Wayne Gretzky and Connor McDavid Have an Epic Conversation | One-on-One | GQ Sports

ring and no one wears the ring. I don't see them everywhere the reason but." that shadow is the actual name of the cup because everyone wants that Stanley Cup ring so when you design the ring make sure you can wear it like D

wayne

said about Stan Mikita when I played for the first time, he said it was really exciting for me in my first year. I got hurt and missed both games, so in the second one I had to go to Pittsburgh and place it and again we took the initial tie, yeah, it had all the time they washed me during the anthem.

I'm like, oh my God, that's sitting there Osby over there and they play against them and then the same to face each other. I don't even think my stick touched me today, she slapped me on it. the back so fast, but it was yeah, it was a special moment, for sure, yeah, and you know. It's so fast that it happens because when I was like you at that age and you were watching, it's like that. Trottier, everyone compares you and, suddenly, it's like this, they're going well, is this it? boy, the next coffin or her before they know you're going to be chased, it happens very quickly, yeah, it's hard for them to push that, but Wayne alluded to earlier, that's something that, as you know, people

have

been saying for a long time time and It's pretty comfortable now, you know, like Wayne said, they're probably already talking about another one coming up, but with that pressure you

have

to win and that's all I want to do well.

My hobbies are different because I have five children and two. grandkids, please start with that, yeah, I have a little less pressure, yeah, so I just got a dog, okay, I have a dog, buddy, oh, okay, but you know, I don't know, we're a Pretty young team, yeah, so you know. We have a young group that we still hang out with and yeah, and I don't think people realize during the season, like you, who is 100 percent hockey, you don't really have time to go skiing or play golf or any commitments. He's a hockey man, you know when when you take a long time off you want to leave Stevie exactly?

I like it when I let it be so quiet, no one bothers, yeah, it's a beautiful place obviously, so yeah, I like the weather, it can't be blue lights, oh. nice my favorite place to go is we love going to the Bahamas it's the place we've been going since 1988. Merv Griffin you drugged Paradise Island and he brought my wife to Hollywood and sent us on a trip there one time and we left. I go back almost every year so that's our favorite place to go please I tell kids this all the time that your job is to play hockey worry about what you're going to do after you play hockey it's not a real estate agent.

No, you don't own restaurants or bars, your hockey player, we're lucky, we all get paid very well to play in a big game and obviously you have the right people around you to make sure that when you die, OK? Now I can choose. go do what I want to do and for yourself when you retire and have so many opportunities, but that's a long way down the road, I mean at 23 you have a good 16 or 17 years left and that's all you have to go. you should worry. That's all you should care about because that's your life and you're going to have all those doors open, so I didn't think about anything until after I retired and then you go down those ropes.

I only have one regret: 1993, my Travel was a better team than ours, but we were playing such a good team, we had a very good coach. Kelly Rudy played as well as any goalie in hockey at the time and Patrick was the best goalie in hockey. We were up in nothing. In the game we were one late and we lost the second game, we lost three games in overtime and I wish I could play a week of hockey again, that would be the week I go to a Stanley Cup, whatever is exciting, I don't know if .

Will it ever be like Canada, no, because America and I live here a lot of baseball and basketball, soccer, tennis, they are very big and they are popular in Canada, but still hockey is number one, so hockey you're wrestling with four or five different

sports

here, but what hockey? What it's done is we've grown the game so much with so many good players, Connor and Austin Matthews and Alex and Syd, previous guys like Brett Hall and Messier Gordie Howe, etc., kids now say, I want to try to play hockey, like that. that California Texas and then in Missouri with the Blues winning the Stanley Cup if five kids were drafted in the first round a couple of years ago.

Louis, which is spectacular, so you can see that more and more athletes are needed who could have chosen other

sports

and now play hockey. As time goes on, I continually see Canada fighting with the United States because the Americans are getting so much better. he said you don't have to win he just said don't worry good answer yeah I mean obviously I don't have to do it in the Olympics but you know even playing the World Junior Championships or a world championship just having the opportunity to use the The logo is so special that there is no equal feeling in international hockey that you really feel when you play in the Olympic Games, it is even on another level.

The best thing about the Olympic Games is that you stayed in the village with all the other athletes, for me that was the best. During the Olympics in my time, you didn't feel as much of a rivalry because I was very good friends with a lot of guys on that team like Chris Chelios, Brian Leetch, Brett Hall and Doug Wade. I mean, I felt like I was playing. We, my friends, while when we played against the Russians we hated them because we didn't know, you probably have a similar situation, but the Americans are much better every year and are one of the elite teams in the world. right now, that's for sure, so you can't go to any, they haven't charged you.

I told you it's Church and the Oilers hockey, you can't go anywhere, actually he's probably more upset about Edmonton than I am because I haven't been. there for so long and it's so recognizable now that I probably get around easier and in Edmonton that he wouldn't hesitate about it. I mean, they recognize me by the shoulder. I'll tell you what I'm understanding of all this when people come up to you and Let's say you used to be casually used to all the season ticket games and then, you know, my parents used to go to all the season ticket games. season.

Now I understand that my grandparents told me that you were pretty good, that's right, anyone who comes close. Hamilton and I just want to tell me your favorite Wayne story. We get tired of Wayne Gretzky stories. Yes, I think you are feeling more and more comfortable. I mean, I remember my first game was actually here in St. Louis, you almost hope not to touch the puck because I just want to make a mistake, the guys are so big and then I move on. You know, the game gets easier, it slows down a little and yes, it sure is more comfortable and faster since then.

You were a player watching it now. I think it's a different game now that the players are at the elite level. The size and speed of the players are better than when we played. The team is better. Skates are better. I said the other day Bobby Orr. He wears tennis shoes with blades and he remains one of the greatest Gators who ever lived. The equipment and technology that players have today, so it's not a knock against the 60s, 70s and 80s. In 20 years, the game will be better than before. Today that's just progression and that's what we want in sports and of course obviously in hockey, so what these kids are doing today is really unique and really special, the speed of the game and the physicality.

I'm glad I retired well. I mean, it's never reviewed now they're starting to follow up, which I'm sure is the psalmist thing, but yeah, it's not very fun to deal with, but it should be an automatic penalty, so yeah, I'm all for it. Your side, the coach should get a kick. It's the dumbest thing in hockey. I used to hate it, but you're too fast for me. Don't know. 7. I am surprised that that guy is in the corner, young people, today is a different world, as he said on social networks. We are under a lot of pressure and a huge microscope.

I think it's a real testament to the families of how well you guys handled who you are both on and off the ice and a credit to the league and a credit to the city you play in. in him, so it is not necessary for me to give him advice because you listen to his mother and father at his young age and that is necessary throughout his life.