Game delayed after Gretzky scores 1,000th

11 Apr 1974, Thu The Expositor (Brantford, Ontario, Canada)

Wayne Gretzky got the puck inside the Waterford blueline and let go with a slapshot.

The Waterford goalie got a piece of the puck but not enough to stop it from going into the net.

Players rushed onto the ice and the game was held up for several minutes.

Gretzky had scored his 1,000 th career goal.

The 13-year-old star netted two more goals in leading Turkstra Lumber to an 8-1 victory in the exhibition pee-we Iwckey game in Waterford.

All of Wayne's goals have been scored while he played for Brantford minor hockey all-star teams.

He scored his first goal while playing atom in the 1967-68 season. He was only six at the time. He was playing against some boys who were 10 and it was his only goal of the season.

“We took him down to the civic centre and Dick Martin was the coach.'' recalled Wayne's father, Walter, this morning.

“Wayne was an exceptional skater at that time for his age and of course, he could stickhandle. Dick picked him out.”

Walter, who has coached junior “B”, has kept record of Waynes goal-scoring feats during his seven-year career.

The record:
1968-69, atom — 27

69-70, atom —104

70-71, major novice —196

71-72, major novice — 378

72-73. major peewee — 105

73-74, major peewee -191

“He's been through it so many times, what would normally thrill a boy doesn't thrill him anymore,” noted Walter. “But last night he was definitely thrilled.”

Wayne becomes bantam age next season and his father is worried about a rule of the
Brantford Minor Hockey Association.

The rule, that was instituted this season, states that no first-year player in a division can play on that division's major team.

Therefore, next season Wayne would have to play on the minor bantam squad. Walter is not worried just for Wayne but also for some other players on this year's Turkstra club, figuring they're being held back.

“There are three or four of them who should play on the major team,” claims Walter.

Although Wayne has gained most of the attention, Len Hachborn, who scored two goals against Waterford, has also had an outstanding career. Defenceman Mark Le-Maitre and goalie Greg Stefan
are just two of the other players who Walter believes should be given a chance to play major bantam next season.

Darrell Whiting also scored two goals against Waterford and Matt Misener had one.

Turkstra's next game is tonight at 7:15 at the Burlington Golden Horseshoe minor hockey tournament.

Kevin Dickson scored to give Stan's Variety a 1-0 victory over Hamilton Huskies in a Hamilton hockey tournament minor atom game.

Jeff Snyder and Robbie Crocock assisted on the goal. Steve Rush recorded the shutout.