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  • 99: Stories of the Game

  • Written by: Wayne Gretzky
  • Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
  • Length: 12 hrs and 10 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (162 ratings)

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99: Stories of the Game cover art

99: Stories of the Game

Written by: Wayne Gretzky
Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
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Publisher's Summary

In this sports memoir, Wayne Gretzky weaves memories of his legendary career with an inside look at professional hockey and the heroes and stories that inspired him. From minor-hockey phenomenon to Hall of Fame sensation, Wayne Gretzky rewrote the record books, his accomplishments becoming the stuff of legend. Dubbed “The Great One”, he is considered by many to be the greatest hockey player who ever lived. No one has seen more of the game than he has - but he has never discussed in depth just what it was he saw.

For the first time, Gretzky discusses candidly what the game looks like to him and introduces us to the people who inspired and motivated him: Mentors, teammates, rivals, the famous and the lesser known. Weaving together lives and moments from an extraordinary career, he reflects on the players who inflamed his imagination when he was a kid, the way he himself figured in the dreams of so many who came after; takes us onto the ice and into the dressing rooms to meet the friends who stood by him and the rivals who spurred him to greater heights; shows us some of the famous moments in hockey history through the eyes of someone who regularly made that history. Warm, direct, and revelatory, it is an audiobook that gives us number 99, the man and the player, like never before.

©2016 Wayne Gretzky (P)2016 Penguin Audio

What the critics say

“The Great One delivers a personal history of the National Hockey League...Gretzky’s sense of his sport’s history rings clearly throughout these pages, as if he is the tour guide of a museum in which he also has created some of the best art.... This enjoyable book provides an overview that will educate longtime fans and relative newcomers alike.” (Kirkus Reviews)

“Arguably the best player in the history of hockey, [Gretzky] has written a warm and enthusiastic collection of memories and stories. This book showcases some of hockey’s best moments through the keen eyes of an avid student, lover, and ambassador of the game. VERDICT: Essential for all hockey fans, old and new.” (Library Journal)

“Wayne Gretzky’s 99 glides across a lifetime of high sticks and higher stakes.” (Vanity Fair)

Featured Article: Quotes About Hard Work to Keep You Motivated and Moving Forward

Anything worth achieving is worth working for. Those goals that we reach when we really strive for them, giving it our all, are the most rewarding. Whether it is taking small steps towards your goals, shooting for a new objective, or simply dreaming those big dreams, hard work is what gets us there. Trusting in yourself and your own abilities will allow you to dig deep, put in the time, and get where you want to be. Everything is achievable with the right mindset.

What listeners say about 99: Stories of the Game

Average Customer Ratings
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Great Mix of Old and NEW Hockey Stories

I loved how Wayne mixed the old and the new hockey stories in this book. I think if Wayne was narrating the book himself there would have been more life put into a few of the stories close to him but it still was an amazing book. Well done.

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About par for the course

Their were lots of back stories to the game when Wayne played but I was disappointed there wasn’t more personal stories at times. Some of the book was filled with stats and fillers that didn’t give it as much of a persona feel to the book.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Gretz is Great

I wish Wayne did the narrating on this one but it was great to hear all the stories of the game from all the different errors and some of the behind-the-scenes

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great story, bad narration

Would be nice if the narrator took the time to make sure he was pronouncing the names of the players correctly.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Narrator was awful

narrator didn't know anything about hockey, he didn't know how to pronounce players names.

Wayne should have narrated the story himself

content was excellent.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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Toque??

Great book of short stories. Amazing to hear Gretzky’s take on the game. The only downfall is the performance by the narrator. Overall it’s good but he mispronounces several player names. He also has a big issue with the knit cap called toque! Canadians will roll their eyes when they hear his pronunciation.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Good Ol Hockey stories

The stories are great but not read by the Great One. Pronunciation of surnames is cringe worthy.

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    2 out of 5 stars
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Great book. Poor reader

Lots of great stories. It’s unfortunate that Mr Chamberlain mispronounced many of the names and several quintessential Canadian words e.g. toque.

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Loved this...

Loved this! Great stories, well read and super interesting! Thank you very much! Would certainly recommend.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Wonderful book on a wonderful game

Loved all the stories of the history of this great game. This is a great book for people that think they know about hockey

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  • Amazon Customer
  • 2018-03-28

A great book

This book is amazing ! I love hockey and I play it even though I'm a girl because girls can play hockey too and I hope you agree with me. Your book is incredible thank you.

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6 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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  • Patrick
  • 2017-03-11

Great hockey history

Gretzky has a great knowledge of the game and hockey history and shares many great stories of past and present. However, the book lacks much of Gretzky's own experiences and stories as many of the stories he tells are about other people. The reader is not Gretzky which was disappointing and his performance lacks energy and becomes a little monotone. Overall, if you're a hockey fan you'll enjoy the book.

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4 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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  • will33
  • 2017-01-04

Off-putting that it isn't read by Gretzky

What made the experience of listening to 99: Stories of the Game the most enjoyable?

Wayne Gretzky's personal stories of conversations on the ice, friendships and rivalries, and the process of being an NHL great, were the best part of the book.

What didn’t you like about Mike Chamberlain’s performance?

He isn't Wayne Gretzky. The book is written in first person so when he says "I did this" or "I was friends with him" it doesn't work. He is a narrator, he is not Wayne Gretzky, so it either needed to be read by Wayne Gretzky or it needed to be written in the third person. I heard Wayne in an interview promoting the book, and he has such a distinctive and familiar voice, that hearing anyone else pretend to be him just doesn't work.

Any additional comments?

It is obvious which parts of this book were contributed by Mr. Gretzky and which were the research done by the co-author. Some bits of it are incredibly dry. The history of the creation of the NHL is in depth, and some of the stories of the original players were obviously historical anecdotes. There may be 99 stories but 45 of them are not Wayne's reflections or have anything to do with him at all and were written like a history lesson.

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3 people found this helpful

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  • alauper
  • 2018-11-30

Really Old Stories

I was excited to learn more about Wayne Gretzky - he played from 1979-1999. This majority of stories talked about in this book are from the 40's and 50's. They're kind of boring because I don't relate to them - I don't know who he's talking about. I want to know the ins and outs of his game - what Wayne did, who were Wayne's opponents, etc. Good narrator.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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  • Erik
  • 2016-11-14

more Wayne stories

The history lesson was good and it's obvious that Wayne is a professor in hockey history but I just wish there were more Wayne stories. Maybe his next book.

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  • S&JVan
  • 2018-08-24

KILLLER BOOK

Wow,

I grew up playing and thought I knew a lot of the game. This book was some really cool insight and some even better stories of past!!

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1 person found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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  • matthew delano
  • 2018-08-07

knowledge for a true hockey fan

this book is more about hockey than gretzky , it takes you on path from the start of hockey and its teams, to the players before gretzky and after him. it is both interesting and educational for all hockey fans. it's really not a total wayne gretzky book rather a hockey book with stories sprinkled in about him.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Perrysplus
  • 2017-10-20

Great book

This is a really good book. Whether you are a casual hockey fan or a serious hockey fan or maybe even a brand new fan there is a little bit of everything in the book for everyone.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • ThankYou
  • 2016-10-30

Love it.

This is so nostalgic, I love it! The narrator is a perfect fit. The story follows a very wide scope while keeping things interesting and on topic throughout the truly enthralling tales of The Great One's life. A+++++

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    3 out of 5 stars
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  • Amazon Customer
  • 2023-04-20

Not As Advertised

I thought this would be more about Gretzky’s career. Too many other stories about other times and players. I skipped a bunch of it as a result. It would have been much better if focused more on his direct experiences. Very good narrator.

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