Before Wayne Gretzky lit up the NHL and rewrote the record books, he was just a skinny 15-year-old kid bouncing from rink to rink with his junior team. Long before he became The Great One, Gretzky was just a teenager with a dream, riding buses and carrying the weight of a No. 9 jersey on his back, a number he wore in honor of his hero, Gordie Howe.
Wayne Gretzky’s Junior Days With Murray Howe
One season, fate dropped Murray Howe, Gordie’s youngest son, onto that same team bus. Gretzky, starstruck and respectful, offered to give up the number. Murray didn’t even blink.
“No, Wayne. This is my last year of hockey,” he said. “I’m going to enjoy it and then head off to be a doctor.”
And that’s exactly what he did. Murray kept his word, left the game, went to med school, and years later, honored his dad at Gordie’s funeral by delivering the eulogy.
But that year together, short as it was, left Gretzky with more than just memories. He still laughs about the bus ride when Murray climbed aboard carrying a stack of textbooks. Gretzky, predictably, brought nothing but his gear and a game face.
“Wayne, you’ve got to focus on your education,” Murray told him.
“I’m going to a hockey game,” Gretzky shot back. “I can’t think about reading and doing homework right now.”
Two weeks later, Gretzky returned the favor, sort of. He hopped on the bus with his own pile of books. Only, these weren’t science or math texts. They were Gordie Howe: Hockey My Way and Gordie Howe: Hockey Tips.
“You want to be a doctor,” Gretzky said, grinning. “I want to be a hockey player.”
Classic Wayne. A little mischief, a lot of charm, and a deep respect for the Howe name.
Gordie’s Shadow, Gretzky’s Rise
That early brush with the Howe family didn’t fade with time. It became a thread running through Gretzky’s entire career.
When he eventually moved on from No. 9, he picked 99, a number that became iconic in its own right.
🚨 THE GREAT ONE’S GREAT JERSEY 🚨
Wayne Gretzky’s game-worn 1998-99 Rangers jersey — photo-matched to 5 games including his 892nd career goal — just sold for $250,100 @HeritageAuction 🏒🔥
✅ Worn during the 1999 SuperSkate
✅ Has a ❤️ drawn by Janet Gretzky
✅ Provenance from… pic.twitter.com/XWW0n6Hglw— WorthPoint, Corp. (@WorthPoint) May 17, 2025
But make no mistake, the admiration for Gordie never left. When Gretzky passed Howe’s all-time goal record, he handled it with the kind of class you’d expect. No flashy celebration, just gratitude.
And yes, they shared the ice once too. In the WHA, a teenage Gretzky skated alongside a grizzled Gordie Howe. Talk about a full circle.
For Gretzky, the stats and milestones were only part of the story. The real legacy is the way he carried himself, how he honored those who came before him. And it started back on those bus rides, sitting next to a future doctor with one foot out the hockey door and another firmly in the Howe tradition.
