NHL Legend Reveals the Moment Wayne Gretzky Realized What It Takes to Win

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A portrait of Wayne Gretzky #99 of the Edmonton Oilers sitting on the bench during the National Hockey League Smythe Division in the Campbell Conference game against the Los Angeles Kings on 4 April1987 at the Great Western Forum, Los Angeles, California, United States. (Photo by Mike Powell/Allsport/Getty Images)

NHL legend Bryan Trottier revealed the moment Wayne Gretzky realized what it takes to win a Stanley Cup. Trottier witnessed Gretzky’s rise to stardom firsthand, and played a key role in the Islanders’ 1980s dynasty. He considers the 1983 as a pivotal turning point in Gretzky’s career.

The Islanders faced the Edmonton Oilers during the 1983 Stanley Cup Final. The Oilers featured a young core led by Gretzky and Mark Messier that were poised for success. However, they met an Islanders side with championship pedigree and experience in big moments.

The win marked the Islanders’ fourth straight Stanley Cup victory. Trottier, 70, reflected on that series and how Gretzky bounced back.

Bryan Trottier Reveals the Moment Wayne Gretzky Realized What It Takes to Win

Bryan Trottier revealed that Wayne Gretzky’s experience walking past the Islanders‘ locker room following the 1983 Stanley Cup Final was a turning point. The NHL legend recalled Gretzky realizing that there is a price to be paid for success.

Trottier, a seven-time Stanley Cup winner, recalled Gretzky crediting that moment for shaping his mentality. ‘The Great One’ informed his teammates about what he saw in the Islanders’ locker room, which provided fuel for the 1983-84 season.

“Wayne Gretzky tells a story, and Paul Coffey and I are teammates in Pittsburgh, so I heard it from Paul first. Wayne came on the bus and he said, ‘[The Islanders] aren’t even celebrating that locker room. They’re all holding ice bags on their knees. They look exhausted. There’s a price to pay in order to win this Cup and we’re not paying that price,'” Trottier told Ice Guardians podcast.

“Wayne is now telling that story. We do an event in Saskatoon. And he’s telling this story, but he’s actually saying it so respectful because it’s a wonderful kind of compliment to the Islanders,” Trottier said.

Trottier revealed that the Islanders were actually refraining from celebrating too much when the Oilers players would walk by. However, Gretzky benefited from seeing that, as the Oilers defeated the Islanders to win the 1984 Stanley Cup.

Ex-NHL Enforcer Kelly Chase Reveals How Gretzky Viewed the Islanders

Former St. Louis Blues enforcer Kelly Chase also chimed in and revealed how Gretzky viewed the Islanders.

Chase recalled Gretzky sharing the same story about the 1983 Stanley Cup Final. However, he also noted that ‘The Great One’ grew up idolizing those players.

“[Gretzky] said, ‘We grew up idolizing most of those guys in there. So when we saw that it was ice bags and sipping a beer rather than doing headstands in the corner, we knew there was more to give,” Chase told Trottier on Ice Guardians podcast.

Trottier also revealed that the Oilers shared one key similarity with the Islanders’ dynasty.

“Paul [Coffey] gave us another compliment. He said, ‘We watched you guys how you practice, how you zip that puck around in practice,'” Trottier recalled.

“That’s what we did to [the] Montreal [Canadiens]. When Montreal was in the late 1970s, they’re winning Cups. We’d all be like little kids watching them practice,” he said. “We studied Montreal. Those creepy Oilers did the same to us. They studied us.”