Gretzky Praise

[kmad]

Gretzky has a bit of a reputation for giving out praise way too easily. Can we get a list of all the ridiculous examples?

I know in his 1991 autobiography he said that Mark Hunter was the best checker in the game, and that Steve Smith deserved a Conn Smythe in 1987.

I don't have a source but he also said Crosby has a good chance to break his scoring records.

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[NewBoysClub97*]

He's a little too kind when it comes to praise lol. That's for sure.

 

[NewBoysClub97*]

I remember him praising Hemsky back in the day. About playmaking I believe.

 

[Took a pill in Sbisa]

http://m.bleacherreport.com/articles/11580-alex-kovalev-from-pariah-to-the-messiah

Alexei Kovalev is the most talented player he'd ever seen, him included.

 

[Evergreen]

It's not like he's usually just offering this praise on his own. He'll be at some sporting or charity event and a reporter will stick a microphone in his face and ask him what he thinks about a certain player or event that's popular at the moment and he'll say something generous and safe as opposed to critical so he doesn't appear rude or protective of his own records. You can take it too literally.

 

[NyQuil]

On MacDavid:

“He’s as good as I’ve seen in the last 30 years, the best player to come into the league in the last 30 years,” said Gretzky, who dominated the NHL from 1979 to 1999, “the best to come along since (Mario) Lemieux and (Sidney)

On Crosby:

“I don’t think there's any question Sidney Crosby is the best all-around player in the game,” Gretzky told ESPN.

On Kopitar:

"I think Anze Kopitar, right now, is the third-best player in the National Hockey League, only behind [Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney] Crosby and [Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan] Toews, and he’s getting better every game,” said Gretzky, who played for the Kings from 1988-1995."

On Zetterberg:

"“I think Zetterberg is the best player in the game (at his age),'' Gretzky told NHL.com. “He's been so physically beat up from the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Olympics, all that goes with that, but he's just very special. I think he's the best Swedish player they've ever put into the National Hockey League, and there has been a lot of great ones, from (Borje) Salming to (former Red Wing Nicklas) Lidstrom.''

 

[Woll Smoth]

Hall Gill was praised highly by Jagr and Pierre Mcguire.

 

[BuppY]

Hall Gill was praised highly by Jagr and Pierre Mcguire.

For being the best 6'7 pylon?

 

[Plural]

Gretzky loves those two-way centers. Weird, since he was extremely one sides center. He handled that side as no-one ever. But still.

Here's one.
The “Great One” himself, Wayne Gretzky, is on record as calling Grant Fuhr “the best goaltender in NHL history.”

 

[SidGenoMario]

He once called Steven Stamkos the most dominant athlete in North American sports history, probably.

 

[Sens Rule]

Well..... Better to offer praise everywhere then make youtube videos with his Stanley Cup rings and how he is better then Lebron or Kobe like Jordan. That is embarrassing.

Gretzky, Howe, Orr... That's how you act if you are the greatest. Not like Barroid, Clemens, Jordan.... Etc.

If you are that great you don't need to brag.

 

[Cursed Lemon]

I think at this point, Gretzky WISHES someone would take the mantle of "best player ever" off of his shoulders so he doesn't have to deal with it anymore. lol

 

[Realgud]

I think he once said that Daniel Cleary was the best lockerroom presence guy in the whole history of all sports of all time and beyond. I think, but I'm not sure.

No but seriously, he goes REALLY easy on the praise. I've noticed that when there is any hype around a player for certain reasons, he will get asked to give his opinion and we can all expect what he will say lol.

Did he said anything on Toews yet? If not, I'm very surprised and expecting him to say something along the lines of "the best captain since Yzerman/Sakic blabla".

 

[cgf]

Well..... Better to offer praise everywhere then make youtube videos with his Stanley Cup rings and how he is better then Lebron or Kobe like Jordan. That is embarrassing.

Gretzky, Howe, Orr... That's how you act if you are the greatest. Not like Barroid, Clemens, Jordan.... Etc.

If you are that great you don't need to brag.

You don't dominate like Jordan did without being a raging ********* and insanely competitive gambling addict. Gretzky's hockey's great one, but he didn't dominate like Jordan did during the strongest era in his sports history.

 

[Paper]

Did he said anything on Toews yet? If not, I'm very surprised and expecting him to say something along the lines of "the best captain since Yzerman/Sakic blabla".

Last summer, in reference to Kopitar, mentioned Toews as the second best player in the league:
http://frozenroyalty.net/2014/06/06...ight-now-is-the-third-best-player-in-the-nhl/

“I think Anze Kopitar, right now, is the third-best player in the National Hockey League, only behind [Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney] Crosby and [Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan] Toews, and he’s getting better every game,” said Gretzky, who played for the Kings from 1988-1995.

I suppose there's even some room to argue that he was saying Kopitar was third behind Crosby and Toews, but was not ranking Crosby and Toews.

 

[MayDay]

Around 98 or 99 he said that Dominik Hasek was the best hockey player in the world.

But he might have been right at that time.

 

[Moops]

You don't dominate like Jordan did without being a raging ********* and insanely competitive gambling addict. Gretzky's hockey's great one, but he didn't dominate like Jordan did during the strongest era in his sports history.

I'm unconvinced that Jordan ever dominated as much as Gretzky did, other than the fact that he played a sport where once person can take over.

Tangent--How sick would the Oilers have been if they were a basketball team? Gretzky-Messier-Kurri-Coffey-Fuhr, Anderson coming off of the bench.

 

[Sens Rule]

You don't dominate like Jordan did without being a raging ********* and insanely competitive gambling addict. Gretzky's hockey's great one, but he didn't dominate like Jordan did during the strongest era in his sports history.

Yes he did. Straight up. Gretzky is the assassin of all assassins. Regular season or playoffs he never, ever let up. Gave it 100% all the time trying to score... Vs The Jets in the third period of a nothing game up 7-2 or in Game 7 1993 vs Leafs.

Just because he wasn't an a-hole does not mean Gretzky wasn't competitive as a starving wolverine.

 

[cgf]

I'm unconvinced that Jordan ever dominated as much as Gretzky did, other than the fact that he played a sport where once person can take over.

Tangent--How sick would the Oilers have been if they were a basketball team? Gretzky-Messier-Kurri-Coffey-Fuhr, Anderson coming off of the bench.

Well that's sort of a big part of dominating no? Jordan was able to win 6 straight titles with 1 other HOFer on his team (the two threepeats with his league mandated "retirement" season between them). The difference between the sports is a big part of that, but that doesn't mean that he wasn't on a level of dominance that Grez, Beckenbauer/Pele/Maradona/Cruyff/Netzer, Montana/Unitas/Brady couldn't match.

 

[THall4]

I remember him praising Hemsky back in the day. About playmaking I believe.

Was about his vision and hands at high speed.

 

[Roomtemperature]

I think he took the criticism of when he called the Devils a Mickey Mouse Organization and went the other way where he won't say anything bad ever again.

 

[Moops]

Well that's sort of a big part of dominating no? Jordan was able to win 6 straight titles with 1 other HOFer on his team (the two threepeats with his league mandated "retirement" season between them). The difference between the sports is a big part of that, but that doesn't mean that he wasn't on a level of dominance that Grez, Beckenbauer/Pele/Maradona/Cruyff/Netzer, Montana/Unitas/Brady couldn't match.

It's a result of domination, but the gap between Gretzky and the #2 of his era was at least as massive at the gap between Jordan and his #2, and I don't think Jordan ever annihilated the field the way Gretzky did in his best years. I could see someone coming along and being as great as Jordan. Gretzky, not so much. Not in my lifetime.

 

[NewBoysClub97*]

As far as I'm. Concerned Jordan talked the talk and walked the walk. Should have won seven or eight on a row if he didn't go try to play baseball.

Utter dominance and presence. He was THE MAN

 

[cgf]

It's a result of domination, but the gap between Gretzky and the #2 of his era was at least as massive at the gap between Jordan and his #2, and I don't think Jordan ever annihilated the field the way Gretzky did in his best years. I could see someone coming along and being as great as Jordan. Gretzky, not so much. Not in my lifetime.

That's partially because Jordan played in the greatest era the NBA will ever see with a lot of HOFers on other teams. The Dream would have a good case to be the GOAT if not for Jordan. Shaq, Zo, Robinson, Ewing would be the best big man in the game today and only lebron+the handchecking rules brought in after Jordan retired to favor wing-play could keep them from being the best player in the league right now. The NBA was flooded with all time greats in the 90s. And Jordan still dominated completely.

 

[cgf]

I hate the man, Knicks fan who grew up in chicago and I've gambled with some folks that have stories about jordan so I've never been under any delusions about what a ****** human being he is. But Jordan's dominance just can not happen in a more team oriented sport like football, hockey or american football.