Pocklington: Meant to Praise Gretzky

An outraged Peter Pocklington said Thursday that his comments were misinterpreted when he told reporters Wednesday that Wayne Gretzky has “an ego the size of all of Manhattan.”

The comment, Pocklington told the Edmonton Journal Thursday, was meant as a compliment.

“Ego is a great thing,” said the owner of the Edmonton Oilers, who traded Gretzky to the Kings Tuesday in one of the biggest deals in sports history. “I’m sure I have one the size of the world. His ego is almost as big as mine. . . .

“Those with big egos want to do big things in life. Ego is a positive thing. That’s what built the world. . . .

“Now Hitler, he had an ego problem. He was a psychopath.

“Wayne’s ego is healthy. . . . Heck, Ronald Reagan has a tremendous ego.”