I Was Gretzky’s Hungover Linemate

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Loves it. 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 with his story.

To talk about the Gretzky chapter, we're going to have to go back to where it all began. Dryden, Ontario, Canada. I grew up in Dryden. Great town. Loved 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 the nearest city, four hours from Winnipeg, four hours from Thunder Bay, and it's winter there for about eight to nine months.

And we're talking real winter when it's 30 to 40 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 loved playing. So we would play on our driveway, we would play on the street in front of our house, and we had an outdoor rink a block away. And so we played hockey nonstop. I think the real games were down in our basement at 161 St. Charles Street. Like every town in Canada or every city, Hockey Night in Canada was a big deal and everything kind of just stopped.

All plans were made before or after Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday nights. And our house, the Pronger House, was no different. My mom and dad would come down there and my brother and I would settle in and watch the game. 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 defenceman. And I'd look back down and just laugh because my parents just watched, basically their two sons just beat the shit 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 living room corner and he would go back to get it and I would ram his head into the drywall.

And then we'd brawl and just repeat that over and over for, I don't know, eight or nine years. And so every game, every Hockey Night in Canada we would do that. And I was always Gretzky and he was always Bossy, even though Bossy wasn't a defenceman. Chris's favourite player was Mike Bossy growing up and mine was Wayne Gretzky. And with Dryden being where it is, we were four hours from Winnipeg a couple 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 good old Smythe division.

Obviously loved watching 99 play and how he could see everything and see the game was just a real thrill. One time we went up there and the hotel, I'm not sure if my dad knew this or 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 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 their old buddies as we're walking past, he's like, hey Kev, to Kevin Lowe. I find that hilarious now that Kevin Lowe would then go on to sign my brother to a massive contract and then he would ask to be traded a year later.

Their history started early. 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 a way to see Gretzky. 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. I think he was having breakfast with Glen Sather. So I'm watching him thinking, well, I don't want to bother him when he's eating.

I just, this seems weird. And about that time a guy came up behind me and he had a jersey. He said, hey kid, can you go get this autograph for my son?

And I thought, well, this is kind of weird, but you know, I've kind of taught like, you know, you don't say no to adults. So I walk over, interrupt his breakfast and said, Mr. Gretzky, would you mind signing this? I could tell he was reluctant just because he's in a restaurant and years later I'd figure out why he didn't want everybody else to think they need to come up and get an autograph. But anyway, he signed it. He was a gentleman. He was great. I gave it to the guy and it dawned on me years later that that guy probably wasn't getting it signed for his son.

He was probably hawking it at a memorabilia shop. But lesson learned. So anyway, my passion for oiler hockey and the fact that Wayne Gretzky was my idol started at a very young age. And then if you fast forward years later, I'm now in my own career in the NHL. Actually, the way the year started, I was playing for the Penguins. At the end, I got traded at the end of 98.

But the play is set up in the slot where Pronger gets himself in a great position. From the Anaheim Ducks or Mighty Ducks back then. And it finished the season with Pittsburgh Penguins rather unceremoniously. And then before a game against the Washington Capitals, Kevin Constantine calls me in and so I get there and he's like, Sean, we're trading you to New York. And for some reason I thought it was the Islanders.

And I'm like, okay. And he's like, yeah, so you're going to the Rangers. And I'm like, the Rangers?

And I remember looking at me like, why do you look so happy? And I just thought like the Rangers, Gretzky's on this team. Adam Graves, Kevin Stevens, Brian Leach, John McClain, Mike Richter, Jeff Bukaboom, Ulf Samuelson, all these guys I grew up watching.

I mean, obviously my idol. And then all these other guys that I grew up watching. I'm like, this is going to be awesome.

This is a rebirth for me. So I get traded. It was actually a blockbuster trade. It was Alexei Kovalev, Harry York and $15 million. So the way I kind of matched up the trade was Alexei Kovalev for Peter Nedved, Harry York for Chris Tamer and $15 million for Sean Pronger. It's 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 in Buffalo. And I don't know what I was expecting, but I get to the rink and Craig McTavish is the 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've scratched my first game for the Rangers, which was a sign of things to come. But what was really, I was thrilled to go to New York.

My childhood best friend from Dryden, Ontario, Chris Hancock, had been living there for a few years. And so it was like, all right, we've got to keep, make sure you get two small town boys from Canada in the big city. Things can get out of hand. So we had to draw some boundaries and make sure, okay, you got a job, you got a career you got to worry about. I got a career I got to worry about.

Let's make sure we pick our spots. So we tried to keep our distance and I wasn't playing. So I'd maybe get in the lineup for, you know, a couple shifts here and there.

And then I'd be a healthy scratch for three games, get back in for a couple shifts, healthy scratch for a few games. And so I talked to our strength and conditioning coach. I said, I want you to drop a program that's going to keep me ready for play.

As soon as I get my opportunity, I want to be ready to go and I'm going to take it. And then it never came. And so it was just getting to the point where something's got to 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. It was, I think we're in the second period. I'm in the lineup, which is great. And we're killing a five on three.

And he left 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 going to make my mark. And anyway, so I got the puck and I'm ready.

They kind of done the fan on the puck and they gave it to me. And I'm kind of going at full speed. And there's two guys to beat and the right place is dump it in and then, you know, change.

And hey, you've done your job. But I think, you know what, I can beat these guys. So what I was going to do was split the D, go in, score, and then ride off into sunset. Not the case. So I go to split the D, poke check. I keep going. They pass it up.

Ding, ding, ding. Three on two. Actually, a four on two. Pucks in the back of our net. I'm on the bench, never to come off the bench. And now I'm sitting out for probably the next three or four or five games.

And when we come back, more with this Journeyman Hockey Players story here on Our American Story. For each person living with myasthenia gravis or MG, their journey with this rare neuromuscular condition is unique. That's why Untold Stories Life with myasthenia gravis, a new podcast from iHeartRadio in partnership with Argenics, is exploring the extraordinary challenges and personal triumphs of underserved communities living with MG. Host Martine Hackett will share powerful perspectives from people living with the debilitating muscle weakness and fatigue caused by this rare disorder. Each episode will uncover the reality of life with myasthenia gravis from early signs and symptoms to obtaining an accurate diagnosis and finding care. Every person with MG has a story to tell. And by featuring these real life experiences, this podcast hopes to inspire the MG community, educate others about this rare condition and let those living with it know that they are not alone.

Listen to Untold Stories Life with myasthenia gravis on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. And we're back with our American stories and the story of Sean Pranger in his own words. Let's return to the rest of this great sports story. He's got that massive head of silvery white hair. He's got his feet up on the thing.

I mean, if he had a scotch, I wouldn't be at a place with a scotch and a cigar the way he was sitting there. I'm like, hey, Coach Mucks, you got a second? He's like, yeah, come on in. I'm like, hey, Coach, I just want to let you know I 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 in the lineup and stay in the lineup? And he goes off on a rant for about 15 minutes about how good the Edmonton Oilers were in the 80s at playing a give and go game and how players today in the mid to late 90s could not play that style of game. And it was very frustrating to him.

So he went off for about 15 minutes on that. And I remember walking out and MacT was walking by. I was just coming out. He's like, so how'd it go? I'm like, honestly, I have no idea how it went.

But he's a big fan of the way you guys played in the 80s. And so I kind of went back to my locker and I'm just like, something's got to give. So I called my buddy, Herbie Hancock. Herbie, tonight's the night. We're going out. And so, all right, we're going out and we just so we go to whatever local pub, which there is what, you know, seven on every block. And so we pick one, go there. And, you know, we're having a great time.

New York's awesome. Having a great time. A couple of different spots we hit. And I remember walking into a bar. It was, I think, 130. I was very concerned when the after hours bars were, what time they open or what time, when's that going to go down? So I wasn't ready to call it a night.

It was 130, which is, you know, obviously the last call is getting close, or so I thought. And I remember walking over to the bartender and I'm like, excuse me, ma'am, what time did the after hours bars open around here? And she goes, you mean after we close at 430? And I'm like, no, no, this will be good. So, of course, we stay there at 430.

Shut that bar down. Luckily, it was only about a 20 minute walk back to my place. And then, you know, I got there at like five and had to get 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. So I get up, obviously not feeling the best, but I'm like, all right, just deal with it.

And so I get to practice, grab my usual breakfast of champions coffee with a double chocolate chip muffin. And I'm sitting there with 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 a little off. It's kind of like when your wife, girlfriend, mother would rearrange the furniture. And I'm looking around, I'm like, do we got a new player?

What is going on here? And so it was just the color scheme was out of whack. And so I'm looking, I'm like, you know, all the name bars are the same, name tags. And I look over and I'm like, 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 defenseman, it was a red jersey. And I'm like, that doesn't make sense. Because the red jersey is Gretzky's line jersey.

And I'm like, well, obviously this is a mistake. So I grab the jersey and I go to Mike Fogelin, who's the equipment guy. And I'm like, folks, give me the wrong color jersey. And I kind of throw the jersey at him.

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, I'm yellow. I mean, we all know that.

I think all the fans know that. And he's like, yeah, not today, bud. Kevin Stevens has the flu. So you're practicing with gravy and Gretzky. And I'm just like, are you f***ing kidding me? And he's laughing at me because you can see the glazed over look in my eyes. So now my heart is in my throat and I'm like, this is not good.

I grew up idolizing Wayne Gretzky and now I have the opportunity to practice with him. And I couldn't be more hungover. I'm probably still drunk. And now I'm thinking, what have I done? This is like a career defining moment. 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 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.

You just got to get through this one practice. So I go into the shower, crank it on freezing cold, sit in there for like 10 minutes and figure out like, should I tell Gretzky I'm hungover? First of all, does he even know who I am? Second of all, do I tell him I'm hungover or do I just play it off like, okay, I'm just, that's how I always am? So I'm thinking, you know what, he's a dude, he's going to understand.

Just man up and just tell him what's going on. So I walk over to him 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, I had a buddy in town.

Things may have gone on a little bit later than I would have liked and I'm just slightly hungover. So if you don't mind, could you just keep the puck away from me and maybe, you know, I'll just throw it over to Graves and I'll just kind of bang in rebounds and I'll do all the grunt work and, you know, I'll survive this practice and hopefully not get cut. He's like, prongs, don't worry about it. I've been there myself. And I'm like, yes, he knows my name. All right, he's on board. The greatest player in the game is on board and all of a sudden things started to lighten up for me.

I just felt like, okay, we're going to get through this. Gretzky's on board. I'm going to get out there. He's going to snap 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 looked pretty good today. And so now I'm thinking this is going to be my chance. So we get out for practice and I'm skipping around the warm up like I'm a 15-year all-star.

Just like the arrogance that I had as a fifth-liner practicing with Gretzky was 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 a small chance. You know, I remember reading an article that Gretzky once said that if you put a bunch of hockey players out on a pond, they're eventually going to find the players that they pair up with naturally.

Just the way they pass, the way they see each other's blades, and they'll just find each other like him and Yari Curry did. And I kept thinking about that article and I was like, what if? I mean, I gave it about a 1% chance that 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 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, OK, what if? What if Gretzky and I had this natural, undeniable chemistry and we get to play the next game and let's say we win, maybe we do something good. We get the next game and the next game. And so this is all going through my head in a warm up of a f***ing practice. And so I'm like, all right, here we go.

And so first, finally, Muckler blows a whistle. All right, we're going to warm up. We're doing three on twos, like straight down, like kind of three quarter ice, three on twos.

I kept forgetting, like I'm the first line, so I better get my s*** 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 going to backhand this saucer pass over to Gravy.

He can either shoot it or shoot it, probably, as Adam Graves can. And so I'm not really even looking. Anyway, at the corner of my eye, I just see this like fluttering puck come flying over to me. I'm like, holy s***, are you passing it to me already? And it was like a wounded duck, and it hits the backhand playing on my off wing because I'm left handed shot playing the right side.

It goes off my backhand and literally over the glass. And the whistle goes. He's like, all right, go again. So we do it again.

He does the same thing. I don't think this one did not go out of play, but whatever, I fumbled it around. Anyway, that was just the sign of things to come. And every single pass Gretzky made was to me.

Every one of them. And I barely survived that practice. And I skated over to him after. I'm like, Gretz, I'm so sorry.

I didn't. Yeah, I don't know what to tell you. He's like, Pronx, 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 feel like I was part of the team. Like I was close enough in the group that he could f*** with me like that.

Or he just didn't give a s*** about me and just did it anyway. But it was, yeah, that's the Gretzky story. And I still think we would have had some great chemistry.

But I guess the world will never know. And some great storytelling by Sean Pronger. And thanks, as always, to Greg Hengler 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 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. 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 it's very counterintuitive to hear a 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, to OurAmericanStories.com. For Sean Pronger's story, I was Gretzky's hungover line mate, here on OurAmericanStories. Now celebrating her new podcast series, The History of the World's Greatest Nightclubs, on iHeartRadio. Come slive it up and jump through the portal to iHeartland for a quest to unlock a limited edition UGC item. It's going to be epic. Now you're starting.

Slivingland on Roblox. Loves it. For each person living with myasthenia gravis, or MG, their journey with this rare condition is unique. That's why Untold Stories Life with myasthenia gravis, a new podcast from iHeartRadio in partnership with Argenix, is exploring the extraordinary challenges and personal triumphs of underserved communities living with MG. Host Martine Hackett will share these powerful perspectives from real people with MG, so their experiences can help inspire the MG community and educate others about this rare condition. Listen to find strength and community on the MG journey on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Order for you today at Roku.com. Happy streaming!