Why Gretzky's Blues Run Was Brief

Rich asked Chris Pronger to name the best player he ever played with. Pronger gave the obvious answer and then told a story that explains why Wayne Gretzky's time in St. Louis was brief.

Gretzky came to the Blues in 1996. Pronger said he's been fortunate to play with a lot of great players, but Gretzky is the one. And Gretzky's arrival did something unexpected for Pronger's own career, it took the focus off him.

At that point, Pronger was still young, still dealing with heavy scrutiny, still managing the off-ice noise. When Gretzky showed up, the attention redirected. All eyes, rightly, went to the Great One. That gave Pronger quiet time to find his game and find himself. Watching Gretzky handle the media, handle the fans, handle practice, handle every single night, Pronger said if you're a sponge, you take a lot in.

Rich asked if Gretzky ever imparted any particular piece of advice. Pronger said he didn't think he ever asked. He's not sure Gretzky was in a place to impart much. In Pronger's read, Gretzky was mostly processing his own situation in St. Louis, specifically, the situation with Mike Keenan.

Keenan was both the head coach and the GM at the time. And then Pronger told the story.

Second round of the playoffs. Game two against the Detroit Red Wings. Afternoon game on Fox, the one with the glowing puck. The Blues lost. Pronger said he thinks it was 8-1, though the number is foggy two-plus decades later.

Keenan came into the locker room and went after every single player. He worked his way through the room. Then he got to Gretzky.

Keenan laid into him. Pronger said he doesn't know if Gretzky had ever been spoken to like that in his career. Rich asked, for clarity, to Wayne Gretzky. Yes. To Wayne Gretzky. Full lay-in. No pulled punches.

Pronger said he thinks that was about it. Gretzky had seen enough. In Pronger's telling, the moment signaled that Gretzky wasn't going to re-sign in St. Louis.

Pronger added context on himself. That was his third year pro, first year with the Blues. He said he understood being the whipping boy at that stage of his career. He got it. But at that stage of Gretzky's career, for a coach and GM to go at him that way in the room, probably not the best idea.

Gretzky left that summer. He signed with the New York Rangers. The story Pronger tells is the kind of locker-room moment that doesn't show up in the stat sheet but decides where careers go next.