Wayne Gretzky was quick to bring up the Edmonton Oilers’ mistake in 2021 during his interaction with Dallas Stars center Wyatt Johnson.
The NHL legend met with players ahead of their WCF showdown against the Oilers and had a congratulatory message for them. Johnston, in particular, received extra praise.
It has been a steady rise for Johnston since foraying into the NHL. In his last three seasons, he has been cranking up the points. The consistency didn’t go unnoticed as Gretzky lauded the young center for his meteoric rise.
Wayne Gretzky Showers Praise On Wyatt Johnson
In a video that did the rounds on social media, Gretzky had extra praise for Johnston.
He noted that Edmonton made a bad call by not drafting him in the 2021 NHL Draft.
“You’re such a good player,” Gretzky told Johnston. “They didn’t draft you, they picked another player before you, and I always give him s**t.”
The Great One himself stopped by the @DallasStars‘ dressing room to congratulate the team on making the Western Conference Final! 💫 #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/Owz6MDLAiL
— NHL (@NHL) May 19, 2025
Gretzky was referring to his brother Keith, one of the management group members of the franchise. He has been part of the organization for years and is one of the two younger brothers. To quickly recap, the Oilers held the 20th pick in 2021, which they traded to the Minnesota Wild to move down to spots. The latter selected goaltender Jesper Wallstedt at 20.
With the 22nd pick, the Oilers made the infamous decision to select forward Xavier Bourgault. He now plies his trade for the Ottawa Senators. Meanwhile, Dallas selected Johnston with the next pick in the draft.
It has been a solid season for the center as he heads to the WCF on the back of a career-high 71 points in 82 games this season. As for Bourgault, he is yet to make his pro-NHL debut after being traded to the Senators last July.
The Stars, meanwhile, rewarded Johnston with a solid five-year, $42 million contract in March 2024.
Earlier, he notched up a unique record scoring in three consecutive Game 7s while adding two game-winners, including one that sent the Colorado Avalanche packing in Round 1 of this season’s playoffs.
The Stars take on the Oilers on May 21 in Dallas at 8 pm ET and it remains to be seen if Johnston can make a mark against the team that snubbed him in the draft. What’s certain is he has Wayne Gretzky’s blessing ahead of the marquee series.
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