E-Devil Posted August 6, 2005 Share Posted August 6, 2005 (edited) With all the hype of Crosby being marketed as the next "Great One", I've always wondered... What was the hype surrounding Gretzky in say the year 1978??? Were they comparing him to Gordie Howe or did the media, or rather the hockey world label a 16 year Gretzky as the best player who will ever play in the NHL? I remember watching a special on Gretzky about 5 years ago. I recall he was being called something along the lines of "The Prince of the NHL", however that was before I was born and I didn't start following NHL hockey hardcore until around 92-93. The special didn't go into much detail about the "hype" surrounding Gretzky before he hit the NHL, and lets face it, we have being hearing nothing but the word "Crosby" since he was 16. What were people saying about Gretzky or Mario right before the hit the NHL ice. I'm really curious as to whether they were comparing them to another great player, or predicting that they would overshadow all those before them. Edited August 6, 2005 by E-Devil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueNJ97 Posted August 6, 2005 Share Posted August 6, 2005 In 1978-1979 Gretzky wasn't playing in the NHL yet. That was because they wouldn't let 17-year-olds play in the NHL, so he went to the WHA (for what turned out to be its last year of existance) and started out with the Indianapolis Racers for 8 games. Then he was sold to the Oilers for the rest of the year. When the WHA folded after that year he was probably one of the deciding factors in getting Edmonton into the NHL, along with the Jets, the Nordique and the Whalers (I sometimes forget that the Oilers are the last WHA franchise that is still in its original city). But there was certainly hype about Gretzky. Everyone who had any small bit of knowledge about hockey knew who he was, but they weren't really comparing him to someone like Howe. At least not in playing style, there was no way they could. And he didn't have the presence of the stars of the day, like Guy LaFleur with the hair flowing behind him as he came down the wing to score. He was maybe expected to be more like an Orr who changed the way his position was played. What amazed people was that he was just this skinny kid who suddenly appeared, as if by magic, in the right place at the right time and scored goals. I think what people didn't realize is that Gretzky is one of the first guys who was the product of parental training. Not boot-camp style, but Walter did stuff like put the picnic table up against the goal in the backyard rink so that Wayne had to learn to bounce pucks in off the goalposts. And Wayne didn't just watch Hockey Night in Canada, he actually traced where each player went on the ice and figured out why in a notebook. Then he used to talk about it with his Dad. That's where the ability to think two plays ahead and suddenly appear in the right spot on the ice came from (along with a lot of natural talent). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darwindog Posted August 7, 2005 Share Posted August 7, 2005 (edited) I was going to say I missed most of the hype but I was fairly young and obsessed with Mike Bossey --ehem -- with the Stevens thing going on now I think I should correct that and say the talent of Bossey was too busy amazing me... I personally thought he was a beast but boy he came through int he clutch - similar to Gretz -- he was just there and he wasn't fighting and it was all so smooth and easy -- as for Bossey hype seemed he also came out of nowhere kind of thing too... It was after -- like mid 80's when the Great One came into being and -- it all kind of left me cold. I didn't dislike it at all it just wasn't I dont know I dont know... you ahd to be there Edited August 7, 2005 by Darwindog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek21 Posted August 7, 2005 Share Posted August 7, 2005 I was going to say I missed most of the hype but I was fairly young and obsessed with Mike Bossey --ehem -- with the Stevens thing going on now I think I should correct that and say the talent of Bossey was too busy amazing me... I personally thought he was a beast but boy he came through int he clutch - similar to Gretz -- he was just there and he wasn't fighting and it was all so smooth and easy -- as for Bossey hype seemed he also came out of nowhere kind of thing too... It was after -- like mid 80's when the Great One came into being and -- it all kind of left me cold. I didn't dislike it at all it just wasn't I dont know I dont know... you ahd to be there <{POST_SNAPBACK}> You should get together and talk with my Dad about Bossy. Calls him one of the best finishers he's seen. And he goes back to Bobby Hull. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SC Devs Fan Posted August 7, 2005 Share Posted August 7, 2005 You should get together and talk with my Dad about Bossy. Calls him one of the best finishers he's seen. And he goes back to Bobby Hull. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Your Dad has good reason to say that about Bossy... it was true! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MantaRay Posted August 7, 2005 Share Posted August 7, 2005 There wasn't alot of hype that I can recall, in fact the press seemed to go out of their way not to mention him because he played in the WHA. I wasn't until the Oilers stormed in after the merger that people took notice and by then it was hype it was statisical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteyvegas Posted August 7, 2005 Share Posted August 7, 2005 Being from the local area, we didn't get a lot of information on prospects in hockey. But we heard of the Great One. People mainly laughed at his name because it was typical of the unusual names often associated with hockey. Baseball had its' Jonses and Smiths while hockey had its' Tkuchucks and Mosienkos. But if you read any SI or Sport magazines back then, you heard that a kid from a million miles away was going to be the greatest hockey player that ever lived. I think he was averaging about 11 goals a game as a 10 year old. Then, of course, it was a bitch when he got old enough to play in the WHA--You couldn't see him!!! The games were hardly televised. Well, they were right! Anything else, you'll have to talk to our Canadian friends who lived through the frenzy. There was more hype up there than there was for Darryl Strawberry around here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darwindog Posted August 7, 2005 Share Posted August 7, 2005 (edited) You should get together and talk with my Dad about Bossy. Calls him one of the best finishers he's seen. And he goes back to Bobby Hull. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Your Dad has good reason to say that about Bossy... it was true! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> He was one of those guys I tried not to like -- just because ... well I guess I like -- I dont know I like chippiness and he made it all look too easy Time after time I'd work myself up into this frenzy and then -- you knwo how you just go to far and your so exhausted and you just think you can't take it I hope you guys knwo what I mean... man and I was just 10-11-12 when I'd feel this way -- sopmethings never change as much as you fancy they do... anyhow Bossey would just show up and just get it done. It was so UNflashy in my memory -- it was just simply getting it done end of story. ... and I could breath easy! Edited August 7, 2005 by Darwindog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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