NEWSWEEK: Did you get nervous in big-game situations?

Wayne Gretzky: No. I never did. It’s amazing now, because as a player, of course I’d be excited, but I never got nervous. But now as an owner [of the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes], I sit up there, and I sweat every game, every minute. I’m truly nervous now. Because you really don’t have a lot of control over what happens on the ice. But when you’re playing, when they drop the puck, that’s right where you want to be. I never got nervous.

Did you simply not get nervous or did you get even more calm?

I got more calm, believe it or not. I remember the very first game seven I played in was against Philadelphia in 1987, and the night before the game, I was thinking, “My goodness, how am I going to sleep?” But I wasn’t even an issue. The bigger the game, the calmer I seem to get. I felt the bigger the game, the better I was going to play. I prepared for a game in October as hard as I did for the 20th playoff game. It doesn’t happen overnight. You’ve got to do it your whole career.

You realize that that’s, um, abnormal, right?

[Laughs] Yeah. I guess deep down I was probably nervous, but I didn’t even realize it.

How important was preparation to your success?

I respected the players I played against, so my preparation was always really good. That’s one of the things I was always really proud of during my career. By the time I got on the ice, I knew exactly what was going to happen. It was in my mind. They talk about playing the game in your mind the night before, things like that. I don’t think I went that far, but I visualized the players I was going to see every shift, what they were gonna do, their strengths and weaknesses. And that was just out of respect for the opponents I was playing against. The biggest thing my dad taught me in life was respect. So I was very conscious of it from a young age.

Once you started having success, did intimidation work for you-even if it wasn’t a conscious part of your game?

Oh, absolutely. And I don’t mean that to be egotistical. But absolutely. Believe it or not, there are guys in the NHL who are known for being able to go to another level. And there’s also athletes who are great players but are known for not being able to go to another level. It’s as simple as that. It’s not talked about in the media, but it’s definitely talked about in the locker rooms. No question.

Did you get better at “raising your game” in key situations as your career wore on?

Absolutely. There’s no question that in life, the older you get the wiser you become. My dad had a great quote. He said, “By the time you figure out that what I’m telling you is right, your kids are gonna think you’re wrong.” It’s true. I learned so much about preparation and respect that the older I got, the more important I knew it was. It wasn’t pure talent. I remember seeing Tiger [Woods] at a tournament in L.A. in November, and after each round, he was lifting weights for two hours and running the whole golf course. His dedication comes from a passion. He loves the game.

During his slump, Tiger often said that he was practicing shots for the Masters. He said it all the time, but few people believed him-

Well, I think you’re crazy not to believe anything he says right now. [Laughs]

Could you identify with that? Does that sound familiar?

Our coaches would drill in our heads, what we’re trying to teach in October or November are habits that are going to payoff come May or June. That’s so true. No matter who you are, no matter how good an athlete you are, we’re creatures of habit. The better your habits are, the better they’ll be in pressure situations.

To be a dominator, is it essential to have a bit of arrogance?

Oh, absolutely. But it’s a fine line between an arrogance and a respect. You have to respect the opponent. But you also have to have a belief that you’re not gonna be denied. The great ones have that, no question about it. I don’t know much about golf, but when I watch these tournaments and I hear the other players interviewed, it seems most of them sound like they can’t believe they won. Then you hear from Tiger, and he either expected to win or he can’t believe he didn’t. It’s a different mindset altogether. Tiger isn’t just a golfer, he’s an athlete. And he has an athlete’s mindset.

Were you ever satisfied with your accomplishments? No one in your sport accomplished more, but was it enough?

You are never satisfied. You know what I mean? You always want to do better. My biggest disappointment in hockey was the year [1993] we lost to Montreal in the Finals [when I was] with the [Los Angeles] Kings, the year we lost three games in overtime to Montreal. Surprisingly, I seem to think about that more than the four times I lifted the trophy. I don’t why that is. I guess it’s just in us.