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 Originally made as a showpiece for Wayne Gretzky Fantasy Camp VII last February, the jersey consists of approximately 23 yards of fabric – compared to the less than 3 yards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.”

Fantasy Camp VIII will be held from March 24 – 29, 2010 at the Bellagio Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Reserve your spot now, space is limited.  Register Now

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.

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.  Learn More

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.

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.

WG Authentic – the official company of Wayne Gretzky memorabilia – announces the launch of its new online store on Gretzky.com, located at www.gretzky.com/shop. This updated store features unique and limited edition autographed memorabilia from Wayne, plus other legends of hockey, including Gordie Howe, Guy Lafleur, Bobby Orr and Mario Lemieux, with much more to come.

Items currently available for sale include framed photos and high definition canvas prints capturing moments from the storied careers of some of the game’s all-time greats. Additional collectables are also available and more products are being added each week, including signed Gretzky jerseys and items autographed by top athletes throughout the world of sports and legends of their respective games, such as Steve Nash, Sidney Crosby and Muhammad Ali.

Gretzky.com/shop has been designed to better serve our customers with an easy to navigate interface. Additionally, online accounts can be created that will allow customers to personalize their Gretzky.com/shop experience by creating wish lists and being among the first to learn about new items and exclusive offers. Shipping is easy from Gretzky.com/shop and the new store will allow customers to track the progress of their order.

For more information, please visit www.gretzky.com/shop or contact WG Authentic at (480) 778-1899.