© Wendy McCreary

OTTAWA — Wayne Gretzky, the NHL’s all-time points leader, looked over at Mark Kirton, who was sitting in a wheelchair with an oxygen tube in his nose to help him breathe, and shook his head in awe.

“You are a hero to me,” Gretzky said to his former Ontario Hockey League teammate and longtime friend.

The Great One wasn’t the only one who felt that way on Tuesday.

Here was Kirton, who played parts of six seasons in the NHL, sitting in front of a podium, surrounded by dignitaries from both the political and hockey world, finding himself as the center of attention at the prestigious Wellington Building on Parliament Hill.

All these politicians and puck lovers were gathered in support of ALS Action Canada, a cause Kirton has been at the forefront of for years. As such, you could see the appreciation in his eyes when former Maple Leafs captain and Hockey Hall of Famer Darryl Sittler, his longtime friend, made a special announcement.

“Thanks to the unwavering support of Canada’s seven National Hockey League teams, some passionate individuals and countless communities, the ALS Super Fund has reached an incredible milestone of $1 million,” Sittler said.

The room erupted with applause, some of which was directed at Kirton’s efforts.

“Mark could have felt sorry for himself when he was first diagnosed with ALS,” Sittler said. “That would have been understandable. Instead, he’s trying to help raise funds to find a cure for people who have the same thing.”

Kirton’s response?

“This is great,” he said. “But we can’t stop now.”

He doesn’t plan to.

Last year, after a relentless seven-month process by the 66-year-old that included numerous phone calls and Zoom meetings, the seven Canadian NHL franchises — the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks — united in their support of the ALS Super Fund to raise funds and awareness for research to solve ALS, a progressive nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing loss of muscle control and eventually leading to loss of mobility and the ability to eat and speak, paralysis and respiratory failure.

The commitment by those teams came last December. Nine months later, Kirton said he’s amazed the Super Fund has cracked the $1 million mark in such a short time.

© Mike Zeisberger

Then again, time is a precious commodity for ALS patients.

People diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, have an average life expectancy of three to five years. Kirton, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2018, has already exceeded that.

In the process, his impact on helping to find a cure was symbolized by the turnout of notable hockey figures for the event.

There were Gretzky and Sittler, of course, who were joined in representing the hockey world by NHL Alumni president Glenn Healy, NHL executive vice president and director of hockey operations Colin Campbell, Ottawa Senators owner Michael Andlauer, Edmonton Oilers CEO of hockey operations Jeff Jackson, Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan and former NHLer Laurie Boschman.

Among the MPs (members of Parliament) in attendance was Canada’s Minister of Health Mark Holland, who said Kirton’s inspiration will drive he and his colleagues to strive for change.

“You deserve the courage of our actions as you have the courage to tell your story,” Holland told Kirton.

Holland and many of his colleagues were visibly surprised when they first saw Gretzky, some resembling kids in terms of their facial expression when they see their hockey idol for the first time. The Oilers great was a last-minute surprise speaker at the event after Kirton invited him to attend.

“I don’t know what to say today. Kind of like the way I played defense,” Gretzky said, eliciting a roar of laughter.

He then got serious, noting that the disease continues to take lives 83 years after it claimed the life of Gehrig, the former slugger with the New York Yankees.

“I grew up a huge baseball fan, and I loved the game,” he said. “And I often think about the history of Lou Gehrig. And it hasn’t resonated into where we needed to get to, as far as the backing of governments, financially.”

© Mike Zeisberger

In the past two years alone, ALS has claimed three notable figures from the hockey world — Maple Leafs Hall of Famer Borje Salming, an ex-teammate of both Sittler and Kirton, on November 24, 2022; Calgary Flames assistant GM Chris Snow on Sept. 30, 2023; and former Senators assistant coach Bob Jones on July 26, 2024.

It was Kirton who helped provide guidance for Salming and his family when the former defenseman was diagnosed with the disease. He and Sittler were instrumental in bringing Salming to Toronto to be honored by the Maple Leafs just two weeks before his passing.

That emotional weekend, Shanahan said, was influential in nudging Canada’s NHL teams to help.

“Mark has been pushing for support for ALS research long before that,” Shanahan said. “But when Borje went to center ice at Scotiabank Arena for the ceremony, in front of all those fans, on Hockey Night in Canada, and they saw how quickly the disease had overtaken him, well, that’s a powerful, impactful image.”

To that end, Kirton said Shanahan and the Maple Leafs have donated Real Sports restaurant for a virtual auction that runs from Dec. 5-19. The goal, he said, is to get each of the 32 teams to donate three items, including a trip for fans to see the individual teams play. A charity online fundraiser is also in the works, including a mini-concert by iconic Canadian singer-songwriter Jim Cuddy.

For Kirton, it’s all part of the battle against ALS.

“We’ve been living this nightmare for what, a few years now, and I can tell you, it’s horrific, it’s cruel, it’s torture,” Kirton said. “The challenges are not daily challenges, they’re like hourly challenges.”

And yet he still perseveres, still fights the good fight as long as he can.

Little wonder Wayne Gretzky considers him a hero.