Why Did Wayne Gretzky Tuck His Jersey?

Wayne Gretzky, widely regarded as the greatest hockey player of all time, was frequently seen playing with a part of his jersey tucked in. Although every hockey fan knows who Wayne Gretzky is, many are unaware of why the pro never plays without his characteristic clothing style. The quick answer is that it is a combination of personal habit and superstition.

Wayne Gretzky, widely known as The Great One, began his NHL career in 1979-1980. After the 1998-1999 season, he announced his retirement. Gretzky played with the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues, and New York Rangers during his career. He won four Stanley Cups while playing with the Edmonton Oilers.

His Younger Years

Gretzky began playing hockey when he was just six years old. He only played with eleven-year-olds who were much bigger than him at the time.

Unlike now, Gretzky’s original hockey outfits were wool sweaters. Due to its bulky nature, athletes rarely wanted to tuck their uniforms into their hockey pants. However, because Gretzky was a six-year-old wearing an eleven-year-old outfit, he stated in an interview that his large sweater reached his ankles.

His father informed him that wearing his sweater untucked made him look too little, so he tucked it into his hockey pants. Gretzky claimed that it has subsequently become a habit of his.This was a habit he maintained throughout his illustrious professional hockey career.

Superstitions

Gretzky’s habit of tucking the right part of his shirt became a superstition for him. In an interview, he also stated that he played better when his shirt was tucked.He said he had awful games and even bad months or seasons when he didn’t wear his jersey tucked. This superstition was embraced by his followers, and Gretzky eventually had jerseys created just for him. He had two logos on his shirttail, so regardless of how he tucked his jersey in, at least one would be visible.

Gretzky’s Tuck

Many players wanted to emulate Gretzky’s style because of his celebrity. The jersey tuck gained popularity as Gretzky’s notoriety expanded. Players adopted the “Gretzky Tuck” from juvenile leagues to the NHL. Patrice Bergeron, Alex Ovechkin, and Mikhail Grabovski are among the other players who tucked their jerseys.Regardless of anyone else is involved, Gretzky will always be credited with inventing the tuck.