Blackhawks' Hossa and Campbell's NHL idol: Both pick Gretzky

During the Stanley Cup playoffs, we're asking some Blackhawks to tell us which player they grew up idolizing. We'll share their story on each game day.

Veterans Marian Hossa and Brian Campbell both chose the sport's all-time leading scorer - Wayne Gretzky.

"When there was some highlight from North American back in Czechoslovakia, they were showing only him," Hossa said. "Obviously it was so much fun to see the highlights. What he did with the puck. The poise, the passion and everything he brought. It was just amazing. Me and my buddy ended up buying the VHS cassette with his highlights. After that, there was nobody else. Just him."

Interestingly, Campbell also owned the 'Above and Beyond' video, which came out in 1990, and said he "probably watched that about 70 times."

"I just liked his vision and the way he saw the ice," Campbell said. "Felt like he was smarter than everybody out there. I always aspired to be a smart player, so just a lot of learning from him."

- John Dietz