Mr. Speaker, “He shoots, he scores!” There are not many statements more Canadian than that. In more than a century of hockey played in every corner of Canada, no one has shot and scored more than Wayne Gretzky.
Today the great one will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, but he has already worked his way into the hearts of anyone anywhere who loves the game of hockey, not only because of his unmatchable skill and prowess on the ice, but also because of his integrity, his humility and his generosity as a son, a friend, a husband and a dad.
Wayne and the Oilers—what a team that was. The Kings, the Blues and the Rangers came later, but how we cherish those championship years in Edmonton.
I was privileged to meet Wayne, Janet and their kids on October 1 in Edmonton at Wayne Gretzky Day. He is a real, honest to goodness hero. The Hockey Hall of Fame as of today is Wayne's world. No one will ever forget number 99.