It seems to me that talk about GOATs in sports is limited to basketball and football, though once in a while in baseball you hear about the greatest hitter of all time. What I never hear about is an NHL GOAT. Maybe that’s because it is almost without dispute that Wayne Gretzky is the greatest hockey player of all time. In 1997 50 hockey experts unanimously voted him #1 of the 50 greatest all-time hockey players. Though widely accepted, Gretzky’s title as GOAT is not uncontested: Gretzky himself said that he would have voted Bobby Orr #1. It is this humility that makes him—to my mind—the greatest ever, walking away.
Find the open ice and move the puck.
Not to say he wasn’t talented. Gretzky scored his first 76 goals with only half as many shots as it had taken the previous record holder to score them. In fact, he scored his record 92 goals in the 81-82 season with only 369 shots. But he added to talent and an unselfishness that made him an amazing team player. Gretzky has not only scored more career goals than anyone, but he has nearly twice as many career assists as the number two man on that list. There are only four other players in the top 10 on both lists, and Gretzky’s numbers overshadow them all.
Gretzky said of his own philosophy and style of play
“People think that to be a good player you have to pick the puck up, deke around 93 guys, and take this ungodly slap shot. No. Let the puck do all the moving and you get yourself in the right place…just move the puck: give it up, get it back, give it up. It’s like Larry Bird. The hardest work he does is getting open. The jump shot is cake. That’s all hockey is: open ice. That’s my whole strategy: find open ice.”
Gretzky was never the biggest, the fastest, or the strongest player on the ice. He was the greatest because he made the rest of his team better in several ways, drawing attention so that another player could get to the open ice, taking only smart, high-percentage shots, and making quick accurate passes. He is the GOAT because he was the best team player.
If we think we can get through life without making or taking any assists, then we are destined to take a lot of losses. If, however, we are willing to pass to the open man and let him score, cheering him on as he does, then maybe we can get a win every now and then. We have to be willing to take a chance and let someone help us out—here on the ship or back at home—and we must be willing to accept help when it’s offered. Sometimes we’re in the open ice, sometimes it’s someone else. Never be afraid to pass the puck.
I believe the old proverb is true that says “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
LET US PRAY
Lord, help us to see when someone can use a hand and give us the courage and strength to offer the help that he or she needs. Help us also to rid ourselves of the urge to hold onto possession of things and problems when there is someone who is in a better position to take a shot at them. Give us the humility we need to be team players.
Almighty God, You created us to be in community together, and we can realize the fullness of our humanity only in relationships with others. Help us to build those relationships each and every day, for You are the God of unity and strength and it is in Your name we pray.
AMEN
An Orthodox Priest Abroad 