The Great One Was Also Great at Two Other Sports

Published on November 13th, 2025 9:00 pm EST
Written By: Dave Manuel


Wayne Gretzky is hockey's "Great One," but few realize he could have starred in more than one sport. Long before the NHL records and trophies, Gretzky was known around Ontario for his lacrosse and baseball skills.

As a kid, Gretzky didn't spend every summer on ice. When the rinks melted, he picked up a lacrosse stick. He played for the Brantford Warriors and quickly became one of the best young lacrosse players in his age group across Ontario. Coaches and opponents said his quickness and ability to see the field were unmatched.

That vision carried straight over to hockey. Gretzky has often credited lacrosse with teaching him how to anticipate movement, slip through traffic, and make passes no one else saw coming. The constant motion of lacrosse became the foundation of his on-ice creativity.

Baseball was another outlet. Gretzky played shortstop and pitched, earning spots on youth all-star teams. His throwing arm, field awareness, and timing drew serious attention from scouts - the kind of talk that might have led to a baseball career if hockey hadn't taken off first.

His father, Walter Gretzky, believed in multi-sport training. He pushed Wayne to play everything, not just hockey. The result was a player who thought faster, saw more, and handled pressure with ease.

By his early teens, hockey had clearly won out. But Gretzky's lacrosse instincts and baseball discipline stayed with him. They shaped the way he read plays and managed games at a speed no one else could match.

Wayne Gretzky didn't just dominate hockey. He mastered the art of being an athlete. Lacrosse gave him creativity. Baseball gave him timing. Hockey gave him history.