February 20, 2025 • 20 mins
On this episode of Our American Stories, Sean Pronger always dreamed of being and playing with Wayne Gretzky. Here's his story of what happened when his dream met his hangover.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:10):
This is our American stories, and we tell all kinds
of stories here on the show. This next story is
the story of Sean Pronger, and he was a journeyman
NHL player who got his start on the hockey beat
at a very young age. Close to home. Here's Sean
(00:30):
with his story.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
To talk about the Gretzky chapter, we're gonna have to
go back to where it all began, Dryden, Ontario, Canada.
I grew up in Dryden, a great town. Love living there.
But if you don't like hockey and you don't like
ice fishing, you probably aren't going to enjoy your time
in Dryden because it is remote. It's four hours from
(00:58):
the nearest city, four hours from Peg from Hunter Bay.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
And it's winter there for about eight to nine months,
and we're talking real winter when it's thirty to forty
below is the norm, And so there's not a lot
to do if you don't enjoy those two activities. And
fortunately for me, my brother loved playing and all of
our buddies love playing. So we would play on our driveway,
we would play on the street in front of our house,
(01:23):
and we had an outdoor rink a block away and
so we played hockey NonStop, but I think the real
games were down in our basement at one sixty one
Saint Charles Street. Like every town in Canada or every city,
hockey Night in Canada was a big deal, and everything
kind of just stopped, you know. All plans were made
before or after hockey Night in Canada on Saturday nights,
(01:46):
and our house, the Pronger House, was no different.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
We would my mum and dad would come down.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
There, my brother and I would settle in and watch
the game, and every intermission or commercial break was time
to play one on one right in front of my
parents with our floor hockey sticks. And I was always
a forward, Chris was always a defenseman. And I look
back down and just laugh because my parents just watched.
(02:10):
Basically their two sons just beat the out of each
other while her and my dad would just kind of
sit back and relax and enjoy the entertainment. And so
we would, Like I said, I was always forward. So
then I would dump it into the fake, you know,
into the living room corner, and he would go back
to get it, and I would ram his head into
the dry wall and then we'd brawl, and you know,
(02:32):
just repeat that over and over for I don't know,
eight or nine years, and so every game, every hockey
night Canada, we would do that. And I was always
Gretzky and he was always bossed, even though Bossy wasn't
a defenceman. Christmas favorite player was Mike Bossy growing up
and mine was Wayne Gretzky. And with Dryden being where
it is, we were four hours in Winnipeg. A couple
(02:53):
times a year, the Pronger family would load up the
family truckster and head up to Winnipeg to watch the
Jets play the Oilers in the the old good old
Smithe division's obviously, I love watching ninety nine play and
uh and how he could see everything and see the
game was just a real thrill.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
But one time we went up there and we the hotel.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
I'm not sure if my dad knew this or we
just got lucky, but the hotel that he booked us
in was the same hotel the Oilers were staying in.
And I'll never forget. We're in the lobby and we're
we're just kind of hanging out down there, and we
kind of look up and there's Kevin Lowe and Wayne
Gretzky and my brother, just like like.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Their old buddies.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
As we're walking past, He's like, hey, keV to Kevin Low,
if I that hilarious.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
Now that you know.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Kevin Low would then go on to uh sign my
brother to a massive contract, and then he would ask
to be traded a year later.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Their history started early.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
So then then, so we're in the hotel and we're
kind of just like trying to figure out a way
to go see more players, and I'm trying to figure
out how to wait to see Gretzki. They're in the
Gretzky's in the dining room or the restaurant, and my
brother and I were kind of peering around the corner
like checking him out. He was I think he's having
breakfast with Glenn Say there. So I'm watching him thinking, well,
I don't want to bother him when he's eating. I
(04:09):
just seems weird. And about that time, a guy came
up behind me and he had a jersey.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
He said, hey, kid, can you go get this autograph
for my son?
Speaker 2 (04:19):
And I said, well, this is kind of weird, but
you know, I'm.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Kind of taught, like you know, if you won't say
no to adults.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
So I walk over interrupt his breakfast and said, mister Gretzky,
would you mind signing this? I could tell he was
reluctant just because he's in a restaurant, and you know,
years later I'd figure out why he didn't want everybody
else to think they need to come to get an autograph.
But anyway, he signed it. He was a gentleman, he
was great. I gave it to the guy and it
(04:45):
dawned on me years later that that guy probably wasn't
getting it signed for his son. He was probably hawking
it at a memorby in the shop. But Lesson learned.
So anyway, I you know, passion for oiler hockey and
my the fact that wayn gris who my idol sort
of at a very young age. And then if you
fast forward years later, I'm now you know, in my
(05:07):
own career in the NHL, actually you were ware your started.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
I was playing for the Penguins at the end. I
got traded at the end of ninety eight.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
But the play is set up in the slide where
Pronger gets himself in a great position.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
From the Anheim Ducks or Mighty Ducks. Back then, Sean
Pronger is a good kid, and.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
I finished the season with the Pittsburgh Penguins rather unceremoniously,
and then before a game against the Washington Capitals, the
Kevin constant Tine calls me in and so I get there.
He's like, Sean, we're trading you to New York. And
for some reason, I thought it was the Islanders. He's like,
I'm like okay. He's like, yeah, so you're going to
(05:45):
the Rangers. And I'm like the Rangers. And he I
remember looking at me, like, why you look so happy,
and I just thought, like, the Rangers.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
This is like Gretzky's on this team.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Adam Graves, Kevin Stevens, Brian Leech, John McClain, Mike Richter,
Jeff buckaboom, oh, Samuelson, all these guys I grew up watching, right,
I mean obviously my idol and then all these other
guys that I grew up watching. I'm like, this is
gonna be awesome. This is a rebirth for me. So
I get traded, you know, get traded. It was a
block It was actually a blockbuster trade. It was Alexei Kovalev,
(06:21):
Harry York and fifteen million dollars. So the way I
kind of matched up. The trade was Alexi Kovalev for
Peter Nedved, Harry York for Chris Tamer and fifteen million
for Sean Pronger. Is just the way I kind of
broke the trade down internally, and so it was, yeah,
it was a big trade. So we meet the team
(06:43):
in Buffalo and I don't know what I was expecting,
but I get to the rink and Craig mctalvis is
an assistant coach and he's like, hey, prongs welcome to New York.
You're not playing tonight, and I'm like, here we go again.
So anyway, I'm after my first game for the Rangers,
which was a sign of things to come.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
But what was really I was thrilled to go to
New York.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
My childhood best friend from Dryden, Ontario, Chris Hancock, had
been living there for a few years and so it
was like, all right, well, we gotta keep make sure
you get two small town boys from Canada in the
big city.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
Things can get out of hand.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
So we had to draw some boundaries and make sure, Okay,
you got a job, you got a career, you gotta
worry about.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
I gotta createt to worry about. Let's you know, make
sure we pick our spots. So we tried to keep
our distance and.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
I wasn't playing, So maybe get in a lineup for
you know, a couple of shifts here and there, and
then I'd be a healthy scratch for three games. Get
back in for a couple of shifts, healthy scratch for
a few games.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
And so I talked to the our strengthen conditioning coach.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
I said, I want you to drop a program that's
going to keep me ready to play as soon as
I get my opportunity.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
I mean, I want to be ready to go and
I'm gonna take it.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
And then it never came, and so it was just
getting to the point where something's gotta give, and I
was just kind of getting so frustrated. I think it
was a game in Washington actually where I finally think
I got my opportunity to do something.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
It was I think we're in.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
The second period, I'm in the lineup, which is great,
and we're killing a five on three and he let
and Muckler, who's a coach, left me out there, and
I'm like, Okay, this is my chance. And I don't
know why I thought that was my chance to go
show them what I can do offensively because we're killing
a penalty five on three. I don't know what I thought,
but whatever, I was gonna make my mark.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
And anyway, so I got the puck and I'm ready.
They kind of dog the fan on the puck.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Then they gave it to me and I'm kind of
going at full speed and there's two guys that I
to beat and the right place is dumping in and
then you know, change and hey, done your job.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
But I think you know what I can beat. I
can beat these guys.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
So what I was gonna do is like split the
d go in score and then you know, right off
in the sunset not the case.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
So I go.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
To split the d poke check, I keep going. They
pass it up ding ding ding three on two, actually
four on two. Puck's in the back of our net.
I'm on the bench, never to come off the bench
stone and now I'm sitting out.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
I must for probably the next three or four or
five games.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
And when we come back more with this journeyman hockey
player's story here on our American story. And we're back
(09:39):
with our American stories and the story of Sean Pronger
in his own words, Let's return to the rest of
this great sports story.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
So now I'm skating in practice, getting crushed, and I
go in to talk to Muckler. Actually, first of all,
I asked Craig McTavish. I'm like, MAXI what should I
you know, Like, I want to play. I want to
know what I need to do to stay in the
line to get in a lineup and stay in the lineup.
It's like, products will talk to him. So I'm like,
all right, all right, let we'll talk to him. So
I go in there and John Muckler, I grew up
(10:11):
watching this guy as part of the Oiler dynasty.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
Pretty intimidating dude. He is at that.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Massive head of silvery white hair. He's got his feed
up on the thing. I mean, if he had a scotch,
I wouldn't be at a place he had a scotch
and a cigar. The way he was sitting there, I'm like, hey,
coach MUCKs, you had a second He's like, yeah, come
on it. Like, hey, coach, I just want to let
you know what. Love love New York, love playing for
the Rangers. I want to play more. What do I
need to do to stay in the lineup or get
(10:39):
in the lineup and stay in the lineup, and he
goes off on a rant for about fifteen minutes about
how good the Edmonton Oilers were in the eighties at
playing a give and go game and how players today
in the you know, mid to late nineties could not
play that style of game and it was very frustrating
to him. So he went off for about fifteen minutes
(10:59):
of that, and I remember walking out and mac t
was walking by.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
I was just coming out. He's like, so how to go.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
I'm like, honestly, I have no idea how it went.
But he's a big family of you guys played in
the eighties, and so I kind of went back to
my locker and I'm just like, I had something's got
to give. So I called my buddy, Herbie.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
Hancock, Herbie tonight we're going out. And so all right,
we're going out and we just so.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
We go to whatever local pub, which there is more,
you know, seven on every block, and so we picked
one go there, and you know, we're having a great time.
In New York's awesome, having a great time. Were a
couple of different spots we hit, and I remember walking into.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
A bar. It was I think one thirty, and I
was very concerned.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
When when the after hours bars were, what time they opened,
or what time when's that going to go down? So
I wasn't ready to call it a night. There's one thirty,
which is you know, obviously last call is getting close,
or so I thought.
Speaker 3 (11:56):
And I remember walking.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
Over to the bartender and I'm like, excuse me, ma'am,
what time's which end of the after hours bars open
around here? And she goes, you mean after we close
at four thirty, and I'm like, no, no.
Speaker 3 (12:07):
This would be good.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
So of course we stayed there at four thirty shut
that bar down. Luckily it was only about a twenty
minute walk back to my place. And then you know,
I got there at like five and heading up at
seven to drive to practice, and which is not a
big deal because that particular, the day before I was
actually practicing as the eighth defenseman, and so I wasn't
too worried about how I felt when I got to practice.
(12:30):
So I get up obviously not feeling the best, but
I'm like, all right, just deal with it, and so
we get the practice, get grabbed my usual breakfast of
Champions coffee with a double chocolate chip muffin, and I'm
sitting there with the kind of chocolate smeared all over
my face, just taking it all in in the locker room,
and I'm like looking around, and something's kind of something
(12:51):
a little off. I'm like, it's kind of like when
your your wife girlfriend mother would rearrange the furniture.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
And I'm looking around, I'm like, have we got a
new player? Is what is going on here?
Speaker 2 (13:01):
And so it was just the color schemes out of whack,
and so I'm looking. I'm like you and all the
name bars are the same name tags. And I look
over and I'm in my stall, which is normally the
yellow jersey because I'm either on the fifth line or
I'm on the fourth set of defensemen.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
It was a red jersey.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
They were like, that doesn't make sense because the red
jersey is Gretzky's lines jersey. And I'm like, well, obviously
this is a mistake. So I grabbed the jersey and
I go to uh. I go to Mike Foglan, who's
the equipment guy, and They're like, folks.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
Give me around color jersey.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
And I kind of throw the jersey at him and
and he grabs it and he throws it back. He goes, no,
I didn't, and I'm like, what, Oh, yeah you did, dude.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
I'm yellow. I mean we all know that. I think
all the fans know that.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
And he's like, yeah, not today, Bud Kevin Stevens has
the flute. So you're practicing with Gravy and Gretzky and
I'm just like, are you kidding me? And he's laughing
at me because he could see you it glazed overlooking
my eyes. So now my part is in my throat
and I'm like, this is not good. This is like
I grew up idolizing Wayne Gretzky and now I have
(14:04):
the opportunity to practice with him, and I'm.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
It couldn't be more hungover. I'm probably still drunk, and
now I'm.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Thinking what have I done to my Like this is
like a career defining moment, right right when you're about
to break through. Maybe you do something stupid, go get
drunk with your buddy, and now you're playing. Now you're
practicing with the greatest well with the greatest player that's
ever played. So this is all going through my head
as I'm trying to figure out how do I manage
this whole situation as far as like, Okay, I need
to get your head wrapped around this, get your body ready.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
You just got to get through this one practice.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
So I go into the shower, trank it on, freezing cold,
sitting there for like ten minutes, and figure out like,
should I.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
Tell got to get m hungover? First of all, does
even know who I am? Second of all? Do I
tell him hungover?
Speaker 2 (14:43):
Or do I just play it off like okay, I'm
just that's how I always am.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
So I'm thinking, you know what, he's a dude.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
He's then understand, just man up and just tell him
what's going on. So I walk over to I'm like, hey, Wayne,
i'm practicing with you today. He's like, yeah, I saw that.
I'm like, yeah, I just want to let you know,
at a buddy in town.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
Things may have gone on a little bit later than
I would.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
Have liked, and you know, just a slightly hungover. So
if you don't mind, could you just keep the puck
away from me and maybe, you know, just sort over
to Graves and I'll just kind of bang in rebounds
and I'll do all the gruntwork and you know, we'll
you know, I'll survive. This practice and hopefully not get cut.
And he's like, Prongs, don't worry about it. I've been
there myself, and I'm like, yes, you knows my name,
(15:29):
all right, he's on board, the greatest player in the
games on board, And all of a sudden things started
to lighten up for me.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
I just felt like, Okay, we're gonna get through this. S.
Grets is on board.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
I'm gonna get out there, We're gonna he's gonna stop
the puck around. I'll probably bang in a couple of rebounds,
maybe leave a good taste in the coach's mouth, and
be like, you know what, the Pronger kid look pretty
good today.
Speaker 3 (15:48):
And so now I'm thinking this is gonna be my chance.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
So we get out for practice and I'm I'm skipping
around the warm up like I'm a fifteen.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
Year all start.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
I'm like, just like the arrogance that I had as
a fifth liner practicing with Gretzky was not just embarrassing,
but I'm just going with it, and so I'm just
enjoying every moment and I'm just like thinking what if,
Like what if there's that small chance? You know. I
remember reading an article that Gretzky once said that you've
put If you put a bunch of hockey players out
(16:22):
on a pond, they're eventually gonna find the players that
they pair up with naturally, just the way they see,
the way they pass, the way they see each other's blades,
and they'll just find each other. Like him and you
already creedon. And I kept thinking about that article, and
I was.
Speaker 3 (16:35):
Like, what if. I mean, I gave it about a
one percent chance, but that could happen. But I'm like,
what if? What if we're out here? Because the Rangers
at that time, we were kind of struggling, and so.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
It wouldn't be able to like, it would be completely
plausible that if there was an ounce of chemistry, that
they might give us at least a game. And so
I thought, Okay, what if what if Gretzky and I
had this natural, undeniable chemistry and.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
We get to play the next game, and let's say
we win, maybe do something good.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
We get the next game and the next game, and
so this is all going to my head. It warm
up of a fucking practice, and so I'm like, all right,
here we go.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
And so first we finally muckler bows a whistle. All right,
we're gonna warm up. We're doing a three on twos,
like straight down, like kind of three three quarter rice
three on twos.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
I kept forgetting like I'm the first line, so I
never get back together and be ready to go. So
I'm like, all right, let's do this. And so I'm
expecting Gretzky. Hey, we had a deal. He's gonna backhand
this saucer pass over to Gravy. He'll either shoot it
or shoot it, probably as Adam Graves can. And so
I'm not really even looking anyway the corner of my
eye to see this like fluttering puck come flying over to.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
Me, like holy should you pass it to me already?
And you know it.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
It was like a wounded duck and it hits the
back I'm playing on my off wing because I'm left
handed shot playing the right side.
Speaker 3 (17:55):
It goes off my backhand and literally over the glass.
And then whistle go. He's like, all right, go again,
So we do it again. He does the same thing.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
I don't think this one did not go over out
of play, but whatever, I fumbled it around anyway, that
was just the sign of things to come. And every
single past Gretzky made was to me, every one of them,
and I barely survived that practice.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
And I skated over to him after. I'm like, Rat's,
I'm so sorry I didn't. Yeah, I don't know to
tell you.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
He's like, Pronks, don't worry about it. I've been there myself,
and he gave me a wink, and I'm like that
he was playing me the whole time, and I think
that was actually better than if he wasn't, because it
made me.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
Feel like I was part of the team. He like
I was close enough in the group that he could
kill me like that, or he just didn't give it
about me and did it anyway. But it was, uh, yeah,
that's the Gretzky story.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
And I still I still think we would have some
great chemistry, but I guess the world will never know.
Speaker 1 (18:56):
And some great storytelling by Sean Pronger. And thanks as
always to Greg Hangler for getting us this great story.
And sometimes big stories in life, well they're just brushes
with greatness and how greatness handles things. I mean that
Gretzky handled Pronger this way, teased him, meant, hey, you're
one of the guys. It happens come on. Let's get
(19:18):
through this great storytelling. And Sean Pronger's stories are chronicled
in his memoir Journeyman, the many triumphs and even more
numerous defeats of a guy who's seen just about everything
in the game of hockey. By the way, Pronger now
lives with his wife and two children in Orange County, California.
(19:39):
By the way, send your stories in like this. We've all,
at some time or another maybe came up or brushed
up against some people like this in our lives. And
very counterintuitive to hear star treat somebody who comes in
drunk to practice like this in a gentle way, in
a fun way. So send your stories as always our
(20:00):
American stories dot com. Sean Pronger's story I was Gretzky's
hungover Linemate here on our American Stories
This is our American stories, and we tell all kinds
of stories here on the show. This next story is
the story of Sean Pronger, and he was a journeyman
NHL player who got his start on the hockey beat
at a very young age. Close to home. Here's Sean
(00:30):
with his story.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
To talk about the Gretzky chapter, we're gonna have to
go back to where it all began, Dryden, Ontario, Canada.
I grew up in Dryden, a great town. Love living there.
But if you don't like hockey and you don't like
ice fishing, you probably aren't going to enjoy your time
in Dryden because it is remote. It's four hours from
(00:58):
the nearest city, four hours from Peg from Hunter Bay.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
And it's winter there for about eight to nine months,
and we're talking real winter when it's thirty to forty
below is the norm, And so there's not a lot
to do if you don't enjoy those two activities. And
fortunately for me, my brother loved playing and all of
our buddies love playing. So we would play on our driveway,
we would play on the street in front of our house,
(01:23):
and we had an outdoor rink a block away and
so we played hockey NonStop, but I think the real
games were down in our basement at one sixty one
Saint Charles Street. Like every town in Canada or every city,
hockey Night in Canada was a big deal, and everything
kind of just stopped, you know. All plans were made
before or after hockey Night in Canada on Saturday nights,
(01:46):
and our house, the Pronger House, was no different.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
We would my mum and dad would come down.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
There, my brother and I would settle in and watch
the game, and every intermission or commercial break was time
to play one on one right in front of my
parents with our floor hockey sticks. And I was always
a forward, Chris was always a defenseman. And I look
back down and just laugh because my parents just watched.
(02:10):
Basically their two sons just beat the out of each
other while her and my dad would just kind of
sit back and relax and enjoy the entertainment. And so
we would, Like I said, I was always forward. So
then I would dump it into the fake, you know,
into the living room corner, and he would go back
to get it, and I would ram his head into
the dry wall and then we'd brawl, and you know,
(02:32):
just repeat that over and over for I don't know,
eight or nine years, and so every game, every hockey
night Canada, we would do that. And I was always
Gretzky and he was always bossed, even though Bossy wasn't
a defenceman. Christmas favorite player was Mike Bossy growing up
and mine was Wayne Gretzky. And with Dryden being where
it is, we were four hours in Winnipeg. A couple
(02:53):
times a year, the Pronger family would load up the
family truckster and head up to Winnipeg to watch the
Jets play the Oilers in the the old good old
Smithe division's obviously, I love watching ninety nine play and
uh and how he could see everything and see the
game was just a real thrill.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
But one time we went up there and we the hotel.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
I'm not sure if my dad knew this or we
just got lucky, but the hotel that he booked us
in was the same hotel the Oilers were staying in.
And I'll never forget. We're in the lobby and we're
we're just kind of hanging out down there, and we
kind of look up and there's Kevin Lowe and Wayne
Gretzky and my brother, just like like.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Their old buddies.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
As we're walking past, He's like, hey, keV to Kevin Low,
if I that hilarious.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
Now that you know.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Kevin Low would then go on to uh sign my
brother to a massive contract, and then he would ask
to be traded a year later.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
Their history started early.
Speaker 2 (03:48):
So then then, so we're in the hotel and we're
kind of just like trying to figure out a way
to go see more players, and I'm trying to figure
out how to wait to see Gretzki. They're in the
Gretzky's in the dining room or the restaurant, and my
brother and I were kind of peering around the corner
like checking him out. He was I think he's having
breakfast with Glenn Say there. So I'm watching him thinking, well,
I don't want to bother him when he's eating. I
(04:09):
just seems weird. And about that time, a guy came
up behind me and he had a jersey.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
He said, hey, kid, can you go get this autograph
for my son?
Speaker 2 (04:19):
And I said, well, this is kind of weird, but
you know, I'm.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Kind of taught, like you know, if you won't say
no to adults.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
So I walk over interrupt his breakfast and said, mister Gretzky,
would you mind signing this? I could tell he was
reluctant just because he's in a restaurant, and you know,
years later I'd figure out why he didn't want everybody
else to think they need to come to get an autograph.
But anyway, he signed it. He was a gentleman, he
was great. I gave it to the guy and it
(04:45):
dawned on me years later that that guy probably wasn't
getting it signed for his son. He was probably hawking
it at a memorby in the shop. But Lesson learned.
So anyway, I you know, passion for oiler hockey and
my the fact that wayn gris who my idol sort
of at a very young age. And then if you
fast forward years later, I'm now you know, in my
(05:07):
own career in the NHL, actually you were ware your started.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
I was playing for the Penguins at the end. I
got traded at the end of ninety eight.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
But the play is set up in the slide where
Pronger gets himself in a great position.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
From the Anheim Ducks or Mighty Ducks. Back then, Sean
Pronger is a good kid, and.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
I finished the season with the Pittsburgh Penguins rather unceremoniously,
and then before a game against the Washington Capitals, the
Kevin constant Tine calls me in and so I get there.
He's like, Sean, we're trading you to New York. And
for some reason, I thought it was the Islanders. He's like,
I'm like okay. He's like, yeah, so you're going to
(05:45):
the Rangers. And I'm like the Rangers. And he I
remember looking at me, like, why you look so happy,
and I just thought, like, the Rangers.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
This is like Gretzky's on this team.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Adam Graves, Kevin Stevens, Brian Leech, John McClain, Mike Richter,
Jeff buckaboom, oh, Samuelson, all these guys I grew up watching, right,
I mean obviously my idol and then all these other
guys that I grew up watching. I'm like, this is
gonna be awesome. This is a rebirth for me. So
I get traded, you know, get traded. It was a
block It was actually a blockbuster trade. It was Alexei Kovalev,
(06:21):
Harry York and fifteen million dollars. So the way I
kind of matched up. The trade was Alexi Kovalev for
Peter Nedved, Harry York for Chris Tamer and fifteen million
for Sean Pronger. Is just the way I kind of
broke the trade down internally, and so it was, yeah,
it was a big trade. So we meet the team
(06:43):
in Buffalo and I don't know what I was expecting,
but I get to the rink and Craig mctalvis is
an assistant coach and he's like, hey, prongs welcome to New York.
You're not playing tonight, and I'm like, here we go again.
So anyway, I'm after my first game for the Rangers,
which was a sign of things to come.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
But what was really I was thrilled to go to
New York.
Speaker 2 (07:06):
My childhood best friend from Dryden, Ontario, Chris Hancock, had
been living there for a few years and so it
was like, all right, well, we gotta keep make sure
you get two small town boys from Canada in the
big city.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
Things can get out of hand.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
So we had to draw some boundaries and make sure, Okay,
you got a job, you got a career, you gotta
worry about.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
I gotta createt to worry about. Let's you know, make
sure we pick our spots. So we tried to keep
our distance and.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
I wasn't playing, So maybe get in a lineup for
you know, a couple of shifts here and there, and
then I'd be a healthy scratch for three games. Get
back in for a couple of shifts, healthy scratch for
a few games.
Speaker 3 (07:43):
And so I talked to the our strengthen conditioning coach.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
I said, I want you to drop a program that's
going to keep me ready to play as soon as
I get my opportunity.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
I mean, I want to be ready to go and
I'm gonna take it.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
And then it never came, and so it was just
getting to the point where something's gotta give, and I
was just kind of getting so frustrated. I think it
was a game in Washington actually where I finally think
I got my opportunity to do something.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
It was I think we're in.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
The second period, I'm in the lineup, which is great,
and we're killing a five on three and he let
and Muckler, who's a coach, left me out there, and
I'm like, Okay, this is my chance. And I don't
know why I thought that was my chance to go
show them what I can do offensively because we're killing
a penalty five on three. I don't know what I thought,
but whatever, I was gonna make my mark.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
And anyway, so I got the puck and I'm ready.
They kind of dog the fan on the puck.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
Then they gave it to me and I'm kind of
going at full speed and there's two guys that I
to beat and the right place is dumping in and
then you know, change and hey, done your job.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
But I think you know what I can beat. I
can beat these guys.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
So what I was gonna do is like split the
d go in score and then you know, right off
in the sunset not the case.
Speaker 3 (08:56):
So I go.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
To split the d poke check, I keep going. They
pass it up ding ding ding three on two, actually
four on two. Puck's in the back of our net.
I'm on the bench, never to come off the bench
stone and now I'm sitting out.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
I must for probably the next three or four or
five games.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
And when we come back more with this journeyman hockey
player's story here on our American story. And we're back
(09:39):
with our American stories and the story of Sean Pronger
in his own words, Let's return to the rest of
this great sports story.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
So now I'm skating in practice, getting crushed, and I
go in to talk to Muckler. Actually, first of all,
I asked Craig McTavish. I'm like, MAXI what should I
you know, Like, I want to play. I want to
know what I need to do to stay in the
line to get in a lineup and stay in the lineup.
It's like, products will talk to him. So I'm like,
all right, all right, let we'll talk to him. So
I go in there and John Muckler, I grew up
(10:11):
watching this guy as part of the Oiler dynasty.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
Pretty intimidating dude. He is at that.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Massive head of silvery white hair. He's got his feed
up on the thing. I mean, if he had a scotch,
I wouldn't be at a place he had a scotch
and a cigar. The way he was sitting there, I'm like, hey,
coach MUCKs, you had a second He's like, yeah, come
on it. Like, hey, coach, I just want to let
you know what. Love love New York, love playing for
the Rangers. I want to play more. What do I
need to do to stay in the lineup or get
(10:39):
in the lineup and stay in the lineup, and he
goes off on a rant for about fifteen minutes about
how good the Edmonton Oilers were in the eighties at
playing a give and go game and how players today
in the you know, mid to late nineties could not
play that style of game and it was very frustrating
to him. So he went off for about fifteen minutes
(10:59):
of that, and I remember walking out and mac t
was walking by.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
I was just coming out. He's like, so how to go.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
I'm like, honestly, I have no idea how it went.
But he's a big family of you guys played in
the eighties, and so I kind of went back to
my locker and I'm just like, I had something's got
to give. So I called my buddy, Herbie.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
Hancock, Herbie tonight we're going out. And so all right,
we're going out and we just so.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
We go to whatever local pub, which there is more,
you know, seven on every block, and so we picked
one go there, and you know, we're having a great time.
In New York's awesome, having a great time. Were a
couple of different spots we hit, and I remember walking into.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
A bar. It was I think one thirty, and I
was very concerned.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
When when the after hours bars were, what time they opened,
or what time when's that going to go down? So
I wasn't ready to call it a night. There's one thirty,
which is you know, obviously last call is getting close,
or so I thought.
Speaker 3 (11:56):
And I remember walking.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
Over to the bartender and I'm like, excuse me, ma'am,
what time's which end of the after hours bars open
around here? And she goes, you mean after we close
at four thirty, and I'm like, no, no.
Speaker 3 (12:07):
This would be good.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
So of course we stayed there at four thirty shut
that bar down. Luckily it was only about a twenty
minute walk back to my place. And then you know,
I got there at like five and heading up at
seven to drive to practice, and which is not a
big deal because that particular, the day before I was
actually practicing as the eighth defenseman, and so I wasn't
too worried about how I felt when I got to practice.
(12:30):
So I get up obviously not feeling the best, but
I'm like, all right, just deal with it, and so
we get the practice, get grabbed my usual breakfast of
Champions coffee with a double chocolate chip muffin, and I'm
sitting there with the kind of chocolate smeared all over
my face, just taking it all in in the locker room,
and I'm like looking around, and something's kind of something
(12:51):
a little off. I'm like, it's kind of like when
your your wife girlfriend mother would rearrange the furniture.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
And I'm looking around, I'm like, have we got a
new player? Is what is going on here?
Speaker 2 (13:01):
And so it was just the color schemes out of whack,
and so I'm looking. I'm like you and all the
name bars are the same name tags. And I look
over and I'm in my stall, which is normally the
yellow jersey because I'm either on the fifth line or
I'm on the fourth set of defensemen.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
It was a red jersey.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
They were like, that doesn't make sense because the red
jersey is Gretzky's lines jersey. And I'm like, well, obviously
this is a mistake. So I grabbed the jersey and
I go to uh. I go to Mike Foglan, who's
the equipment guy, and They're like, folks.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
Give me around color jersey.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
And I kind of throw the jersey at him and
and he grabs it and he throws it back. He goes, no,
I didn't, and I'm like, what, Oh, yeah you did, dude.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
I'm yellow. I mean we all know that. I think
all the fans know that.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
And he's like, yeah, not today, Bud Kevin Stevens has
the flute. So you're practicing with Gravy and Gretzky and
I'm just like, are you kidding me? And he's laughing
at me because he could see you it glazed overlooking
my eyes. So now my part is in my throat
and I'm like, this is not good. This is like
I grew up idolizing Wayne Gretzky and now I have
(14:04):
the opportunity to practice with him, and I'm.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
It couldn't be more hungover. I'm probably still drunk, and
now I'm.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Thinking what have I done to my Like this is
like a career defining moment, right right when you're about
to break through. Maybe you do something stupid, go get
drunk with your buddy, and now you're playing. Now you're
practicing with the greatest well with the greatest player that's
ever played. So this is all going through my head
as I'm trying to figure out how do I manage
this whole situation as far as like, Okay, I need
to get your head wrapped around this, get your body ready.
Speaker 3 (14:30):
You just got to get through this one practice.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
So I go into the shower, trank it on, freezing cold,
sitting there for like ten minutes, and figure out like,
should I.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
Tell got to get m hungover? First of all, does
even know who I am? Second of all? Do I
tell him hungover?
Speaker 2 (14:43):
Or do I just play it off like okay, I'm
just that's how I always am.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
So I'm thinking, you know what, he's a dude.
Speaker 2 (14:49):
He's then understand, just man up and just tell him
what's going on. So I walk over to I'm like, hey, Wayne,
i'm practicing with you today. He's like, yeah, I saw that.
I'm like, yeah, I just want to let you know,
at a buddy in town.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
Things may have gone on a little bit later than
I would.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
Have liked, and you know, just a slightly hungover. So
if you don't mind, could you just keep the puck
away from me and maybe, you know, just sort over
to Graves and I'll just kind of bang in rebounds
and I'll do all the gruntwork and you know, we'll
you know, I'll survive. This practice and hopefully not get cut.
And he's like, Prongs, don't worry about it. I've been
there myself, and I'm like, yes, you knows my name,
(15:29):
all right, he's on board, the greatest player in the
games on board, And all of a sudden things started
to lighten up for me.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
I just felt like, Okay, we're gonna get through this. S.
Grets is on board.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
I'm gonna get out there, We're gonna he's gonna stop
the puck around. I'll probably bang in a couple of rebounds,
maybe leave a good taste in the coach's mouth, and
be like, you know what, the Pronger kid look pretty
good today.
Speaker 3 (15:48):
And so now I'm thinking this is gonna be my chance.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
So we get out for practice and I'm I'm skipping
around the warm up like I'm a fifteen.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
Year all start.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
I'm like, just like the arrogance that I had as
a fifth liner practicing with Gretzky was not just embarrassing,
but I'm just going with it, and so I'm just
enjoying every moment and I'm just like thinking what if,
Like what if there's that small chance? You know. I
remember reading an article that Gretzky once said that you've
put If you put a bunch of hockey players out
(16:22):
on a pond, they're eventually gonna find the players that
they pair up with naturally, just the way they see,
the way they pass, the way they see each other's blades,
and they'll just find each other. Like him and you
already creedon. And I kept thinking about that article, and
I was.
Speaker 3 (16:35):
Like, what if. I mean, I gave it about a
one percent chance, but that could happen. But I'm like,
what if? What if we're out here? Because the Rangers
at that time, we were kind of struggling, and so.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
It wouldn't be able to like, it would be completely
plausible that if there was an ounce of chemistry, that
they might give us at least a game. And so
I thought, Okay, what if what if Gretzky and I
had this natural, undeniable chemistry and.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
We get to play the next game, and let's say
we win, maybe do something good.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
We get the next game and the next game, and
so this is all going to my head. It warm
up of a fucking practice, and so I'm like, all right,
here we go.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
And so first we finally muckler bows a whistle. All right,
we're gonna warm up. We're doing a three on twos,
like straight down, like kind of three three quarter rice
three on twos.
Speaker 2 (17:21):
I kept forgetting like I'm the first line, so I
never get back together and be ready to go. So
I'm like, all right, let's do this. And so I'm
expecting Gretzky. Hey, we had a deal. He's gonna backhand
this saucer pass over to Gravy. He'll either shoot it
or shoot it, probably as Adam Graves can. And so
I'm not really even looking anyway the corner of my
eye to see this like fluttering puck come flying over to.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
Me, like holy should you pass it to me already?
And you know it.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
It was like a wounded duck and it hits the
back I'm playing on my off wing because I'm left
handed shot playing the right side.
Speaker 3 (17:55):
It goes off my backhand and literally over the glass.
And then whistle go. He's like, all right, go again,
So we do it again. He does the same thing.
Speaker 2 (18:04):
I don't think this one did not go over out
of play, but whatever, I fumbled it around anyway, that
was just the sign of things to come. And every
single past Gretzky made was to me, every one of them,
and I barely survived that practice.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
And I skated over to him after. I'm like, Rat's,
I'm so sorry I didn't. Yeah, I don't know to
tell you.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
He's like, Pronks, don't worry about it. I've been there myself,
and he gave me a wink, and I'm like that
he was playing me the whole time, and I think
that was actually better than if he wasn't, because it
made me.
Speaker 3 (18:40):
Feel like I was part of the team. He like
I was close enough in the group that he could
kill me like that, or he just didn't give it
about me and did it anyway. But it was, uh, yeah,
that's the Gretzky story.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
And I still I still think we would have some
great chemistry, but I guess the world will never know.
Speaker 1 (18:56):
And some great storytelling by Sean Pronger. And thanks as
always to Greg Hangler for getting us this great story.
And sometimes big stories in life, well they're just brushes
with greatness and how greatness handles things. I mean that
Gretzky handled Pronger this way, teased him, meant, hey, you're
one of the guys. It happens come on. Let's get
(19:18):
through this great storytelling. And Sean Pronger's stories are chronicled
in his memoir Journeyman, the many triumphs and even more
numerous defeats of a guy who's seen just about everything
in the game of hockey. By the way, Pronger now
lives with his wife and two children in Orange County, California.
(19:39):
By the way, send your stories in like this. We've all,
at some time or another maybe came up or brushed
up against some people like this in our lives. And
very counterintuitive to hear star treat somebody who comes in
drunk to practice like this in a gentle way, in
a fun way. So send your stories as always our
(20:00):
American stories dot com. Sean Pronger's story I was Gretzky's
hungover Linemate here on our American Stories
Host
Lee Habeeb
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