How to Play Hockey Like Wayne Gretzky

Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky racked up points, records and awards throughout his career. During his time in the NHL, he played on teams that won the Stanley Cup four times, and he was named league MVP in nine different seasons. If you want to play like Gretzky, you'll need a lot of talent and hard work.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Play center like Wayne Gretzky did throughout his career. Gretzky set numerous records for the position, including most assists by a center in one season, most goals by a center ever and most points by a player. Playing center put Gretzky in a position to dish off the puck to his teammates for assists or take the shot himself.
2. Rewrite the record book. Gretzky set 40 different regular season records during his playing career. In addition, he also set 15 playoff records and 6 All-Star records. If you want to play like Gretzky, you'll need to add a few of your own.
3. Be a child prodigy. Even as a child, Gretzky showed hockey brilliance. He generally played against older children as he grew up and was the youngest player to compete in the World Junior Championships in 1978 at the age of 16.
4. Work hard. Although Gretzky was blessed with enormous talent, he also practiced long hours to hone his skills. He practiced, on average, four to five hours a day throughout his career.
5. Wear 99. The number 99 is synonymous with Wayne Gretzky in the hockey world. In the NHL, the number has been retired in honor of Gretzky's accomplishments as a player.
6. Read the game well. Hockey experts agree that Gretzky was one of the best at reading the game, anticipating plays and making the right move at the right time. Although he was sometimes criticized for being too small and too slow, he made up for his physical limitations by playing intelligent hockey.
7. Continue in hockey after your retirement. Gretzky has continued to be active in the game. He has served as the Executive Director for the Canadian Olympic Team in the 2002 Winter Olympics and as the head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes.