My first significant press coverage took place in Brantford at the rink. The reporter John Iaboni, came to watch me play a hockey game and then wrote the following Story. It was published in the Toronto Telegram October 28, 1971. Once again I was very lucky because the Telegram Newspaper actually folded on or close to October 30th, 1971. If it had folded a couple of days sooner, it is unlikely my story would ever have been told.
No. 9 with big No. 9 aspirations. By JOHN IABONI...Toronto Telegram BRANTFORD - There's a Little No. 9 in this town who has ambitions of replacing the recently retired Big No. 9 of the Detroit Red Wings, Gordie Howe.
And, as with his hero's prowess in finding the net and beating rival goaltenders, 10-year-old Wayne Gretzky has proven he can score goals, too. Now in his fifth novice A season with Brantford's Nadrofsky Steelers, the four-foot 10-inch, 70-pound defenceman-winger-centre has noticed 369 goals thus far.
That's including a five-goal and two-assist performance last Saturday at North Park Arena, which paced Nadrofsky to its seventh consecutive pre-season win, 7-4 over the league unbeaten MTHL Toronto Kings West Hill Highland Farms.
The goal production currently stands at 41 for the 1971-72 campaign with league action in the Brantford-participating Hub League scheduled to commence in two weeks.
Wayne impressed his coaches in his initial tryout when he was five years old. He earned a centre berth in the 10-and-under novice league then and scored one goal while his team captured the group title.
The following season, Gretzky upped his goals total to 27 as Brantford once again won the group championship.
Prior to the 1969-70 season, Nadrofsky coach Bob Hockin presented Wayne with the No. 9 sweater and Gretzky responded with a 105-goal performance as a defenceman to lead Brantford to the group crown.
Last year as a penalty killer, power play specialist, centre and defenceman, Wayne collected a phenominal 196 goals as Nadrofsky won the Ontario championship. Along with his list of team and individual firsts, Wayne was selected as All-Star each season.
Achievements of this sort certainly deserve a few hearty boasts, but the Grade 5 student at Greenbrier Public School remains a very modest young man.
He really enjoys hockey and doesn't mind playing every shift if coach Hockin asks him to. Yes Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito and Bobby Hull are good hockey players, but as for the first two he doesn't like Boston and with the latter he is enhanced only with his slapshot.
"Now Gordie Howe is my kind of player. He had so many tricks around the net no wonder he scored so many goals," Gretzky said. "I'd like to be just like him. "And if Icouldn't play hockey I'd like to play baseball with the Oakland Athletics and Vida Blue."
"Wayne is a wonderful little hockey player, Hockin said. "He ends up being more of a team player than most people realize.
"I know that some say he's played too often, but every time he's out there he's a threat because he controls the game.
"With Wayne being so dangerous and in possession of the puck quite often, he is in a position to shoot himself or set up his teammates. This is good for team morale - the others know he's giving 150 per cent so they try to give 115 per cent."
Brantford's seven pre-season games have been typical of Wayne's consistent 150 per cent efforts. While most victories have been relatively easy (11-2 over Waterford, 23-0 over Grimsby, 17-0 over Galt, 16-1 over Guelph and 13-2 over Hamilton) Nadrofsky's encounters with Toronto teams have provided spectators with close, exciting games.
And each time, Gretzky has come through to give Brantford the final edge with three goals in a 5-3 victory over powerful Don Valley Jack's Pack and again versus the Kings.
Wayne was on the ice for 40 of the 45-minute Kings' game and tested Toronto goalies Glen Wagg in the first period and Steve Bochum in the final two periods with 18 of his team's 31 shots on goal to account for his high points total.
When Gretzky wasn't shooting at the goalies he was close to the goal area anticipating a possible rebound or congratulating wingers Brian Croley and Len Hachborn when each finished Wayne's rushes with goals.
"To be very honest, I don't like to see him out on the ice all the time," said Wayne's father Walter, who is coach of the Niagara District League Junior B entry.
"I'll leave the coaching up to Bob Hockin. Wayne has always been a good skater, although he's never had the size. As long as he likes the sport, I won't complain."
In the Kings' dressing room, coach Pat Volpe expressed contentment in his team's play and praised Gretzky.
"There's no doubt about it, he's a good hockey player, Volpe said. "They've got a fine team and we're hoping to get them back into Toronto if we can get some ice time."
Judging by the solid body-checking, splendid goaltending and superb skating evidenced in the first Steelers-Kings encounter, a rematch in Toronto could fill the arena.
A breakaway goal by Gretzky at 2:35 and a beautiful two-on-one passing play from Wayne to Croley at 13:30 gave Brantford a 2-1 first period lead. Art Robbins beat goalie George Hotston at 3:39 or Kings' goal.
Goals by John Goodwin and Frankie Hachborn and Gretzky put the Steelers in front after the second period.
Centre Goodwin, by far Kings' best player, tied the score after 32 seconds of the final period. But Gretzky won the game with goals at 9:08, 12:28 and 14:59.
As the players congratulated each other before heading for the dressing room, Darren Thompson, an eight-year-old spectator, asked if your correspondent was a newspaper reporter.
"Yes," came the reply.
"Oh, are you going to write a book on Wayne Gretzky, he's good you know." No Darren, not yet, but maybe someday, soon.
If you want to continue this Gretzky immersion, please follow Wayne's skates to the Big Leagues.
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This blog is pretty interesting, will add a bookmark, thanks.
Posted by: Alison | March 27, 2004 at 10:54 PM