HockeyThose humbling Smythe Division battles

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Hockey's best turns 50 in a few days and I guess everyone should wish him the happiest of birthday celebrations. Let's face it: He was awfully good at celebrating. If you were lucky, like me, to have had the pleasure of playing against him, you would know what I mean.
 
I was a young defenceman in the run-and-gun Smythe Division in the mid-1980s with the Los Angeles Kings. It was quite the challenge to start every season having to overcome minimum of minus-10 to -15 on the plus/minus scale. Playing Edmonton eight times a season would do that to you.

Wayne was the catalyst for Edmonton's offensive thirst. Every little miscue seemed to find the back of the net.
 
On one occasion, the Great One crossed the blue-line mano-o-mano. I snuck in a poke check causing the puck to flip up about a foot in the air. I was thinking how I would just step up, grab the puck and be on my way up ice. Never made it into reality. I'm left with a different memory. As I lunged forward, Wayne reached back and batted the puck out of the air past me, directly to my net, much to the delight of the Edmonton fans.
 
It seems strange that I, or any of the many players Wayne Gretzky abused on the ice, would want to send warm birthday wishes, but we should.

He developed this game to the craziest of levels and that pushed everyone to be better. He brought the NHL to amazing heights in the U.S., which it needed so badly. An ambassador to the game worldwide. His love of the game was never about money, but a sheer passion for putting on the blades and competing to the best of his uncanny abilities - something a lot of young guns struggle to do.
 
So a happy 50th birthday, Wayne, and a thank you for all you have done for hockey worldwide.

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