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From the archives of the Sault Ste. Marie Public Library:
Humble as always, Gretzky was astonished to receive an invitation to Team Canada’s World Junior Hockey Championship training camp.
He believed he had no chance at making the team, but that the training camp experience would be invaluable to his development. Unexpectedly he received a spot on the team.
With Bill Delargo of the Brandon Wheat Kings breaking his leg a month earlier, a spot opened for the rookie Wayne Gretzky. Later, Team Canada’s planned first-line centre, Bobby Smith, suffered an eye injury and Gretzky found himself positioned as the country’s number one centre out of sheer luck.