Gretzky: Creative plays like Zegras' breakaway 'wonderful for the game'

For The Great One, plays like Trevor Zegras' breakaway during last weekend's All-Star Skills Competition aren't just dazzling moments - they're good for the game.

"Individually, I can't do the things that these kids do. … We didn't do all this individual stuff," Wayne Gretzky said during NHL on TNT on Wednesday night. "They do it from a young age and they get good at it, and they incorporate that into the game, which is wonderful for the game."

Zegras, the Anaheim Ducks phenom, stole the show in Las Vegas by scoring blindfolded in an homage to "Dodgeball."

Gretzky, who logged 2,857 points in 1,487 career NHL games, also shouted out Calgary Flames talent Matthew Tkachuk after he stunned the hockey world with yet another between-the-legs goal against the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday night.

"It's good for the game because kids love it," Gretzky said. "And good for them that they can do that."

However, not everyone shares Gretzky's love for these individual displays. Former head coach John Tortorella questioned the league's direction after Zegras went viral for pulling off a lacrosse-style assist earlier this season.

"If you did that back in 2000, late '90s, 2000, you'd get your head taken off," Tortorella said during an ESPN broadcast in December. "It's cool, it's cool to watch and all that, but I'm not so sure it's good for the game."