Article by Don Schwartz, WG Authentic

Hockey is a sport for people of all ages, shapes and sizes. Yet the young skaters at the Frank Lacroix Minor Hockey Arena in Fort McMurray, Alberta might wonder exactly who would fit inside the giant Wayne Gretzky jersey rising above their rink.

At 10 feet tall and 20 feet wide, not even its namesake would come close to wearing the larger-than-life Edmonton Oilers sweater, which is estimated to be 330 percent bigger than a typical hockey jersey. Originally made as a showpiece for Wayne Gretzky Fantasy Camp VII last February, the jersey consists of approximately 23 yards of fabric – compared to the less than 3 yards used in a normal sized sweater – and took seamstress Patsy Elmer of Big Time Jerseys in Phoenix, Arizona about 35 hours to complete.

“It was really more fun and challenging to make than it was hard to do,” Elmer said. “This kind of work fulfills a passion I have in creating something out of the ordinary. To see my work hanging in an arena gives me such personal satisfaction.”

The larger-than-life fabric creation first served as an impressive backdrop during Fantasy Camp festivities, hanging high in the WG Authentic offices. Though it was never intended to become a permanent fixture, Camp participant Dale Unruh of Fort McMurray knew he had to have the jersey and quickly realized where it ultimately belonged.

“I asked if (WG Authentic’s Mike Brown) would sell it to me or if I could make a donation to the Wayne Gretzky Foundation,” Unruh said. “His response was ‘Where are you going to put it?’ I told him I would figure it out.

“After thinking about it a while, I thought, why not donate it to Fort McMurray Minor Hockey, so I asked Mike if Wayne would sign it and write a note to our hockey community.”

Signed across one of the 40-inch tall number 9s, the sweater now reads: “To the Gang in Ft McMurray, keep playing hockey, Your Friend Wayne Gretzky.”

“What a great piece of inspiration for all of our minor hockey players, volunteers, and donors,” said Unruh, who coaches the Scottie Upshall Select Atom AA Grizzlies and serves as Treasurer of the Fort McMurray Minor Hockey Association. “Coming from the best player and greatest person the hockey world has ever known means so much to every kid that laces up his skates and looks up at this mammoth jersey.”

Masks have become such an iconic part of a goaltender’s gear that it’s strange to think only 50 years have passed since men manned the pipes without the now required head and face protection.

On November 1, 1959, Montreal Canadiens netminder Jacques Plante wore the first full-face goalie mask in a NHL game after a slapshot from hard-shooting Rangers forward Andy Bathgate pegged Plante square in his mug. While Plante’s now crude-looking mask was born out of his desire to return to the ice, today’s masks are practically works of sports art, in addition to featuring state-of-the-art protection against hockey’s hardest shooters. Masks have become a goaltender’s personal calling card, showcasing everything from a player’s home country to the names of family members to profiles of their hockey heroes or even a fun take on their nickname or team mascot.

WG Authentic is pleased to introduce a framed canvas photo featuring one of the game’s more memorable masks. Signed by Hall-of-Fame goaltender Gerry Cheevers, The Mask features the iconic face guard worn by the Boston Bruins goalie and includes a plaque with quotes from Cheevers recalling the history of how the false stitches on his mask grew out of a humorous attempt to get out of practice.

“I turned to Frosty Forristall, our trainer, and said, ‘Frosty, paint a stitch mark or two on the mask,’” Cheevers recalled. “So he painted this big gouge over the right eye and it got a laugh. We started to paint stitches every time I got hit. Frosty would calculate where it would have been and how many stitches it would have taken.”

For more information on this canvas piece, please visit the online store at Gretzky.com/shop.

Article by Don Schwartz, WG Authentic / Visit Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic presented by Samsung

Canadian golfer Derek Gillespie has been waiting for his big break.

Little did the up-and-coming golfer know that his moment would come on a Golf Channel reality show and that the only thing standing between him and taking another step towards his ultimate goal of a PGA Tour card would be 99 yards.

Holding a slim lead on the last hole in the final showdown of the Big Break XI reality competition show, Gillespie’s SkyCaddie showed that he was 99 yards away from the pin and the $100,000 grand prize. For the lifelong hockey fan who wore the Wayne Gretzky 99 Silhouette Cap throughout the show’s taping, the symbolism was strong, though it didn’t dawn upon him until after the fact.

“I saw that I had 99 yards, but I just wanted to hit the green, get it in and scrape it in the hole and win it,” Gillespie said. “It was actually when I got to settle down and have something to eat, drink and do interviews that I was asked about having 99 yards and wearing the 99 hat. It was just kind of neat how everything worked out.”

The win was the crowning moment for The Big Break, which filmed its 11th season on Prince Edward Island. Each week featured skill contests between the contestants, with one of the original 12 – six men, six women – being eliminated after each episode. Though the competitors were all skilled in golf, show business was a different story.

“You were just worried about hitting your shots and trying to control your nerves in front of those cameras, because it can get pretty nerve racking when you see 25 cameras on you,” Gillespie said. “They literally follow your every move. To hit a touch shot, even from 100 yards, is pretty difficult when you’ve got all these distractions. But overall it was a pretty neat and different experience from what I’m used to, just playing golf.”

Also a distraction was the days immediately following the show’s taping, which actually ended last September. Contestants had to sign confidentiality papers prior to the taping, so Gillespie had to keep his life-altering victory a secret until the final episode aired.

“It was tough for the first couple of weeks, but as time went on it got easier because it had all sunk in for me that it was over and I was just trying to move on and think about what I need to do to get on the PGA Tour,” he said. “I’ve been asked so many times ‘Did you win? Did you win?’ But for me it was eight months ago. It wasn’t that big of a deal until the final episode aired recently and I was bombarded with phone calls, Facebook messages, e-mails and interviews. I’m pretty excited for it to be over so I can finally collect that money. But I’m looking forward to the opportunities it brings as well.”

One such opportunity is the chance to play in the upcoming Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic presented by Samsung. For the Oshawa native, the tournament poses double pressure – playing alongside some of hockey’s greats, while also having the chance to compete on the Nationwide Tour.

Not that Gillespie feels that pressure.

“You just try to do your own deal and do the best you can,” he said. “At the end of the day it’s a game and I’m going to have fun with whomever I’m playing with and chat it up. I do understand that it’s important and there’s a lot of money to be won and if I did win and that it could change my life – I’m halfway to the PGA Tour if that happens. I think I play my best golf when I’m relaxed out there and kind of chatting it up and having fun.”

Chances are good that Gillespie will once again be wearing the 99 silhouette somewhere on his attire when he tees off next week in Collingwood. While he makes his living on the greens, a bit of his heart is always on the ice.

“Wayne’s always been an idol of mine,” Gillespie said. “I’ve always looked up to him. I remember when I was a kid growing up in Oshawa that I couldn’t stay up long enough to watch the games out in Edmonton on the West Coast. So before my dad went to work he would always let me know who won before I went to school. This was in the Oilers’ heyday when they were winning all those cups and I was a young kid. He’s an icon in Canada. He’s a great person. He gives back. I couldn’t find somebody better to represent. He’s kind of the ultimate athlete in Canada.”

Given his recent big break, young golf fans may soon be tuning in to see how Gillespie did the previous day. Of course fans can also tune into the Golf Channel’s coverage of the Wayne Gretzky Classic, which tees off July 9 – 12. For more information on the Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic presented by Samsung, visit www.gretzky.com/golf.

Article by Don Schwartz, WG Authentic / Visit Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic presented by Samsung

Article by Don Schwartz, WG Authentic / Visit Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic presented by Samsung

Upon arriving at last year’s Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic presented by Samsung, Nationwide Tour golfer Justin Hicks paused when he noticed his locker number. The lifelong hockey fan from Michigan couldn’t help but wonder whether the random locker assignment was a harbinger of good things to come. The coincidence seemed too perfect.

That locker number? Ninety-nine, of course.

“Seeing locker No. 99 for the Wayne Gretzky tournament was pretty interesting and a positive little thing that went into the back of my head, like ‘Wow, that’s kind of neat. Maybe it’ll be my week or something,’” said Hicks, who went on to win last year’s classic. “Sometimes you need a little something like that to get you thinking that things are going to go your way.”

More than coincidence, of course, is needed to win at the Wayne Gretzky Classic, an annual pro-am style stop on the Nationwide Tour. This year’s classic is set for July 6 – 12 at the Georgian Bay Club and the Raven at Lora Bay in Collingwood, Ontario and features a slew of celebrities and former professional athletes paired with fellow amateurs and players on the Nationwide Tour.

“I think there’s a neat alignment with the hockey playing celebrities and the professionals on the Nationwide Tour,” said Jim Duncan, Nationwide Tour Tournament Director. “I think the road to the top level has a lot of similarities. I don’t think there’s ever been a hockey player that hasn’t had to take a 13-hour drive in a bus or had to drive to get to one place or another. I think our players really enjoy the fact that a lot of them get to play with professional athletes in a pro-am format.”

There’s a certain connection that gets made each year between the golfers and the celebrity amateurs, especially the former athletes who have been bitten by the golf bug since retiring from the sport where they first excelled.

“I think a lot of them watch us play and realize that while they were obviously once at the top of their sports, we’re at the top of ours,” Hicks said. “I think they definitely appreciate what we do. There have been times when I’ve played in other pro-am events and they’re just as interested in us as we are in them, asking things like ‘How did you hit that shot’ or ‘What were you thinking.’ Once you were a professional athlete in one sport it transfers over and they want to be as good as they can be in other sports too. They’re used to being around the crowds and knowing what it’s like to perform under pressure. I think that they really appreciate that with what we do with our games.”

Fans attending the Wayne Gretzky Classic will also appreciate the quality of play from the Nationwide Tour professionals. Generally thought of as a stepping stone to the PGA Tour, the Nationwide Tour has grown to become one of the most respected and competitive golf tours in the game today. Players on the Nationwide Tour such as Brian Gay, Jason Gore, Michael Sim and Camilo Villegas have gone on to success on the PGA Tour, while some golfers that have earned their PGA Tour playing card continue to compete in an occasional Nationwide Tour event.

“The gap between guys playing on the PGA Tour and the Nationwide Tour has gotten pretty slim,” Duncan said. “I don’t think the public knows how close that gap is. But I think when they get out and see how good these guys can play, it’s pretty shocking.”

Hicks understands the tough competition that exists on the Nationwide Tour and expects nothing less at this year’s Wayne Gretzky Classic. A repeat victory is anything but a sure thing, though he does expect to draw upon last year’s success in Collingwood and his familiarity with both the courses and the area, which is the closest stop on the tour to his home and family in Michigan.

Of course, luck sometimes plays a role in sports and it’s yet to be seen who will find himself face-to-face with locker No. 99.

“I’m kind of interested to see what goes on with that,” Hicks said. “I don’t like to read too much into things like that, but it would certainly be a nice thing to see if I show up and get No. 99 again. I just think that Wayne has done so much for hockey and his country that anytime you’re able to draw some energy from that I think it’s a positive thing to have in your favor.”

Article by Don Schwartz, WG Authentic / Visit Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic presented by Samsung

Article by Don Schwartz, WG Authentic

The Gretzky name obviously means a lot to the residents of Brantford, Ontario –  the small, blue-collar town located near Toronto, Ontario. But it’s more than the hockey accomplishments of its native son Wayne that has made the name famous.

Walter Gretzky is affectionately referred to as Canada’s hockey dad and his commitment to charity is well known across his homeland. Though his support for foundations such as the Canadian National Institute for the Blind has wide-ranging impacts, his care for causes right in his hometown is just as strong.

“Walter is an absolute treasure for the City of Brantford,” said Pat Shewchuk, Tournament Capital of Ontario Coordinator for Brantford Parks and Recreation. “I’ve been lucky enough to have known Walter for several years and worked with him on a variety of events. We are purely blessed to have a gentleman of his caliber in our city. He is, in my opinion, our hometown hero without a doubt.”

Among the many Brantford-area charitable events he supports is the Walter Gretzky Street Hockey Tournament, set for June 5-9 at the Ball Hockey International venue in Brantford. Now in its third year, the event aims to raise funds for the Brantford Sports Facilities Infrastructure Legacy Fund, which replaces and refurbishes aging youth and adult sports facilities and infrastructure in the area.

“When we decided that we wanted to hold a special event, we knew we would go to Walter and ask him if we could use his name,” Shewchuk said. “He was intrigued by the idea and, of course, always supports our community, so he said absolutely and Wally’s been on board since day one. The first year of the tournament he was there every single day, signing autographs and taking pictures. He’s a tireless person and so generous with his time and the commitments we ask of him. He is such a giving individual, for sure.”

Between the Walter Gretzky Street Hockey Tournament and a Brantford day at a Toronto Blue Jays baseball game – in addition to support from local sponsors, such as SC Johnson – more than $40,000 has been raised for the Legacy Fund. With the growth of the Street Hockey Tournament, that number is expected to increase. The tournament, which features both youth and adult categories, has drawn participants from as far away as Sarnia and all throughout Southern Ontario.

Organizers anticipate a bit of extra attention at this year’s event, thanks in part to participation from Hollywood producer, director, screenwriter, actor and comic book writer Kevin Smith. The man behind pop films such as Clerks and Chasing Amy and known for his role as “Silent Bob” has entered a team of celebrities in the tournament, including the counterpart to Silent Bob, Jay (Jason Mewes).

“It’s increased the visibility of the tournament,” Shewchuk said. “Our goal has always been – my vision personally and others on our committee – that the Walter Gretzky Street Hockey Tournament can be a signature event for the City of Brantford. I believe down the road people from all over will come to this. I think this year is a kick start, to where if people are only coming to see Kevin, but then they see everything else that’s going on in the tournament and say ‘This was such a good event I think I’m going to register a team next year.’”

In addition to the more than 70 teams competing, the event features an exhibition from the Hockey Hall of Fame, performances by Guinness Book of World Records stilt walker Doug Hunt, music provided by Brantford-area bands, a Guitar Hero contest and a mini rink for the youngest in attendance. A Silent Auction is also planned, featuring signed memorabilia from Wayne and Kevin, along with a variety of other items donated by local businesses.

Click here to learn more about this year’s tournament.

Article by Don Schwartz, WG Authentic

Wayne Gretzky Estates Winery continued to receive accolades for its quality vintages with a pair of gold medals at the 28th annual All Canadian Wine Championships in Windsor, Ontario. The 2007 Estate Series Riesling was among a select group of wines honored with gold in the Riesling Off Dry category. Also receiving a gold medal was the 2006 Estate Series Cabernet Merlot in the Meritage Blends Under $25 category. A bronze medal was awarded to the 2007 Estate Series Shiraz Cabernet in the Other V.V. Blends category.

A total of 1,071 wines were submitted from 173 wineries covering Ontario, British Columbia, Quebec, Alberta and the Maritime Provinces, setting a new record for Canada’s oldest and largest wine competition. Winners were selected by 30 wine writers, sommeliers and industry professionals from across Canada and the U.S.

Previous honors for Wayne Gretzky Estates wines include gold medals at the 2009 Ontario Wine Awards for the 2005 Vidal Ice Wine (Best Vidal Ice Wine) and the 2006 Estate Series Shiraz Cabernet (Best Blended Red), a trio of medals at the Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits 2008 Competition – a gold medal for the 2005 Vidal Ice Wine, a silver medal for the 2006 Unoaked Chardonnay and a bronze medal for the 2005 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – and the Best Red Assemblage at Cuvee 2009 for the Shiraz Cabernet 2006.

Click here for more information on Wayne Gretzky Estates Wines.

WG Authentic – the official company of Wayne Gretzky memorabilia – announces a limited edition jersey set available at the online store at Gretzky.com commemorating the 1979 WHA All-Star Game series. The three-game series vs. the Moscow Dynamo is famous for its pairing of Wayne on the same line alongside his boyhood idol Gordie Howe, Mr. Hockey. This jersey set includes a pair of authentic Mitchell and Ness sweaters in the same style worn during the 1979 games in Edmonton with name, number and signature on the back for both Wayne and Gordie.

Rather than being a typical East vs. West midseason showdown, a trio of games between the WHA All Stars and the Dynamo were held in 1979, with the WHA team sweeping the series. Playing on the same line as a then 18-year-old Wayne and 51-year-old Gordie was Howe’s son Mark. The trio played well together, combining on a few goals and assists – including one off the ice as the multi-talented Gordie hand stitched Wayne’s oversized jersey to fit the young hockey star.

Click here for more information on the 1979 WHA All-Star Game jersey set.

Article by Don Schwartz, WG Authentic / Visit Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic presented by Samsung

Wayne Gretzky understands the power of an assist – after all, he tallied 1,963 during his NHL career. His charitable foundation also makes plenty of assists, coming to the aid of less fortunate youth, having raised more than $1 million to date for kids in hockey.

One of the Wayne Gretzky Foundation’s largest fundraisers – the Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic golf tournament – makes an annual assist to the Foundation in large part from the work of approximately 650 volunteers, who make countless assists of their own.

“We couldn’t run the tournament without volunteers,” said Kelly Dixon-Boldt, director of volunteers for the Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic. “It wouldn’t exist without a volunteer base.”

Volunteers are the lifeblood of the tournament, providing the necessary manpower to make the fundraising event come together. Volunteers are called upon to fulfill a variety of duties from registering players to marshalling the course to doing the individual scoring to caddying and all points in between.

This year’s tournament is scheduled to tee off on July 6 at the Georgian Bay Club and the Raven at Lora Bay in idyllic Collingwood, Ontario. The pro-am style tournament is a stop on the PGA Nationwide Tour and pairs amateurs and celebrities along with professional golfers. The unique format not only entertains the galleries in attendance, but provides a memorable experience for volunteers who get to work alongside notable athletes and entertainers from the past and present.

“We always call these jobs ‘getting inside the ropes,’” Dixon-Boldt said. “Anything that gets you inside the ropes and gets you closer to the players are usually the jobs that require the most number of volunteers. If somebody’s caddying for one of the pros or celebrities, they get to be right with that group the whole time. They get to watch them and interact with them and talk with them and all that kind of stuff.”

Celebrities at past classics have included the likes of Charles Barkley, John Elway, Alan Thicke and Mark Messier. Confirmed for this year’s Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic are five-time World and Olympic Champion Donovan Bailey, former NHL star Scott Thornton and current member of the Calgary Flames, Mike Cammalleri, with more to be named later.

The chance to be ‘inside the ropes,’ along with the opportunity to give back to less fortunate youth and simply enjoy summertime in the Blue Mountain countryside, are reasons why the Classic has a volunteer retention rate of nearly 80-percent from last year’s event. However, there are still plenty of openings for people willing to give of themselves to help raise money for charity, regardless of their golf knowledge.

“Those who just want to get involved because they know it’ll be a fun event and they have friends who perhaps are involved in the event as well generally get involved in the non-golf related committees,” Dixon-Boldt said. “That includes registration and helping to organize the volunteers. We need to have a volunteer group in charge of the volunteers themselves, making sure everyone gets fed, has drinks on the golf course and those types of things. There are certainly committees that are more related to people who know the game of golf, so people who feel confident and know the game would normally fall into the walking, scoring and/or marshalling and caddying positions.”

Dixon-Boldt also notes that volunteering at the Classic is not limited to individual commitments.

“We’re also getting non-profit groups and groups of friends to take on the responsibility of marshalling a hole,” she said. “You can gather 10 of your friends and take on responsibility of marshalling a specific hole on one of the golf courses for the entire tournament. So you kind of make it kind of like your own hole.”

While money raised at the tournament goes towards the Foundation as a whole, local Collingwood-area charities also benefit from the assist volunteers provide.

“There are a lot of people supportive of the tournament because it does give back to some local charities as well those that many of the volunteers are involved with,” Dixon-Boldt said. “It’s nice for people to know that the money goes back to the Foundation but there’s also some part of it that stays locally in the community.”

People wanting to make an assist of their own can register to volunteer and select their area of interest at www.gretzky.com/golf.

Article by Don Schwartz, WG Authentic / Visit Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic presented by Samsung

Wayne Gretzky Estates wines continue to receive accolades for its various vintages, recently earning a pair of awards at the 2009 Ontario Wine Awards.

Receiving gold medals in the prestigious competition were the 2005 Vidal Ice Wine (Best Vidal Ice Wine) and the 2006 Estate Series Shiraz Cabernet (Best Blended Red).

The Ontario Wine Awards have attracted some of the biggest names in the industry from vineyards around Ontario since its inception in 1995. The awards annually honor standards of excellence in the region’s wine country and those who have helped the area to produce quality vintages.

Previous awards for the Wayne Gretzky Estates Winery include a trio of medals won at the Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits 2008 Competition – a gold medal for the 2005 Vidal Ice Wine, a silver medal for the 2006 Unoaked Chardonnay and a bronze medal for the 2005 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Wayne Gretzky Estates also received the Best Red Assemblage at Cuvee 2009 for the Shiraz Cabernet 2006.

Visit: www.ontariowineawards.ca

WG Authentic – the official company of Wayne Gretzky memorabilia – played host to a pair of sports luminaries as legendary icon Muhammad Ali and “Mr. Hockey” Gordie Howe each made a recent visit to the Scottsdale, Arizona office. Both Ali and Howe signed limited edition canvas photos now available at Gretzky.com/shop.

Simply known as “The Greatest,” Ali was a three-time heavyweight boxing champion, tallying 56 wins – 37 by knockout – in 61 bouts throughout a career that spanned 21 years. Also the Olympic Light Heavyweight gold medalist at the 1960 Rome Olympics, Ali transcended sports as a social and political figure during his fighting career and continues to do so today. Since retiring from the ring, he has traveled the world, assisting people in need in the areas of hunger, children’s health and Parkinson’s research.

In a piece that captures his competitive spirit, WG Authentic is honored to offer a canvas photo (limited to 65) of the famous image from Ali’s May 25, 1965 victory vs. Sonny Liston. Known as “The Phantom Punch,” this photo pictures the moment the young, toned, budding legend knocked out the former champ in the first round to retain his title.

Howe earned the title “Mr. Hockey” through blood, sweat and tears over a 32-year career at the professional level. Covering six decades, Howe tallied 2,589 career points, 1,071 goals and made 29 all-star appearances playing in both the NHL and WHA. A 7-time MVP and 6-time scoring champ, he led teams to the final championship series round in 15 of his 32 seasons – including winning six world championship cups – despite playing most of his career in the tough original six era dominated by the highest concentration of talent in history.

WG Authentic has available limited edition canvas prints (each limited to 19) signed by Howe that capture the tough yet talented essence of the man who inspired future legends of the game.

For more information on these limited edition pieces signed by Ali and Howe, please visit www.gretzky.com/shop.