Fans, experts, and even other players consider Wayne Gretzky the greatest ice hockey player in history. The stats are certainly in Gretzky’s favor. The Canadian has scored more goals and has more points and assists than any other player. In fact, Gretzky has more assists than total points scored by any other player.
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He is also the only player to score over 200 points in a single season, and Wayne has done it four times. By the time he retired, Gretzky had 61 records to his name. However, Gretzky didn’t always follow a strict diet. In fact, the foods he had before a game would surprise anyone with even the slightest idea about the kind of diets most athletes follow.
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Wayne Gretzky reveals what he had before playing
Gretzky once sat down with Graham Bensinger for an interview. During the interview, Graham asked Gretzky about what he ate before a game. Graham said, “So you would sometimes have four hotdogs before a game with onions and mustard or pie or Diet co*ke.” He then asked how Wayne got away with eating junk food before a game. However, Gretzky seemed unphased.
The NHL legend calmly answered Bensinger.“In those days, we didn’t have power bars. And we didn’t have Gatorade or Powerade or energy drinks,”said Gretzky. However, the ice hockey legend had a trick up his sleeve.“I drank Diet co*ke. I found that to be the same sort of stimulation as an energy drink.”,said Wayne.
Many might find it absurd when an elite athlete like Gretzky talks about drinking diet co*ke before a game. However, all energy drinks have some amount of glucose or its substitute to provide an energy boost, and for Gretzky, diet co*ke did the same thing. The surprising nature of the NHL legend’s diet didn’t stop at diet co*ke.
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“We had chocolate bars, we didn’t have power bars. So if I had a Snickers or any kind of a chocolate bar found that gave me energy,”said the all-time leading goal scorer of the NHL.
However, the effects of sacking junk food before a game had varying results for Wayne. While the junk food gave him energy, “sometimes it lasted throughout the game, and then other times I’d be hungry after the first period.”
The legendary player’s legendary stamina
Wayne Gretzky possessed insane stamina. Like the special nature of his pre-game eating ritual, Wayne had more stamina than nearly anyone on the field. What he didn’t have in strength and speed, Wayne more than made up for in stamina. Peter Gzowskiwrote in his book ‘The Game of Our Lives’ how an exercise physiologist was shocked by Wayne’s capacity to recover.
1987. Copps Coliseum, Hamilton, Ontario.
A relieved Wayne Gretzky after an exhilarating Canada Cup Final. pic.twitter.com/OnfSUZmhLx— The Hockey Samurai 侍 (@hockey_samurai) November 9, 2022
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Gretzky scored so high the physiologist thought the machine had malfunctioned.
Watch this story – From Joe DiMaggio to Wayne Gretzky Most Outstanding Statistical Performances in U.S. Sporting History
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As an avid sports enthusiast with a deep understanding of the world of ice hockey, particularly the legendary career of Wayne Gretzky, I bring a wealth of knowledge to shed light on the concepts discussed in the provided article.
Wayne Gretzky's standing as the greatest ice hockey player in history is supported by an impressive array of statistical achievements. The article highlights his goal-scoring prowess, record-breaking number of points and assists, and the fact that he is the only player to surpass 200 points in a single season, accomplishing this feat four times. By the time Gretzky retired, he held an astounding 61 records, solidifying his place as a hockey icon.
The article delves into Gretzky's unconventional pre-game diet, showcasing the unexpected food choices he made before hitting the ice. The evidence presented in the interview with Graham Bensinger reveals Gretzky's preference for indulging in foods like hotdogs with onions and mustard, pie, and even Diet co*ke. Gretzky explains that during his playing days, the sports nutrition landscape was different, lacking the energy drinks and power bars commonly used today. His choice of Diet co*ke might seem unconventional, but he found it to provide a similar stimulation as contemporary energy drinks.
Furthermore, the article explores Gretzky's reliance on chocolate bars, like Snickers, for an energy boost before games. Despite the unconventional nature of his diet, Gretzky's legendary stamina is emphasized. The narrative suggests that his exceptional capacity to recover after exertion surprised even exercise physiologists, with anecdotes of instances where his scoring on physiological tests was so high that it led to suspicions of machine malfunctions.
In summary, Wayne Gretzky's greatness is not only rooted in his on-ice achievements but also in his unique approach to pre-game nutrition and his extraordinary stamina, which set him apart from his peers. His unconventional eating habits, while surprising to many, showcase the individualized strategies that elite athletes sometimes employ to achieve peak performance.
