“I Needed This Stress”: Wayne Gretzky Once Revealed How He Coped With a Different Challenge After His Playing Career

The adrenaline rush is one of the companions of a sportsperson’s life. They are habitual in dealing with stress and pressure. Moreover, they develop a tendency to work better in such situations. However, this is one of the things that a player misses out on after retiring from his playing career. Similarly, Wayne Gretzky recalled a phase in his life after his playing career, where he was once again subjected to soak stress.

The book, ‘The Great One: The Complete Wayne Gretzky Collection’, mentioned how Gretzky coped with those challenges. 

Wayne Gretzky felt the need for that phase

Some people just love to face challenges. Despite being unaware of the results, they love to test themselves frequently. When his children were growing up, Gretzky was coaching in Phoenix with his son Ty. Whereas his wife, Janet Jones, and the other four children lived in Los Angeles pursuing their crafts. 

As they lived apart for certain work reasons, it became a challenge for The Great Gretzky to stay away from his family. As he misses several important moments in his kids’ lives, he said, “I get emotional”. He continued, “Sometimes my heart rate doesn’t come down till the morning after a game. But it’s enjoyable.”

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But that is where the experience of the former NHL legend came in. Gretzky further added, “I needed this stress, I guess. I needed the challenge. Did I think I was going to like it? Yeah. Did I think I was going to love it? Probably not. But I do. I love it.”

Gretzky’s only son to follow in his footsteps

Ty Gretzky is the only Wayne Gretzky’s child who followed his steps into hockey. Ty, who was living with his father during the mentioned incident, pursued hockey from a young age. However, it didn’t end on a very successful note for him. The pressure of being the son of the greatest hockey player was immense.

After a few matches in competitive hockey, he was smack-talked on the field by the players as well as the audience. In an interview in 2006, he said, “I get smack-talked all the time on the ice from other players.” Ty continued, “Just like, ‘I thought you were going to be a lot better,’ stuff like that.” 

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Wayne Gretzky enjoyed it when he felt the emotion of stress after a long time. He loved to tackle the stress situation and overcome it with his abilities. Have you ever felt the need for an adrenaline rush in your life like Wayne Gretzky?