The video has now surfaced of what Gretzky really said to John Tortorella

Wayne Gretzky, a legendary four-time Stanley Cup champion, is now doing NHL commentary. He was recently asked if he'd play for a coach like John Tortorella. Gretzky seemed unsure, hinting he might not want to.

This hesitation might be due to the talent leaving under Tortorella's coaching. In 2019, Gretzky may have overlooked how Tortorella turned a so-so Columbus Blue Jackets team into a strong one.

Tortorella's coaching is known for being defensive, with limited freedom for offense, except for players like Cam Atkinson and Artemi Panarin.

The info comes from a video where Gretzky, on the TNT panel for the Flyers game, was asked about playing for Tortorella. His answer, caught on video, was a simple "probably not." The tweet went viral with over 16,000 views overnight.



Gretzky's possible reluctance to play under Tortorella might come from his success under coaches like Glenn Sather, Tom Webster, and Barry Melrose in a different time of hockey. The different coaching styles back then could explain why Gretzky did well with other leaders.