On the origins of excellence

Generosity is the key

Did ya hear that Walter died?

Words spoken around hockey rinks everywhere. Hockey boards and gossip sites were ablaze with the news: the father of #99, the great one, Mr. Walter Gretzky had died.

This wasn’t news that gutted me. And remarkable. Walter and his son had touched my life greatly as a small child. I have always admired Wayne’s generosity and creativity on the ice.

I met Walter. It was October 5, 2005. We were at the bar at 99 Blue Jay Way that had his last name over the door. The NHL had resumed play after the 2004 - 05 season was lost to a lock out. I was there with my internet hockey forum buds. Buds? It’s been 20 years. This was one of our first meet ups.

The atmosphere was festive, ecstatic almost. Hundreds of hockey fans with pent up aggression and egos ready to scratch the ground and pound chests in some sort of weird ritualistic superiority dance of Canada. It was great. Walter was everywhere. He sat down with us several times. He even led the conga line that night.

He wa…