In February 2017, Wayne Gretzky shared what he learned from his hockey idol, Gordie Howe. He said he often asked Howe for advice, as they spent time together while Gretzky was chasing his records. Gretzky learned how to handle pressure, and Howe always took time to talk and help."I was chasing down a lot of Gordie’s accomplishments," Gretzky said, via Sportsnet's Mark Spector. "So we’d get to see each other a lot. He was always so nice to come and be part of it, and we’d spend a lot of time together. I’d say, ‘Gordie, how’d you deal with this, or that?'"Gretzky added that these lessons were not about playing, but about life off the ice. He learned to manage rest and deal with the media and fans."(I learned) how they dealt with the attention," Gretzky said. "How do you make sure that your time is well spent, making sure you’re getting proper rest when you’re being asked to do other things? You don’t know what that’s like until you go through it."Gretzky is no longer the NHL's leading goal scorer. Washington Capitals Star Alexander Ovechkin surpassed his 894-goal record on April 6, and Gretzky was there to celebrate. After scoring 44 goals last season, he now has 897 goals to his name.Similarly, Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby also broke his record for most seasons with a point per game pace. Crosby has 20 such seasons and still has two years left on his contract.Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid is a strong contender for several of Gretzky's records. He has already recorded eight NHL 100-point seasons, seven short of Gretzky.Wayne Gretzky's first meet with Gordie HoweWayne Gretzky met Gordie Howe for the first time in a game in 1978, when he was 18 years. Howe was 50 and playing for the New England Whalers. During warmups, Gretzky thought Howe was winking at him. He felt excited and considered it a special moment.Gretzky spoke about it in October 2016, months after Howe died."I was in warmup and I was so, so excited to play against Gordie Howe," Gretzky said, via NHL.com. "And we're skating around the warmup, (and) every time I went by Gordie he was winking at me. I said to one of the guys, 'Gordie Howe is out there winking to me.' And he said, 'No, no, no. He's got a blinking problem.'"Gretzky still felt honored to be on the ice with him. He attended Howe’s funeral in Detroit, and called him the greatest player and a kind man.