Wayne Gretzky appeared on Fox Business Network Friday afternoon to discuss the promotion of hockey in China and his investment in the company UNTUCKit on Maria Bartiromo’s Wall Street.
The Great One had some interesting things to say about Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin and the celebrations in the DC area after the Capitals won the Stanley Cup.
“What Alex Ovechkin did last year, I think that he really elevated our sport to another level because it’s not about how good he played and what he did for the city of Washington, but how emotional he was and how he wore his emotions on his sleeve and how people rallied around that,” Gretzky told Bartiromo.
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The transcript of that conversation is below:
Maria Bartiromo: What’s the state of play right now?
Wayne Gretzky: Yes. Well, first of all, our game is in better shape now than it’s ever been. The game is growing at a tremendous rate. You see the success that Vegas had last year. You see the numbers – TV numbers are up higher than they’ve ever been. It looks like around the corner Seattle has a great chance of coming in the National Hockey League.
And so, we’re going to go from Vancouver to Montreal to L.A. to Florida with teams in the National Hockey League. And the most important part of our product are the players themselves, and we’re so fortunate that are best players are really tremendous people.
And you look at guys like Sidney Crosby and you look at Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews in Toronto, and of course, what Alex Ovechkin did last year, I think that he really elevated our sport to another level because it’s not about how good he played and what he did for the city of Washington, but how emotional he was and how he wore his emotions on his sleeve and how people rallied around that.
Maria Bartiromo: And we know he cares.
Wayne Gretzky: Yes, and even if didn’t – weren’t a Washington Capital fan, you were happy that Alex Ovechkin got his name on the Stanley Cup. And so, our game is in a wonderful position today.
A representative from Maria’s show tells RMNB that Gretzky has not given Ovi his game-used stick yet – the one he promised to him if the Russian machine won the Cup.
Gretzky went on to discuss his trip to China and his investment in the shirt brand UNTUCKit with CEO Chris Riccobono.
Headline photo: Fox Business Network
