![]() ![]() Like other on-ice visionaries, Oates changed speeds and used subtle shifts in movement and positioning to put defenders off balance. Oates’ puck handling and distributing skills, as well as his sure hands, have made him the second-best passer of his time and the player most commonly compared with the best, Wayne Gretzky. Oates' father's insistence on passing and setting up teammates obviously paid big dividends. When Oates started playing hockey and lacrosse as a child, his father insisted that he "be like Stanley - unselfish." Known as the Wizard of Dribble, Matthews is considered to be the most beautiful passer who rarely scored himself. He grew up idolizing his dad's favorite English soccer star - Stanley Matthews. Only Adam Oates' role model was not Montreal's Guy Lafleur or Toronto's Dave Keon like so many Canadian kids. He grew up playing hockey on the ice and in the streets, dreaming of playing in the National Hockey League. Growing up in Weston, Ontario, Adam Oates lived every Canadian boy's fantasy. ![]()
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