Article by Don Schwartz, WG Authentic / Watch Video

You know that you’ve had a one-of-a-kind hockey career when the words of a national anthem – in a country different from your native land – are changed to reflect what you’ve meant to the sport.

Such was the case a decade ago at Wayne Gretzky’s final National Hockey League game on April 18, 1999 at Madison Square Garden. As the New York Rangers prepared to end their season by hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins, the hockey world gathered to say goodbye to the all-time record holder in 61 NHL statistical categories, accomplished throughout his 20-year career.

But it was clear to many that while everyone’s eyes were fixed on Wayne that evening, his thoughts were squarely on others, making sure that that the people close to him were taken care of on a night that was supposed to be his shining moment.

“Wayne didn’t forget anyone,” said Rangers broadcaster Sam Rosen, who was part of the national TV coverage of the game and worked alongside Wayne throughout his three seasons in New York. “With all that was going on, you knew how much emotion there was and what he had to be feeling inside. But when he would come off the ice he’d make sure that his stick was pulled aside and he would sign that stick and he’d go on and get another stick. He made sure that every stick used that night was noted and taken care of and made sure that everyone knew that it was going to someone that deserved to have one, whether it was a teammate or people that worked in the locker room.”

Every moment meant to honor Wayne for his accomplishments became an opportunity for him to thank others. As John Davidson, former Rangers broadcaster and current St. Louis Blues President of Hockey Operations, headed to the arena that night he received a call from Wayne asking him to make a special mention during the pre-game ceremony.

“Tom Mees was a broadcaster for ESPN who had passed away as he drowned in a terrible swimming accident at his home,” Davidson said. “We had all worked with Tom. He was a wonderful, passionate hockey guy and for Wayne to remember that out of the blue during his day to say goodbye to the world of hockey as a player was the way he was. Nobody was more important than other people to him. Nobody’s ever been. It didn’t matter what you did for a living. You could just be a guy who works hard and makes the minimum wage, he’ll take care of you. He’s that type of guy.”

In a game filled with obvious emotions, the Rangers tried to keep the situation light and the team’s focus off the inevitable ending to Gretzky’s playing days; even turning their thoughts to a new beginning.

“My daughter was pregnant and she was in the hospital giving birth to a baby,” said John Muckler, then the coach of the Rangers and now a senior advisor to the general manager for the Phoenix Coyotes. “It was in the third period and I had instructed our P.R. guy to come down to tell me as soon as the baby was born. So he came down and told me it was a baby boy. I called time out with maybe about a minute left in the game and called Wayne over to the bench. I said ‘You were right. My daughter’s going to have that baby on the day you retire. And here’s what I want you to do for me, I want you to go and score another goal.’ Well, he looked at me like ‘Oh my gosh, don’t put that kind of pressure on me.’ He said ‘I could have done that one time, but I don’t think I can do it tonight.’”

“I just wanted the guys to try to relax and have fun,” Muckler added. “Even the organization tried to have a little bit of fun with him because they showed a lot of Wayne’s previous commercials when he was younger and the players had a lot of fun teasing him. They tried to keep it as light as possible. But you knew when it got into the third period and we ended up with a tie that it was going to end suddenly, since it was headed to overtime where the first goal wins, of course, so you knew it wasn’t going to take too long to come.”

That moment came 82 seconds into overtime as a Jaromir Jagr goal gave Pittsburgh a 2-1 victory. While Wayne wasn’t able to add one last goal to his all-time record, he did provide the sold-out crowd with one final glimpse of greatness, assisting on a Brian Leetch goal that tied the game in the second period and set up the sudden death stanza.

Jagr’s game-ending goal set off a lengthy standing ovation followed by multiple curtain calls from the fans who wanted a few more moments with Wayne. It was the capstone to a night that began with a star-studded ceremony, featuring well wishes from contemporaries Mario Lemieux and Mark Messier, a new Mercedes as a gift from the Rangers organization and an announcement by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman that no other player would wear No. 99 again. And in addition to John Amirante’s special version of the American anthem, pop-singer Bryan Adams altered the Canadian national anthem, changing “We stand on guard for thee” to “We’re gonna miss you, Wayne Gretzky.”

“I think he was somewhat ready to retire,” Muckler said. “I’m sure he had thought about this for a long time and it seemed to be the right year, ’99. He had made up his mind going into Ottawa for his last game played in Canada, which was also emotional for the players and his teammates, because we didn’t want to see him go. We tried to talk him into staying for another year, but he had made up his mind and he was comfortable with his decision and he knew that he had to move on.”

Though Wayne has remained in the game throughout the ten years since his final NHL contest – first as an ambassador and now as a head coach – that night in New York closed the chapter on a career that continues to resonate throughout the sport of hockey.

“It was not only him playing his last game as a New York Ranger, I think he was playing his last game as something that the world of hockey should have seen and been a part of  and the whole world was able to see it,” Davidson said. “I found that to be fascinating because what Wayne did for our sport and the ambassador he’s always been, our sport wouldn’t be where it is today without him and what he’s done for us. I think he’s the greatest player that’s ever played. I was fortunate to have broadcast – in the hundreds – the number of games that I saw him play live and I’ve never seen a player like him and I don’t think we’ll ever see a player like him again. His records will not, in my mind, ever be broken. He’s the best ever.”

Article by Don Schwartz, WG Authentic / Watch Video

Article by Don Schwartz, WG Authentic / Watch Video

The eyes of a country were turned towards its capital on April 15, 1999 as the Ottawa Senators hosted the New York Rangers in what would be the final time Wayne Gretzky took to Canadian ice as a National Hockey League player.

Tearful were those eyes, however, as fans throughout Canada and around the NHL held hope that murmurs of an impending retirement were simply rumors.

“The biggest thing that I remember is the speculation before hand,” said Wayne’s one-time Edmonton Oilers teammate and current Hockey Night in Canada broadcaster Craig Simpson, who was part of Sportsnet’s coverage of the game. “I remember thinking ‘No, this can’t be.’ There was no official retirement statement and he had one last game left in New York afterwards. I think there was definitely a little bit of denial heading into that final game in Canada, that everybody was feeling ‘Oh, it’s just a rumor’ or ‘Maybe he’ll change his mind.’

“Once we realized that it looked like he would retire, I think everybody around the game and around the arena felt a little bit of sadness,” Simpson said. “But you knew you were also watching something special. I couldn’t help but think of all the great games that he’s had in his past and all the things he had accomplished as a player.”

Wayne had gained his country’s attention since his pee wee playing days and the impending conclusion of his career was of national interest. Beginning with his time in the Toronto Junior B League and continuing into his Stanley Cup championships with Edmonton, many of his career highlights took place in Canada, including international competition such as the Canada Cup.

“He’s an icon (in Canada),” said noted hockey writer Al Strachan, then a columnist for the Toronto Sun. “It was a fantastic career coming to an end for what a lot of people say the best player ever. In a hockey crazed country like Canada, it’s was a significant event. He’s our national hero and has been for a long, long time and was that because of his success in the rink. So if that aspect of his life was going to end, it was a big event.”

For many Canadians, Wayne and hockey are synonymous and the thought of their sporting idol playing his last game in their country was tough to take. It was a moment that brought the fans in attendance, such as Dave Bullis, to their feet several times throughout the game. With no formal celebration taking place that night in Ottawa, it was the crowd that provided the requisite fanfare, cheering on with chants of ‘One more year’ as Wayne earned each of the game’s three stars in a 2-2 tie.

“With about four or five minutes left to go in the game they stopped play because the whole place was cheering for him,” Bullis said. “People were crying. It was really, really emotional.

“I remember the game was over and all the Ottawa players went up to Wayne and shook his hand or gave him a tap. Nobody left the building. People stuck around and I remember the ovation they gave for Janet and the kids and Walter too because they put them up on the big screen at the end of the game. It was nice to see.”

While Wayne had grown into a global ambassador for the sport, Canadians simply thought of him as one of their own. More than just the end of a storied career, the game marked the end of a chapter in Canadian history, though his final NHL game would come three days later.

“Everybody knows the impact he’s had on Canadian hockey, both from the impact of all the players who grew up trying to be like him and the interest they have in hockey because of him,” Simpson said. “But what he’s done wearing a uniform in Canada, whether it’s an Edmonton Oilers uniform or the maple leaf being a part of Team Canada and the successes that they had there, I think everybody feels very proud that he’s from Canada and proud that he’s from a small town in Brantford. I think that’s part of being a hockey fan in Canada, you treasure the players that have come in and made an impact.”

A decade after Wayne’s last game in Canada, his country continues to hold him in the highest regard and utmost respect.

“He’s still extremely popular and I think Canadians would like to see him come back,” Strachan said. “People still suggest things like making him the Commissioner of the National Hockey League or making him down the road – because he’s a little bit young – the Governor General of Canada. He is still very, very highly regarded. I’d say revered, really.”

“Wayne is Canada,” Bullis added. “For what Wayne did as an ambassador for our country. He is Canada. When you want to speak hockey, it’s Wayne Gretzky.”

Article by Don Schwartz, WG Authentic / Watch Video

Article by Don Schwartz, WG Authentic / Fantasy Camp

Once a year during the Wayne Gretzky Fantasy Camp these two numbers on the opposite end of the sweater spectrum will share a common place.

Both numbers have been retired for all future Fantasy Camps, only to be worn on the backs of those who made them famous. ‘99’ obviously belongs to the camp’s host, but participants can no longer request to wear No. 1 either. That number now belongs to long-time camper Don Ducasse, who had his jersey retired by Wayne at the conclusion of Fantasy Camp VII.

While Ducasse’s play between the pipes helped propel his team to this past camp’s Gretzky Cup championship, the goaltender’s special recognition came from his commitment to the camp and his passion for everything that makes hockey great.

“I thought it was really sweet,” Ducasse said of his jersey retirement. “You really can’t believe that it’s real. I really can’t believe it until I hear of someone else requesting to wear No. 1 and being told ‘Sorry, you can’t have that.’ Then I’ll think, ‘Wow, this is for real.’ But it’s a nice gesture and a great honor.”

Ducasse is one of a handful of participants who have attended each of the seven Wayne Gretzky Fantasy Camps. What began as an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and a break from his business became a life-changing event for both himself and his wife. While the recognition at this year’s camp was appreciated, it’s been the connections made throughout the years – both with campers and coaches – that have been the real prize for Ducasse.

“At the second camp, my wife and Eddie Mio’s fiancée and her child and my kid clicked, so we ended up going to Eddie’s house for the weekend and he ended up putting us on the South Beach Diet,” Ducasse said. “My wife’s now a marathon runner. Everybody’s always amazed. They say we’ve changed the most from the camps because at that first camp we were both heavier than what we are today. But that camp kind of changed our lives and we became better and more successful. Our entire lives got uplifted by going to that camp.”

A bit of fame has even come Ducasse’s way courtesy of the Wayne Gretzky Fantasy Camp. The first ever camp was filmed by the Fine Living Network for a series on fantasy camps. Randomly selected by the series producers to be a featured camper, the opportunity gave Ducasse what he thought was his 15 minutes of fame; fame that has now stretched into hours, courtesy of the series’ continuing airing on cable TV and select Air Canada flights. The second camp featured a commercial filmed by Ford, which once again included Ducasse, a dentist from the Toronto area.

“I still get patients who call me up and say, ‘Gee-whiz Don, I was falling asleep on the redeye from Vancouver and I heard your voice and started watching the TV show,’” he said. “The second year I go and film a commercial with Wayne and I figure ‘Gee, I can hardly wait to go the next year to see what’s going to happen.’”

While each of the first six camps gave Ducasse plenty of lifetime memories, one moment that continued to escape him was victory. Each camp saw another team raising the Gretzky Cup in celebration – or simply holding bragging rights in those early years. He even went winless during his first camp.

Not that it ever bothered Ducasse.

“If anything, I never thought about winning,” he said. “I thought ‘I wonder what’s going to happen to me this year’ because every year something neat would happen to me. So I never really thought about winning.”

Of course, once the moment happened, the winning goaltender reflected upon some words spoken by his fellow retired jersey honoree.

“I thought about something I had read about Wayne,” Ducasse said. “A reporter had asked Wayne ‘What was it like when you won your first Stanley Cup?’ and he said ‘Well, I had won the Stanley Cup so many times before it just felt normal. Every time you played road hockey in the driveway as kids or you’re playing shinny, it was always Game 7 of the Stanley Cup and you scored and you won. You imagine it so many times that when you finally win you feel ‘Well, I’ve been there and done that.’

“Now, I never imagined winning the Gretzky Cup, but when I did win I kind of thought, ‘I guess Wayne was right,’ Ducasse added. “That you’ve gone through it in your mind so many times that you think ‘oh, that’s nice.’”

Seven years of Fantasy Camps have treated Ducasse well: memories, friendships, life-altering changes, television fame and now a championship. Is there an eighth time in his future?

“Every year, I tell Wayne, ‘Don’t do it again, I can’t afford it, quit doing it,’” Ducasse joked. “But it never really ends. You end up developing friends and contacts for life. You do see the guys occasionally. Guys do e-mail occasionally. If you embrace it and let it embrace you, it’ll change your life and give you friends for life.”

Article by Don Schwartz, WG Authentic / Fantasy Camp

Article by Don Schwartz, WG Authentic / Watch Video

It’s been 15 years since Wayne Gretzky set a new standard for scoring with his 802nd goal, but the memories are etched in stone for those in attendance that night on March 23, 1994.

The Los Angeles Kings had just returned home from a game in San Jose where Wayne had tied the NHL’s all-time goal scoring mark, held by his boyhood idol and legend Mr. Hockey, Gordie Howe.  Anticipation filled The Forum, the Kings’ home at the time, as fans prepared themselves to witness hockey history.

Not that anyone “really” knew that the record would be set that night vs. the Vancouver Canucks.

“I was on that trip,” said Terry Jones, the long-time sports columnist for the Edmonton Sun, who was assigned to follow Wayne until he set the new scoring mark. “It started with him playing two or three games in the Los Angeles area. I remember going over to Anaheim one night and he was really struggling to get that key goal. There was a lot of banter between the two of us, a ‘you know, don’t keep me out here too long’ sort of thing.”

“So when he scored it in the game against Vancouver, I think it was more of a relief for Wayne than anything just because it was a bit of hockey’s version of the Babe Ruth thing going on with Henry Aaron.”

Despite the magnitude of the record, Wayne had already surpassed many of the NHL’s all-time marks, including assists and points. The challenge for Kings’ TV Play-by-Play voice and Hockey Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Miller with the goal record came down to capturing history in the proper light and being prepared for the moment.

“It was four or five years previous when he passed Gordie Howe (for the all-time record in points), when a friend of mine that summer had asked ‘what are you going to say when it happens?’” Miller recalled. “I said ‘well, I never really thought of saying anything except describing the play. Then I thought ‘maybe they expect me to add a little something to it.’ So when he passed Howe in points, I just said ‘the Great One has become the greatest of them all, the all-time leading scorer in the history of the National Hockey League.’

“Now on this night I thought ‘well, I’ve got to come up with something else to say because he was going to pass the goal scoring record.’ So when it happened, I said ‘the Great One’s NHL record book is now complete, he’s the all-time leader in points, assists and now in goals with his 802nd goal.’”

That goal would finally come with the assistance of teammates Luc Robitaille and Marty McSorely, sending the sold-out and celebrity-filled crowd into a frenzy.

“Kirk McLean, the Vancouver goaltender, was so far out of the net that it was just a wide open net for Wayne to score,” Miller said. “You would think he almost can’t miss this. And he didn’t miss it. There was a tremendous ovation. I remember Wayne with his hands in the air kind of doing a little dance.”

Though he became the all-time leading goal scorer in NHL history that night, the moment overshadowed the all-around game of Wayne and the pride he took in assisting his teammates and the greater team good.

“To be honest, I wouldn’t put (the goal record) up there with some of the others,” Jones said. “The record he broke as a King in Edmonton, the points record, I’d think that probably meant more to Wayne because it was points and he was more about points than goals, even though we all remember that night he scored five to make it 50 in 39 games and breaking Phil Esposito’s single season record and all that stuff.

“At the end of the day, Wayne was about being a playmaker more than a goal scorer, so I think those records probably meant more to him.”

Wayne would go on to tally 92 more goals beyond 802 before his retirement after the 1998-99 season. The current active leader in goals is New Jersey’s 40-year-old veteran Brendan Shanahan with 654. So while the memories of 802 for many are etched in stone, hockey fans wonder if 894 is a record that also needs to be set in stone.

“The way things have gone in the league, it’s a record that, I know it’s been said before, may never be broken,” Miller said. “I don’t think players nowadays are going to play long enough to score that many goals. Everybody that night was feeling that it was going to be a night we’d remember because of the anticipation of seeing an NHL record.”

Article by Don Schwartz, WG Authentic / Watch Video