Gretzky wonders how he'd do against today's stars

LAS VEGAS -- Is Doc Brown from "Back to the Future" anywhere to be found? Can the DeLorean still get up to 88 mph?

If yes, Wayne Gretzky has a request: He'd like to go back in time to figure out a way to stop his aging process, because as much as The Great One loved playing in his generation, he would have loved the chance to play in today's NHL.

"Mike Bossy and Brett Hull were probably the two purest goal scorers I ever saw in my career and I got excited to play against them because I wanted to see, 'Do I belong on the same sheet of ice as they are on?'" Gretzky, 52, told NHL.com Tuesday from his annual fantasy camp. "That's why I would have loved to compete against a guy like Zdeno Chara, go head-to-head against Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin."

Gretzky said he doesn't think his numbers would be the same if he played today, but, boy, he would have loved the chance to find out how he could do.

"That's competition and that's what it is all about," Gretzky said. "I would relish that opportunity, but unfortunately it's not going to happen. I would need Doc Brown from 'Back to the Future.'"

Follow Dan Rosen on Twitter: @drosennhl