Keith and Brent Gretzky Never Made It Big in the NHL

Published on January 7th, 2024 2:56 pm EST
Written By: Dave Manuel


Wayne Gretzky is the greatest hockey player to have ever lived, and it's not particularly close.

Imagine being the brothers of Wayne Gretzky, and having to live in the shadow of the "Great One" for your entire life.

Imagine your claim to fame is being humorously included in "who are the highest scoring brothers of all time in the NHL?"

Imagine appearing in commercials and poking fun at yourself as being the brother who taught Wayne Gretzky everything that he knows.

Imagine having all of the same time in the backyard ice rink as Wayne Gretzky, and having the same father as Wayne Gretzky, and not making it in the NHL.

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Both Brent and Keith Gretzky were drafted into the NHL.

Keith Gretzky looked like he would be something, as he averaged over a point a game in the OHL, including a season where he notched 101 points in 64 games.

Keith was taken in the third round by the Buffalo Sabres, though never played a single game in the league.

Like his brother Wayne, Keith Gretzky was extremely slight (he weighed just 157 pounds).

Unlike his brother Wayne, he couldn't overcome the size deficiency with otherworldly talent, so he never made it to the NHL.

After bouncing around with teams like the Flint Spirits and San Diego Gulls, Gretzky retired and focused on a life as an executive in the NHL, where he still works to this day.

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Brent Gretzky was taken 49th overall in the 1992 NHL Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Like his brother, Keith, Brent had some very good seasons in the OHL, including a 121 point campaign in 1991-92 with the Belleville Bulls.

Much was made of Brent Gretzky's entry into the NHL, and he actually played in a handful of games, notching 4 points in 13 games.

Brent even got to square off against his brother Wayne.

In the end, Brent would end up bouncing around leagues like the AHL, IHL and UHL, before finally deciding to retire after the 2005-06 season.

Brent Gretzky is now a police officer in Ontario, Canada.

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Wayne Gretzky finished his career with 2,857 points, while his brothers combined for just 4 points, just having the same upbringing as the "Great One".

It's funny how the world works sometimes.