Wayne Gretzky makes a surprising admission

NHL hockey fans were treated to not one but two instances of the famed "Michigan" goal last weekend by both Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard and Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras. Bedard accomplished the feat against the St. Louis Blues, while Zegras did so against the Seattle Kraken in his first action in 20 games. 

The lacrosse-style goal was first scored by Michigan Wolverines legend Mike Legg in 1997, and remains incredibly highlight worthy to fans and players alike. And it's not the first time that Zegras has done it in his career, having done so against the Montreal Canadiens. 

Witnessing the game in which Bedard scored the "Michigan" goal in person was none other than the Great One himself, Wayne Gretzky. And he made a surprising admission while making a guest appearance on the Blues broadcast - even during his best years on the ice, he'd never be able to pull off the legendary "Michigan"-style goal.

"I couldn't do what he did tonight," Gretzky said on the Blues' broadcast during their game against Bedard's Chicago Blackhawks. "That just wasn't in my repertoire. I didn't have the right kind of curve. Hully (Brett Hull) could do it. I could never do what he did tonight. It was fun to watch. My daughter Emma's with me and she goes 'dad did you ever do that?' and I said 'no, I could never do that.'"

Meanwhile, Gretzky has been impressed by what he's seen from Bedard, who was the 1st overall selection in the 2023 NHL Draft and was taken by the Blackhawks after they inexplicably won the Draft Lottery.

"He's been fun to watch," Gretzky said. " He's been better than we probably anticipated. He's been not only an ambassador on the ice, he's been tremendous off the ice for an 18-year-old young man. I'm happy for him. He's got the right coach in Luke Richardson, the right organization."

It's surprising to think that Gretzky, who became known for setting up plays from behind the opposition net, wouldn't have been able to pull off the famed move. But those are his words, not ours! 

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