Wayne Gretzky praises Wyatt Johnston
(Photos courtesy Icon Sportswire)

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Wayne Gretzky praised Wyatt Johnston, teasing his brother for Oilers passing on him in 2021 draft
  • Johnston leads his draft class with 177 points, while Oilers’ pick hasn’t played an NHL game
  • Watch video of Gretzky and Johnston’s locker room interaction after Stars’ playoff victory

Wayne Gretzky doesn’t hand out compliments easily. When he does, the hockey world listens.

Just ask Wyatt Johnston. The Dallas Stars’ young gun got the ultimate nod from The Great One himself after helping push his team into the Western Conference Finals.

Gretzky couldn’t resist taking a playful shot at his brother Keith, who was part of the Oilers’ management team that passed on Johnston in the 2021 NHL Draft.

“You’re such a good player,” Gretzky told Johnston in the Stars’ locker room. “I always tell my brother he didn’t draft you, they picked another guy before you, and I always give him [expletive].”

The Oilers’ loss has been Dallas’s gain. Johnston, taken 23rd overall after Edmonton selected Xavier Bourgault, has racked up 177 points – tops among all players from his draft class.

Bourgault? Still waiting for his first NHL game.

Johnston’s been money when it matters most. He’s scored in three straight Game 7s, including two game-winners.

His latest clutch performance helped eliminate Colorado in the first round.

Now averaging nearly a point per game with 71 points this season, Johnston’s living up to the five-year, $42 million extension Dallas gave him. The Stars clearly knew what they had.

The irony? Johnston’s next challenge is facing those same Oilers in the Western Conference Finals. It’s a chance to show Edmonton exactly what they missed out on.

At just 22, Johnston’s already drawing comparisons to the game’s elite. He matched a Gretzky milestone by scoring both a power-play goal and a Game 7 winner before turning 21.

Stars coach Peter DeBoer puts it simply: “He’s so clutch.”

With Dallas eyeing their first Cup Final appearance since 2020, Johnston’s got a shot to write his own legacy. And you can bet Gretzky will be watching.