Mr. Wayne Gretzky

The Great One turns 52 years  young today!  Born January 26, 1961 in Brantford, Ontario, Gretzky is without a doubt the best player to ever play the game.  The numbers that he complied in his 20-year professional career are simply staggering.

894 goals.  1,963 assists.  2,857 career points.

In the 1981-1982 season, Gretzky had 212 points.   212 points, people.  92 of those were goals.

I just can’t even comprehend.

18-time NHL All-Star. 10 Art Ross Trophies.  9 Hart Trophies.  5 Lady Byngs.  4 Stanley Cups.  4 Lester B. Pearsons. 2 Conn Smythes.

All this coming from a man who by any hockey standards, especially today’s, was not built for hockey.

Wayne Gretzky is what you might refer to as a….

His size, strength, and basic athletic ability were nothing exceptional.  As an 18-year-old rookie in 1979, he weight all of 160 lbs.  And I’m pretty sure that was soaking wet, holding the Stanley Cup while wearing all of hockey equipment.

Then he ate some sandwiches and got his weight up to manly 185 lbs.  By his own admission, he always finished dead last peripheral vision, flexibility, and strength during team testing.  Apparently, he could only bench press 140 lbs.

So how did this guy become the greatest hockey player of all time?

Simple.

He’s an alien.

Okay, so not really, but some have accused him of having some sort of extrasensory perception when it comes to hockey – “eyes in the back of his head” they called it.   In reality, Gretzky’s intelligence and his ability to read the game was unparalleled.

He had an almost superhuman ability to anticipate the puck and where it would be on the ice.  He was a creative player, an improviser able to make split second decisions on the ice and completely confuse his opponents.

He was an ellusive player.  Denis Potvin once remarked that trying to hit Gretzky was like “wrapping your arms around fog.”  Gretzky even has an area of the ice named for him. Forever more, the area behind the net will be referred to as “Gretzky’s Office.”  (Which I also happen to think is an excellent name for a hockey bar.)

He had great flow, before flow was a “thing”.

He scored 50 goals in 39 games. 

He inspires deep thoughts from movie man Kevin Smith.

Since retiring from the game in 1999, the Great One was immediately inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, the only player to ever have this honor.  His infamous #99 jersey was retired league-wide.

Gretzky has kept busy as a coach, businessman, husband, father, and of all things, a wine maker.

So, we here at WUYS raise a glass of Wayne Gretzky Estates 2008 Pinot Nior to #99 and wish him a very happy birthday!

The great oracle Orisis Jones was right as far as part of the West Coast goes:

That was our happy face after the sweep!

Not since 1993 have the LA Kings been to a conference final and that was when the Great One played for them – as in Wayne Gretzky.

WTF are the LA KINGS doing in the play-offs?

But that was before other brother Darryl Sutter took command. And all I can say is Capt. Dustin Brown’s mug shot makes him look like Dennis the Menace and I want to adopt him.

don’t let this sweet face trick you – he will destroy you on the ice

He had this fly save in the crease for Quick that was a game saver!

And still people have to ask why the LA KINGS are in the play-offs? Puppet Please?! It’s not just Drew Doughty that’s touched by god anymore.

Looks like just enough room for me guys!

I've said it before, I'll say it again, THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE.

Hello? Yeah. It’s been while. Not much. How ’bout you?

I’m not sure why I called. I guess I really just wanted to talk to you.

I really DO miss your smile.

I was thinking maybe later on, we could get together for a while.

It’s been such a long time and I really do miss your smile.

a million watt smile!

I’m not talking about moving in. And I don’t want to change your life. But there’s a warm wind blowing and the stars are around and I’d really love to see you tonight.

the best of the best, hottest of the hot.

I won’t ask for promises. So you won’t have to lie. We’ve both played that game before. Say I love you and say good bye.

ok, maybe I will ...

We could walking through a windy park, take a drive along the beach.

baby you can drive my car ...

any one for skinny dipping?

Stay at home and watch TV, you see it really doesn’t matter much to me.

my favorite little devil

hell, making out in the snack isle will work! right seriously pissed?!

I’m not talking about moving in.

your place or mine?

And I don’t want to change your life. But there’s a warm wind blowing and the stars are around and I’d really love to see you tonight.

*sigh* really ... no, really. SRSLY. really.

I’d really love to see you tonight. I’d really love to see you tonight. NO, REALLY, I’D REALLY LOVE TO SEE YOU – TONIGHT. I KNOW YOU’RE NOT DOING ANYTHING.

It seems like the sophisticated air of the oenological world would not mesh well with the philistine-like culture of hockey, but I think this is changing.  Here are just a few examples…

• Boston Bruin Mark Recchi has a 1,000 bottle wine cellar.  Mario Lemieux got him started and a Montreal Canadians trainer got him hooked even more, wooing him with fancy wine and cheese parties.
• A picture of David Krejci is the label for Italian winery Vignamaggio’s new Chianti Classico
• The NHL Alumni Association has a whole Signature Wine Series feature bottles with NHL greats like Pat Lafontaine, Bobby Hull, Gordie Hull, Bobby Clark and others on the label.
• The “Great One”, Wayne Gretzky, has his own winery in Ontario and has been making wine since 2007.

Also, my Little Brother (aka LB) happens to work at a very nice Napa Valley winery where he has tasted with players and owners from the Blackhawks and Sharks and NHL legends like Ray Bourque, who reportedly purchased quite a bit of wine for his Boston restaurant from said vineyard.

Even the Winter Classic is getting in on the action.  Duckhorn Vineyards has produced 500 cases (6000 bottles) of its delicious Napa Valley Decoy Merlot in honor of 2011 Winter Classic. This is what Pants and Dawn will be drinking while watching the game on 1/1/11.  Ladies, I have had the Decoy Merlot and it is DELISH!  I bet it will taste even better when sipped out of these…

Do I ever think that hockey and the NHL will let go of its “beer-and-pizza” image?  No, and I’m totes okay with that.  I love beer and pizza.  But I am hopeful that more and more hockey fans will venture into the world of wine and start to appreciate what all those French and Italian dudes have for hundreds of years.  Trust me folks, wine (and quality wine at that) is worth tasting and enjoying.  And if I can’t convince you, maybe he can…

À votre santé!

Until next time…Chuck out.

P.S. Sorry I’ve been MIA.  Pesky graduate school classes….

PANTS IS ADDING SOMETHING! Sorry for the post hack, Chuck but I can’t post a photo in the comments.  Mike Green has a wine room in his condo. Oh yes.  This… I… censored.  I could not possibly ever be drunk around Mike Green unless I want to go to jail.

One for him, one for Pants.