Gretzky had a lot to do with bringing hockey to areas of the states that did not always have it. His talent brought a lot of new interests in the us where the game was not as popular. Since he has started, there have been what...ten or nine...new teams in weird places like San Jose and Phoenix and Dallas and Tampa and Miami where the last time there was ice was twenty thousand years ago.
Gretzky did have a lot to do with the games popularity down south.
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