Wayne Gretzky Put Points

WAYNE GRETZKY PUT POINTS on the board at a mind-boggling pace during his 20-year National Hockey League career. And at the midpoint of the 1997–98 season, when the Hockey News honored Gretzky as the greatest player in NHL history, he shone like the star he was.

With the New York Rangers and the Toronto Maple Leafs struggling to remain in the playoff chase, Madison Square Garden was packed to watch the “Great One” compete on the ice and receive his award. The veteran accepted the honor, acknowledging that greats such as Bobby Orr and Gordie Howe deserved recognition.

As the game unfolded, both teams played with intensity. The Rangers scored first as Pat LaFontaine tallied with an assist from Gretzky. Tied at 1–1 in the second period, New York went ahead on a goal by Niklas Sundstrom, set up by Gretzky’s pass from behind the net.

The Rangers collected their final goal just over two minutes later on a power play. Adam Graves netted the puck by one-timing a Gretzky pass. New York held on for a 3–2 win, thanks to three Gretzky assists.

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POINT Wayne Gretzky dreamed his whole life of being the greatest hockey player of all time. His league-leading 2,857 points on 1,963 assists, and 894 goals in 1,487 games help make the case that he achieved that goal.

Notice that Gretzky had more than twice as many assists as goals. Could he have scored more? Probably. But Gretzky looked to his teammates and wanted to make them better. And it was his unselfishness on the ice that led to his greatness.

God wants us to think more about others than ourselves too. When we have God’s Spirit inside us, we live with unselfishness and humility. We see others through the Father’s eyes. We become the best, maybe not in the way the world defines greatness, but in the way our Lord does.

GOAL! Look at a sports page in the newspaper or flip through a sports magazine. Note the athletes in the headlines. Do they think more about their own statistics or about their team’s success? Praise God for his Spirit that helps us stay away from sin and live more like him.