Wayne Gretzky is probably the most noticeable athlete in all of our country but one of the world’s most famous hockey players still took the time to engage with a young North Bay hockey fan.
Rob Collins, owner of Ultimate Sportscards on Cassells, was with his family at a recent Toronto Maple Leafs game when Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers came to Toronto.
His 15-year-old son Isaac sported a popular Auston Matthews jersey while his younger 9-year-old son Nate wore a blue Connor McDavid Oilers jersey.
The North Bay family entered their box which Collins received through one of his hockey card distributors. They noticed right across from their booth was Wayne Gretzky who was with his wife Janet and former Oilers teammate Paul Coffey.
“We just said ‘hello’ and left it at that and my sons were both ecstatic just being at the game,” noted Collins.
Collins saw Gretzky leave his booth but thought nothing of it. However, a couple minutes later he returned and yelled across his booth to my son Nate, a huge Oilers fan.
“Nate walks over and Wayne takes a hat and signs it and then puts it on his head,” said Collins.
“We never asked him for it, we just sort of said ‘hi’ so it was pretty exciting just to see an athlete do that, what a gentleman right? It is not often I am sure that that happens.”
As a hockey card store owner, Collins has rubbed elbows with some high profile athletes including Mike Tyson, Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin and Mike Modano.
He still can’t believe what the Great One did.
“Meeting Mike Tyson to me was huge because I grew up watching Tyson, I watched a lot of boxing but meeting Wayne Gretzky and the way that it happened to me was unbelievable,” said Collins.
“Wayne is definitely on a pedestal in our household that’s for sure.”
But the Gretzky’s thoughtfulness has inspired Collins to pay it forward. As he decided to do a special giveaway at his store for anyone who likes his Facebook page or takes the time to read his son’s story on the Ultimate Sportscards facebook page.
“If you go on and like our Facebook page or like that Gretzky story you will be added into the draw and the draw will be live on December 21st at 1 p.m. on Facebook for the box Upper Deck Series One hobby,” said Collins.
