Marty McSorley was so tough that even tough guys hated playing against him. He could play anywhere on the ice and always put in the same hard work. McSorley is mostly renowned for being a great teammate and protector for Wayne Gretzky during their years together in Edmonton Oilers and LA Kings.
McSorley was the pure definition of an enforcer, and he’d stop at nothing to do what was necessary to keep his teammate–Gretzky in particular–safe.
When Wayne Gretzky was traded to the Kings in 1988, Marty McSorley also joined. McSorley was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins four years later, and Gretzky hated it. McSorley also wanted a comeback, and they both got what they wanted.
Gretzky didn’t feel safe without McSorley with him on the team, which speaks volumes of how enormously appreciated McSorley was.
But his opponents didn’t feel the same way. Everyone feared him, and even some of the toughest heavyweights in NHL history would flinch at the idea of dropping the gloves with him.
But everyone’s different.
McSorley now tells an awesome story about how a guy wanted to get him angry during a parent’s meeting for his kid’s kindergarten.
”There was a fund-raiser for my son when he was in kindergarten. So I’m sitting there, and one of the dads–I’m just sitting there with my wife–and one dad is just teasing me the whole time,” he said on The Suspendables Podcast.
”And you know, I just wanted to give it to him. But I couldn’t, because the shock effect would’ve been unbelievable. So I didn’t say anything, and he just keeps and going, keeps on going.”
Finally, the other dad stopped, and when he did, McSorley approached him with one of the best comebacks we’ve ever heard.
”And so finally, he said, ’Well, I better stop. I don’t want to make him mad. He might beat me up.’ And I leaned over, smiled, and I said, ’Oh no, you’re very mistaking. I don’t need to be mad to beat you up.’”
