WG Authentic is pleased to announce that Fantasy Camp IX will again be held at the Bellagio Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Recent celebrity guests have included Brian Leetch, Denis Savard, Bobby Hull and Gordie Howe. Fantasy Camp IX will run from February 8-13, 2011. For information on how you can be a part of this event please contact drew@wgauthentic.com or Register Online.
Wayne Gretzky Fantasy Camp VIII announces that Hall of Fame forward Denis Savard is the latest legend of the game to be confirmed for the camp, set for March 24-29 at the Bellagio hotel and resort in Las Vegas. Savard – a 17-year NHL veteran and All-Star with Chicago, Montreal and Tampa Bay – joins fellow Hall of Famers Brett Hull, Brian Leetch and Larry Robinson, as well as noted tough guy Marty McSorley, as former professionals joining Wayne and other celebrities at this one-of-a-kind hockey experience.
Attendees at Fantasy Camp VIII not only get to skate alongside these greats of the game, but also have plenty of off-ice opportunities to mingle with these professionals and hear stories and tales that any hockey fan would treasure. Additional professionals and celebrities will be revealed as the camp approaches, so please check back at www.gretzky.com/fantasycamp for the next announcement.
In addition to the on-ice action, Wayne Gretzky Fantasy Camp VIII also features five days of luxury hotel accommodations, hockey equipment, fantasy camp apparel, special gifts and entrance to VIP events, such as an opening cocktail reception, closing ceremony and a private poker tournament. Space is limited and filling up quickly. Cost for the camp is $10,999. Click here for more information and/or to register.
Don’t miss out on this chance to bring your hockey dreams to life.
Wayne Gretzky Fantasy Camp annually features a who’s who of hockey heroes and the eighth camp – scheduled for March 24-29 at the Bellagio in Las Vegas – keeps the tradition alive.
Officially confirmed for Wayne Gretzky Fantasy Camp VIII are the NHL’s No. 3 all-time goal scorer and Hall-of-Famer Brett Hull, former New York Rangers captain and 2009 Hall-of-Fame inductee Brian Leetch, Hall-of-Fame defenseman and Stanley Cup champion player and coach Larry Robinson and former NHL veteran defenseman and noted tough guy Marty McSorley.
Hull, Leetch, Robinson and McSorley join Wayne and additional former NHL legends and celebrities at this one-of-a-kind hockey fan experience. Attendees at Fantasy Camp VIII not only get to skate alongside these greats of the game, but also have plenty of off-ice opportunities to mingle with these professionals and hear stories and tales that any hockey fan would treasure.
More professionals and celebrities will be revealed as the camp approaches, so please check back at www.gretzky.com for the next fantasy camp announcement.
In addition to the on-ice action, Wayne Gretzky Fantasy Camp VIII also features five days of luxury hotel accommodations, hockey equipment, fantasy camp apparel, special gifts and entrance to VIP events, such as an opening cocktail reception, closing ceremony and a private poker tournament. Space is limited and registration is reserved on a first-come-first-served basis. Cost for the camp is $10,999. For more information and/or to register, please visit www.gretzky.com/fantasycamp.
Don’t miss out on this chance to bring your hockey dreams to life.
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.”
Much like their Stanley Cup champion brethren, a select group of fantasy camp skaters are honoring their own championship with a unique piece of jewelry from Intergold Design. Members of the Gretzky Cup championship team from this past February’s Wayne Gretzky Fantasy Camp VII have captured their cup clinching moment in a 10-karat championship style gold ring.
These rings – which are available in yellow or white gold – include the camper’s name, number and the 5-4 final game score. The ring’s top features the Wayne Gretzky logo surrounded by the choice of cubic zirconia’s or genuine diamonds. A red garnet understone peers through the logo, making this ring a true representation of accomplishment.
A similarly designed participant ring is also available to all Fantasy Camp VII participants as the high level of competition and sportsmanship displayed throughout the camp is worthy of its own honor.
View a photo of the Fantasy Camp Championship Ring here.
For additional information on these rings, feel free to contact the WG Authentic office at (480) 778-1899. Please check back early Fall ’09 for information on Fantasy Camp VIII.
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
Scouts Walter Gretzky, Charlie Henry and John Muckler selected the 4 teams that competed for the 2009 Gretzky Cup. Review each roster along with the pros that played on each team. Rosters
Campers were treated to a surprise guest after practice on Day 2 at Wayne’s fantasy camp. None other than Mr. Hockey, Gordie Howe joined Walter Gretzky to host a private event at WG Authentic’s new warehouse office in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Gordie joined the 2009 participants as they cheered on Wayne while his Coyotes were on the road in Nashville. Team rosters were also announced as the chase for the Gretzky Cup begins.
Wayne Gretzky Fantasy Camp VII
Team Rosters
Team A
Coaches: Walter Gretzky, Charlie Henry
Pros: Courtnall, Pang
Pos. No. Name
G 29 Hambleton, Jason
F 17 Balkan, Rick
F 91 Benoit, Michael
F 24 Burton, Dean
F 44 Dennis, Gord
F 56 Ehrenworth, Brian
F 11 Gauthier, Craig
F 1 Howland, Rob
F 10 Johnson, Mike
F 11 Kniep, Brad
F 16 Konecsni, Aaron
F 78 Lachance, Adrian
F 9 O’Toole, Dan
F 17 Oracheski, James
F 9 Symons, Scott
D 22 Brown, Bobby
D 7 Morris, Steve
D 6 Mandrusiak, Chris
D 33 Sim, Al
Team B
Coaches: Cap Raeder, Colin Brownlie
Pros: DeBrusk, Maloney, Ciaccio, Mio
Pos. No. Name
G 30 Maclean, Chris
F 12 Christianson, Brooke
F 26 Christianson, Blair
F 9 Christianson, Cam
F 15 Clarke, Chris
F 9 Hoac, Len
F 33 Hollands, Roy
F 9 Knaus, Steven
F 9 Macdonald, Mark
F 82 McDonald, Lowell
F 11 McDowell, Monique
F 17 So, Allan
F 9 Tjostheim, Trevor
F 17 Wilson, Jonathan
F 8 Yarkie, Greg
D 91 Block, Gary
D 27 Mitropoulos, Gus
D 7 Rossiter, Paul
D 8 Wilkinson, Darren
Team C
Coaches: John Muckler, Marty McSorley
Pros: Fleury, Samuelsson, Fuhr
Pos. No. Name
G 31 Mihaychuk, Craig
F 8 Brescia, Steve
F 71 Evans, Mark
F 26 Evtushevski, Greg
F 8 Farrell, Kevin
F 91 Free, Kevin
F 12 Goodhue, Neil
F 11 Gretzky, Ty
F 19 Hansvall, Tex
F 8 Kong, Kenny
F 46 Lymer, Brent
F 27 McCarthy, Mike
F 3 O’Flynn, Terry
F 77 Phillips, Darrin
F 13 Sealy, Chris
D 77 Crysdale, Geoff
D 14 Richardson, Brad
D 75 Rammelt, David
D 21 Wong, Kenny
Team D
Coaches: Glen Gretzky, Joe Lama
Pros: B. Gretzky, Robinson, Sulliman
Pos. No. Name
G 1 Ducasse, Don
G 29 Kohler, Ian
F 17 Carder, Tim
F 11 Champagne, Daniel
F 7 Dewinetz, Troy
F 91 Edmonstone, Sandy
F 2 Green, Darrell
F 33 Hartigan, Colin
F 55 Jensen, Peter
F 15 Lauridsen, Torben
F 9 Mori, Derek
F 8 Nicholson, Graham
F 19 Patry, Denis
F 10 Pomerleau, Dean
F 9 Serediak, Leanne
F 3 Siklos, Andy
D 22 Dickey, Ryan
D 44 George, Mark
D 11 Giles, Marty
D 6 Unruh, Dale