“Athletes are no different than anything else. Sometimes you have bad days and kids walk away saying, ‘It wasn’t as great as I thought it was going to be.

“For me, every time I look at the picture I always have the same thoughts. He couldn’t have been nicer, better or bigger when I met him than I thought he was going to be. Every time I look at the picture or sign the picture, it’s nothing but great memories.”

-Wayne Gretzky on meeting and taking the now famous picture with Gordie Howe. More from Gretzky on Gordie Howe by Daniel Nugent-Bowman of the StarPhoenix.