Seeing his performance, they would occasionally comment, “He’s The Good One, not The Great One.” But interestingly, in the dressing room, he had a completely different name. His teammates neither called him ‘The Great One’ nor addressed him as ‘Wayne’ but opted for another name altogether.

A different nickname for Wayne 

Wayne’s teammates addressed him as Mr. Douglas. For the unversed, Douglas was Wayne’s middle name. Talking about his nicknames, Wayne said on TNT’s The Steam Room, “I probably had more nicknames than any athlete ever.”

Wayne used to check in under his middle name in hotels. This typical habit of Wayne, as he recalled, was thought to be funny by his fellow players. They hence preferred to call him “Mr. Douglas.” But that’s not all for his nickname list; his dear friend Mark Messier would always call him “Mr. Waynederful.” Mark thought that was a cool name that suited Wayne and his playing skills.

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