Wayne Gretzky is a legend on the ice. But when it comes to giving speeches, even the Great One failed. Over the years, Gretzky has inspired many young buds through his incredible game. However, interestingly, the ice hockey star avoids verbal motivation. Hence, when Gretzky was once forced to give an encouraging speech to a bunch of eight-year-old kids, even after refusing multiple times, he failed massively.

While recalling the incident during a discussion, Gretzky confessed how horrible the “motivational speech” went, and almost gave a coach a heart attack. Here’s diving more into the incident.

Wayne Gretzky and his ridiculous speech-giving skills

In 2020, Gretzky was featured on The Cam and Strick Podcast to discuss his hockey career on and off the rink. During this candid conversation, the NHL GOAT recalled an incident where he attended a youth hockey tournament in his hometown. When Gretzky reached the event, one of the coaches from the arena requested the hockey star to give an inspirational speech to a team of eight-year-old kids.

As per The Hockey Beast, although Gretzky warned the coach about his poor speaking skills, he was still forced to do the task. As expected, it did not bode well. Gretzky confessed, “I walked into the locker room, said hello to the boys, and then said, ‘Now remember, you’re 8 years old, it doesn’t matter if you win or lose. it’s how many goals you get.’ The coach just looked at me like he was gonna have a heart attack! I said to him, ’I told you I was the wrong guy for this job.'”

Although it was a harsh way of conveying his message, Gretzky admitted that he only spoke what he truly believed. “That’s what I feel about kids’ hockey and kids’ sports. Just go out and have fun, just go play. If you win or lose doesn’t matter when you’re 8 years old,” stated the ice hockey icon.

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Such realizations could be because of the fact that Gretzky gained quickly rose to fame at a very young age. But the primary reason could be that being in the limelight never stopped him from enjoying the game.

Gretzky learned to deal with fame early in life

The legendary hockey player had already become a big name in the sport at the young age of 10, as he competed in major hockey tournaments. By 13, the Candian had become a household name in the hockey-loving nation.

However, Gretzky did not let the fame affect him and continued enjoying the game while getting better at it. The hockey star also credited his parents, who kept him grounded and helped him stay humble.

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Gretzky might not be good at delivering speeches to young kids, but his contribution to the sport and his legacy is enough to inspire everyone in the community.