It was a time when interest in the game was growing in California and Robbie Earl was just getting started in organized hockey near Los Angeles.
Earl was raised by grandparents who had previously lived in Toronto and exposed him to hockey at a young age. But Gretzky's presence also played a part in developing his interest.
``It definitely blew up when he went there,'' Earl said Tuesday before playing his second NHL game for the Maple Leafs. ``I'm sure that was the reason why he went there and it obviously helped.
``It had an effect on anybody who wasn't into hockey. Obviously, a lot of people in California back in the day weren't that huge into hockey. When Gretzky went there it was huge. I had my own introduction because of my family but it was definitely a big impact that Gretzky was in California.''
