Wayne Douglas GretzkyCC (/ˈɡrɛtski/GRET-skee; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professionalice hockey player and formerhead coach. He played 20 seasons in theNational Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One",[1] he has been called the greatest ice hockey player ever by the NHL[2] based on surveys of hockey writers, ex-players, general managers and coaches.[3] Gretzky is the leading careerpoint scorer andassist producer in NHL history and has more assists than any other player has total career points.[4] He is the only NHL player to total over 200 points in one season, a feat he accomplished four times. In addition, Gretzky scored more than 100 points in 15 professional seasons. At the time of his retirement in 1999, heheld 61 NHL records: 40 regular season records, 15 playoff records, and sixAll-Star records.[2]
Born and raised inBrantford, Ontario, Gretzky honed his skills on a backyard rink and regularly playedminor ice hockey at a level far above his peers.[5] Despite his unimpressive size and strength, Gretzky's intelligence, stamina, and reading of the game were unrivaled. He was adept at dodging checks from opposing players, consistently anticipated where the puck was going to be, and executed the right move at the right time. Gretzky became known for setting up behind his opponent's net, an area that was nicknamed "Gretzky's office".[6]
Wayne Douglas Gretzky was born on January 26, 1961, inBrantford, Ontario, the son of Phyllis Leone (Hockin) andWalter Gretzky.[5][11] The couple married in 1960, and lived in an apartment in Brantford, where Walter worked forBell Telephone Canada.[12] The family moved into a house on Varadi Avenue in Brantford seven months after Wayne was born, chosen partly because its yard was flat enough to make an ice rink.[13] Wayne had a sister, Kim (born 1963), and brothersKeith, Glen andBrent. The family regularly visited the farm of Wayne's grandparents, Tony and Mary, and watchedHockey Night in Canada together. By age two, Wayne was trying to scoregoals against Mary using a souvenir stick.[14] The farm was where Wayne skated on ice for the first time, aged two years, 10 months.[14]
Gretzky's first pair of skates at theHockey Hall of Fame, worn when he was three years old
Walter taught Wayne, Keith, Brent, Glen, and their friends hockey on a rink he made in the backyard of the family home, nicknamed the "Wally Coliseum".[15] Drills included skating around bleach bottles and tin cans and flipping pucks over scattered hockey sticks to be able to pick up the puck again in full flight.[16] Walter gave the advice to "skate where the puck's going, not where it's been".[16] Wayne was a classicprodigy whose extraordinary skills made him the target of other children's jealous parents.[17]
The team Gretzky played on at age six was otherwise composed of ten-year-olds.[5] His first coach, Dick Martin, remarked that he handled the puck better than the ten-year-olds.[18] According to Martin, "Wayne was so good that you could have a boy of your own who was a tremendous hockey player, and he'd get overlooked because of what the Gretzky kid was doing."[19] The sweaters for ten-year-olds were far too large for Gretzky, who coped by tucking the sweater into his pants on the right side. Gretzky continued doing this throughout his NHL career.[20]
By age ten, Gretzky had scored an astonishing 378 goals and 139 assists in just one season with the Brantford Nadrofsky Steelers.[21] His play attracted media attention beyond Brantford, including a profile by John Iaboni in theToronto Telegram in October 1971.[22] In the 1974Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament, Gretzky scored 26 points playing for Brantford.[23] By age 13, he had scored over 1,000 goals.[24]
His play attracted considerable negative attention from other players' parents, including those of his teammates, and he was often booed.[25] According to Walter, the "capper" was being booed on "Brantford Day" at Toronto'sMaple Leaf Gardens in February 1975.[24] When Gretzky was 14, his family arranged for him to move to and play hockey inToronto, partly to further his career, and partly to remove him from the uncomfortable pressure. The Gretzkys had to legally challenge theCanadian Amateur Hockey Association to win Wayne the right to play in a different area, which was disallowed at the time.[26] The Gretzkys won, and Wayne played Junior B hockey with theToronto Nationals, in a league that included 20-year-olds. He earned Rookie of the Year honours in theMetro Junior B Hockey League in 1975–76, with 60 points in 28 games. The following year, as a 15–16-year-old, he had 72 points in 32 games with the same team, renamed the Seneca Nationals.[27]Despite his offensive statistics—scoring 132 points in 60 games in Junior B[27]—two teams bypassed him in the 1977Ontario Major Junior Hockey League draft of 16-year-olds. TheOshawa Generals pickedTom McCarthy first, and theNiagara Falls Flyers pickedSteve Peters second overall.[28] With the third pick, theSault Ste. Marie Greyhounds selected Gretzky, even though Walter Gretzky had told the team Wayne would not move toSault Ste. Marie, anorthern Ontario city that inflicts a heavy travelling schedule on its junior team. The Gretzkys made an arrangement with a local family they knew and Wayne played for the Greyhounds, at age 16.[29] It was with the Greyhounds that Gretzky first wore the number 99 on his jersey. He originally wanted to wear number 9—for his hockey heroGordie Howe—but it was already being worn by teammate Brian Gualazzi. At coachMuzz MacPherson's suggestion, Gretzky settled on 99.[30]
World Hockey Association
By 1978, theWorld Hockey Association, which had competed with the established NHL since1972, was struggling. The league, which at one point iced fourteen teams, was down to seven surviving franchises. The WHA had long sought to arrange amerger with the NHL but were constantly rebuffed by a group of hardline owners in the older league. With the WHA's long-term survival in doubt,Birmingham Bulls ownerJohn F. Bassett believed the only way to gain meaningful leverage over the NHL was to sign as many young and promising superstars as possible. The NHL did not allow the signing of players under age 20, but the WHA had no such rules. Bassett saw Gretzky as the most promising young prospect.[31] Several WHA teams courted Gretzky, notably the Bulls and theIndianapolis Racers.
Ultimately, it was Racers ownerNelson Skalbania who, on June 12, 1978, signed 17-year-old Gretzky to a seven-year personal services contract worth US$1.75 million.[32][33] Skalbania opted to have Gretzky sign a personal-services contract rather than a standard player contract in part because by that point it was well known that a majority of NHL owners, if not yet the ¾ required to add new NHL franchises, were willing to absorb at least some WHA teams. While Skalbania knew it was unlikely the Racers would be one of these teams (in part because the WHA insisted that all of its surviving Canadian teams be included), he still hoped to keep the Racers alive long enough to collect compensation from the surviving teams when the WHA dissolved, as well as any funds earned from selling the young star.[34]
Gretzky scored his first professional goal againstDave Dryden of theEdmonton Oilers[35] in his fifth game, and his second goal four seconds later.[36] However, he played only eight games for Indianapolis. The Racers were losing $40,000 per game. Skalbania told Gretzky he would be moved, offering him a choice between the Edmonton Oilers and theWinnipeg Jets. On the advice of his agent, Gretzky picked the Oilers, but the move was not that simple. On November 2, Gretzky, goaltenderEddie Mio, and forwardPeter Driscoll were put on a private plane, not knowing where they would land and what team they would be joining.[32] While in the air, Skalbania worked on the deal. Skalbania offered to play a game ofbackgammon with Winnipeg owner Michael Gobuty, the stakes being if Gobuty won, he would get Gretzky and if he lost, he had to give Skalbania a share of the Jets. Gobuty turned down the proposal and the players landed inEdmonton.[37] Mio paid the $4,000 bill for the flight.[38] Skalbania sold Gretzky, Mio and Driscoll to Oilers ownerPeter Pocklington, a former business partner. Although the announced price was $850,000, Pocklington paid $700,000.[35] The money was not enough to keep the Racers alive; they folded that December.[34]
One of the highlights of Gretzky's season was his appearance in the 1979 WHA All-Star Game.[39] The format was a three-game series between the WHA All-Stars andDynamo Moscow played at Edmonton'sNorthlands Coliseum.[40] The WHA All-Stars were coached byJacques Demers, who put Gretzky on a line with his boyhood idol Gordie Howe and Howe's son,Mark.[39][41] In game one, the line scored seven points, and the WHA All-Stars won by a score of 4–2.[39] In game two, Gretzky and Mark Howe each scored a goal and Gordie Howe picked up an assist as the WHA won 4–2.[39] The line did not score in the final game, but the WHA won by a score of 4–3.[42]
On Gretzky's 18th birthday, January 26, 1979, Pocklington signed him to a ten-year personal services contract (the longest in hockey history at the time) worthCA$3 million, with options for ten more years.[43][44] Gretzky finished third in the league in scoring at 110 points, behindRobbie Ftorek andRéal Cloutier.[45] Gretzky captured theLou Kaplan Trophy as rookie of the year,[35] and helped the Oilers to first place in the league.[46]
By the end of the regular season, the signings of Gretzky and other young stars in addition to other factors had compelled enough of the hardline NHL owners to change their positions, and an agreement (recognized as the1979 expansion by the NHL) was finalized. Under the agreement, the WHA agreed to fold after the 1979 season with the Oilers and three other teams (theHartford (New England) Whalers, theQuebec Nordiques and the Winnipeg Jets) joining the older league asexpansion franchises. The Oilers, like the other three teams, were to be allowed to protect two goaltenders and two skaters from being reclaimed by the established NHL teams in the1979 NHL Expansion Draft. The NHL also lowered its minimum age, ensuring players such as Gretzky would not need to return to the junior level, albeit with the caveat that such previously underaged players were supposed to be placed into the1979 NHL entry draft pool. Nevertheless, to avoid any potential for litigation over the validity of Gretzky's personal services contract the Oilers were allowed to keep him on their roster as one of their priority selections.[47] In exchange for agreeing to keep Gretzky off the draft board, the NHL placed Edmonton at the bottom of the draft order.
The WHA completed the playoffs of its final season as planned. The Oilers reached theAvco World Trophy finals (the only WHA championship series appearance for the franchise), where they lost to the Winnipeg Jets in six games.[48][49]
NHL career
Edmonton Oilers (1979–1988)
Gretzky's success in the WHA carried over into the NHL, despite some critics suggesting he would struggle in what was considered the bigger, tougher, and more talented league.[50]
A statue, located outsideRogers Place in Edmonton, of Gretzky hoisting theStanley Cup, which the Oilers won four times with him. Sculpted byJohn Weaver.
In his first NHL season,1979–80, Gretzky was awarded theHart Memorial Trophy as the NHL'sMost Valuable Player (the first of eight in a row) and tied for the scoring lead withMarcel Dionne with 137 points.[51][52] Although Gretzky played 79 games to Dionne's 80, Dionne was awarded theArt Ross Trophy because he had scored more goals (53 to 51).[53] The season still stands as the highest point total by a first-year player in NHL history. Gretzky became the youngest player to score 50 goals, but was not eligible for theCalder Memorial Trophy, given to the top NHL rookie, because of his previous year of WHA experience.[54] The Calder was instead awarded toBoston Bruins defencemanRay Bourque.[55]
In his second season, Gretzky won the Art Ross (the first of seven consecutive) with a then-record 164 points, breaking bothBobby Orr's record for assists in a season (102) andPhil Esposito's record for points in a season (152).[56] He won his second straight Hart Trophy,[51] and was named "Sportsman of the Year" bythe Sporting News.[57] In the first game of the1981 Stanley Cup playoffs, against theMontreal Canadiens, Gretzky had five assists, a single game playoff record.[58]
The following seasons saw Gretzky break his assists record three more times (125 in1982–83, 135 in1984–85 and 163 in1985–86); he also bettered that mark (120 assists) in1986–87 with 121 and1990–91 with 122, and his point record one more time (215, in 1985–86).[65][66] By the time he finished playing in Edmonton, he held or shared 49 NHL records.[67]
The Edmonton Oilers finished first overall in their last WHA regular season. The same success was not immediate when they joined the NHL, but within four seasons, the Oilers were competing for theStanley Cup.[68] The Oilers were a young, strong team featuring, in addition to Gretzky, future Hall of Famers including forwardsMark Messier,Glenn Anderson andJari Kurri; defencemanPaul Coffey; and goaltenderGrant Fuhr. Gretzky was itscaptain from 1983 to 1988. In 1983, they made it to theStanley Cup Finals, only to be swept by the three-time defending championNew York Islanders.[69] The following season, the Oilers met the Islanders in theFinals again, this time winning the Stanley Cup, their first of five in seven years.[70]
Five times between 1981–82 and 1986–87, Gretzky led the NHL in goals scored.[71] The Oilers also won the Stanley Cup with Gretzky three additional times: in1985,1987 and1988.[72]
When the Oilers joined the NHL, Gretzky continued to play under his personal services contract with Oilers owner Peter Pocklington. This arrangement came under increased scrutiny by the mid-1980s, especially following reports that Pocklington had used the contract as collateral to help secure a $31 million loan with theAlberta Treasury Branches.[73] Amid growing concern around the NHL that a financial institution might be able to lay claim to Gretzky's rights in the event the heavily leveraged Pocklington were to declare bankruptcy, as well as growing dissatisfaction on the part of Gretzky and his advisers, in 1987, Gretzky and Pocklington agreed to replace the personal services contract with a standard NHL contract.[74]
The Gretzky rule
In June 1985, as part of a package of five rule changes to be implemented for the 1985–86 season, the NHL Board of Governors decided to introduce offsetting penalties, where neither team lost a man when coincidental penalties were called. The effect of calling offsetting penalties was felt immediately in the NHL because during the early 1980s, when the Gretzky-era Oilers entered a four-on-four or three-on-three situation with an opponent, they frequently used the space on the ice to score one or more goals.[75][76] A few days later, during a press conference the day after being awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy, Gretzky criticized the NHL for punishing teams and players who previously benefited. The rule change became known as "the Gretzky rule".[75][77] The rule was reversed for the 1992–93 season, by which time a majority of the players from the all-time powerhouse Edmonton Oilers (the1984–85 Oilers team, the one most directly impacted by the June 1985 rule change, was later voted the greatest NHL team ever, as part of the NHL's centennial celebrations)[78] had changed teams or retired from hockey.[79]
Strategy and effect on NHL play
Gretzky had a major influence on the style of play of the Edmonton Oilers and the NHL as a whole, helping to inspire a more team-based strategy. Using this approach, the Oilers, led by Gretzky, became the highest-scoring team in NHL history.[80]
"He was, I think, the first Canadian forward to play a true team game", said hockey writer and former NHL goaltenderKen Dryden. The focus of the game before Gretzky's arrival, he said, especially among the Canadian teams, was on the player with the puck—getting the puck to a star player who would make the big play.
Gretzky reversed that. He knew he wasn't big enough, strong enough, or even fast enough to do what he wanted to do if others focused on him. Like a magician, he had to direct attention elsewhere, to his four teammates on the ice with him, to create a momentary distraction to move unnoticed into the open ice where size and strength didn't matter. ... Gretzky made his opponents compete with five players, not one, and he made his teammates full partners in the game. He made them skate to his level and pass and finish up to his level or they would be embarrassed.[81]
Between 1982 and 1985, the Edmonton Oilers averaged 423 goals a season, when no previous team had scored 400, and Gretzky on his own had averaged 207 points when no player before had scored more than 152 in one year. Dryden wrote in his bookThe Game, "In the past, defenders and teams had learned to devise strategies to stop opponents with the puck. To stop them without it, that was interference. But now, if players without the puck skated just as hard as those with it, but faster, and dodged and darted to open ice just as determinedly, but more effectively, how did you shut them down?"[80]
In this, Gretzky added his considerable influence as the preeminent NHL star of his day to that of the Soviets, who had also developed a more team style of play and had successfully used it against the best NHL teams, beginning in the1972 Summit Series. "The Soviets and Gretzky changed the NHL game", says Dryden. "Gretzky, the kid from Brantford with the Belarusian name, was the acceptable face of Soviet hockey. No Canadian kid wanted to play likeMakarov orLarionov. They all wanted to play like Gretzky."[82]
At the same time, Gretzky recognized the contributions of their coach in the success of the Oilers: "Under the guidance ofGlen Sather, our Oiler teams became adept at generating speed, developing finesse, and learning a transition game with strong European influences."[83]
Gretzky explains his style of play further:
People think that to be a good player you have to pick the puck up, deke around ninety-three guys, and take this ungodly slap shot. No. Let the puck do all the moving and you get yourself in the right place. I don't care if you'reCarl Lewis, you can't out skate that little black thing. Just move the puck: give it up, get it back, give it up. It's likeLarry Bird. The hardest work he does is getting open. The jump shot is cake.That's all hockey is open ice. That's my whole strategy: Find Open Ice. Chicago coachMike Keenan said it best: "There's a spot on the ice that's no-man's land, and all the good goal scorers find it." It's a piece of frozen real estate that's just in between the defense and the forward.[84]
"The Trade"
"The Trade" redirects here. For the Nigerian crime drama film, seeThe Trade (film).
Two hours after the Oilers won the Stanley Cup in 1988, Gretzky learned from his father that the Oilers were planning to deal him to another team.[85] Walter Gretzky had known for months after having been tipped off by Skalbania, but kept the news from Wayne so as not to upset him. According to Walter, Wayne was being "shopped" to Los Angeles, Detroit, and Vancouver, and Pocklington needed money as his other business ventures were not doing well.[86] At first, Gretzky did not want to leave Edmonton, but he received a call while on his honeymoon fromLos Angeles Kings ownerBruce McNall, who asked permission to meet and discuss the deal. Gretzky informed McNall that his prerequisites for a deal to take place were thatMarty McSorley andMike Krushelnyski join him as teammates in Los Angeles. Both McNall and Pocklington quickly agreed. After the details of the trade were finalized by the two owners, one final condition had to be met: Gretzky had to call Pocklington and request a trade.[87] When Pocklington told Oilers general manager and head coach Sather about his plans to trade Gretzky to Los Angeles, Sather tried to stop the deal, but when he found out that Gretzky had been involved in the negotiations, he changed his attitude and requestedLuc Robitaille in exchange. The Kings refused, instead offeringJimmy Carson.[88]
On August 9, 1988, in a move that heralded significant change in the NHL, the Oilers traded Gretzky (along with McSorley and Krushelnyski) to therival Kings for Carson,Martin Gélinas, $15 million in cash, and the Kings' first-round draft picks in1989 (later traded to theNew Jersey Devils, who used it to selectJason Miller),1991, (used to selectMartin Ručinský), and1993, (used to selectNick Stajduhar).[66] "The Trade", as it came to be known,[89] upset Canadians to the extent thatNew Democratic Party House LeaderNelson Riis demanded the government block it,[90] and Pocklington was burned ineffigy outside Northlands Coliseum.[17]
In Gretzky's first appearance in Edmonton after the trade, a game nationally televised in Canada, he received a four-minute standing ovation.[91][92][93][94][95] The arena was sold out, and the attendance of 17,503 was the Oilers' biggest crowd ever to that date.[91] Large cheers erupted for his first shift, his first touch of the puck, his two assists, and Mark Messier's body check of Gretzky into the boards.[91] After the game, Gretzky took the opportunity to confirm his patriotism: "I'm still proud to be a Canadian. I didn't desert my country. I moved because I was traded and that's where my job is. But I'm Canadian to the core. I hope Canadians understand that."[91] After the 1988–89 season, a life-sized bronze statue of Gretzky was erected outside Northlands Coliseum, holding the Stanley Cup over his head.[96]
The Kings named Gretzky theiralternate captain. He made an immediate impact on the ice, scoring on his first shot on goal in the first regular season game.[97] The Kings got off to their best start ever, winning four straight en route to qualifying for the playoffs. For only the second time in his NHL career, Gretzky finished second in scoring, but narrowly edged thePittsburgh Penguins'Mario Lemieux (who scored 199 points) for the Hart Trophy as MVP.[98]
Despite beingunderdogs against the defending Stanley Cup champion Edmonton Oilers in theSmythe Division semifinals, Gretzky led the Kings to a shocking upset of his old squad, spearheading the Kings' return from a 3–1 series deficit to win the series 4–3. He was nervous Edmonton would greet him with boos, but they were eagerly waiting for him.[99] The Kings were then swept by theCalgary Flames, who went on to win their first Stanley Cup.[100]
In 1990, theAssociated Press named Gretzky Male Athlete of the Decade.[101] For the second year in a row, the Kings eliminated the defending champions in the first round when they defeated the Flames in six games, but also for the second year in a row their season ended in a second round sweep, this time at the hands of Gretzky's former team. The Oilers went on to win their fifth Cup (and first without Gretzky). In his post-championship interview, Messier (who had replaced Gretzky as Edmonton's captain following the trade) dedicated the Oilers' Cup win to him.
Gretzky's first season in Los Angeles saw a marked increase in attendance andfan interest in a city not previously known for following hockey. The Kings now boasted of numerous sellouts.[102] Many credit Gretzky's arrival with putting non-traditional American hockey markets on "the NHL map"; not only did California receive two more NHL franchises (theMighty Ducks of Anaheim andSan Jose Sharks) during Gretzky's tenure in Los Angeles, but his popularity inSouthern California proved to be an impetus in the league establishing teams in other parts of the US Sun Belt.[103]
Gretzky was sidelined for much of the1992–93 regular season with a back injury (he returned on January 6, 1993, which was also his1,000th NHL game), and his 65-point output ended a record 13-year streak in which he recorded at least 100 points each season.[104] However, he performed well in the playoffs, notably when he scored ahat trick in game seven of theCampbell Conference Finals against theToronto Maple Leafs.[56] This victory propelled the Kings into the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history, where they faced the Montreal Canadiens. After winning the first game of the series by a score of 4–1, the team lost the next three games in overtime, and then fell 4–1 in the deciding fifth game, where Gretzky failed to get a shot on net.[105]
The next season, Gretzky broke Howe's career goal-scoring record of 801, and won the scoring title,[56] but the team began a long slide, and despite numerous player and coaching moves, they failed to qualify for the playoffs again until1998.[106] After the financially troubled McNall was forced to sell the Kings in 1994, Gretzky's relationship with the Kings' new owners grew strained.[107] Under both McNall and the new ownership group, the team was fiscally unstable, to the point that paychecks to players bounced.[108] Finally, in early 1996, Gretzky requested a trade.[107] During the1994–95 NHL lock-out, Gretzky and some friends (including Mark Messier, Marty McSorley,Brett Hull andSteve Yzerman) formed theNinety Nine All Stars Tour and played eight exhibition games in various countries.[109]
St. Louis Blues (1996)
On February 27, 1996, Gretzky joined theSt. Louis Blues in a trade forPatrice Tardif,Roman Vopat,Craig Johnson and two draft picks (Peter Hogan andMatt Zultek).[66] He partially orchestrated the trade after reports surfaced that he was unhappy in Los Angeles.[110] At the time of the trade, the Blues andNew York Rangers emerged as front-runners, but the Blues met his salary demands.[111] Gretzky was immediately named the team's captain. He scored 37 points in 31 games for the team in the regular season and the playoffs,[65] and the Blues came within one game of the Conference Finals.[112]
However, the chemistry everyone expected with winger Brett Hull never developed. Gretzky was also forced to endure public criticism from his head coach for the first time in his career. Long before either he or Gretzky joined the Blues, Mike Keenan had refused to moderate his coaching style even while coaching Gretzky with Team Canada during international tournaments. Gretzky's professional relationship with Keenan was thus never particularly warm, and the coach's public rebukes effectively ended any realistic prospect of Gretzky remaining in St. Louis once he became a free agent.[113] Gretzky rejected a three-year deal worth $15 million with the Blues, and on July 21, signed with the New York Rangers as afree agent, rejoining longtime Oilers teammate Mark Messier (and former Kings teammate Luc Robitaille) for a two-year, $8 million (plus incentives) contract.[114]
Gretzky was originally going to sign with theVancouver Canucks after his tenure with the Blues ended during the summer of the 1996 offseason. Canucks president and general managerPat Quinn and Gretzky had verbally agreed to a contract during the night that they were going to formally sign the next morning, but Stan McCammon, the CEO ofOrca Bay Sports & Entertainment (the ownership group of the Canucks) ordered Quinn to call and demand that Gretzky sign that same night; when Quinn called Gretzky and demanded that he sign right now, the deal was called off due to Gretzky not liking the Canucks' new pushiness.[115]
Gretzky ended his professional playing career by signing with the New York Rangers, where he played his final three seasons and helped the team reach the Eastern Conference Finals in1997.[116] The Rangers were defeated in the Conference Finals in five games by the Philadelphia Flyers, despite Gretzky leading the Rangers in the playoffs with 10 goals and 10 assists.[65] For the first time in his NHL career, Gretzky was not named captain,[117] except for a brief period as acting captain in 1998 when captainBrian Leetch was injured and out of the line-up.[118] After the 1996–97 season, Mark Messier signed a free agent contract with theVancouver Canucks, ending the brief reunion of Messier and Gretzky after just one season.[119] The 1997 playoff run was Gretzky's last as a player, and the Rangers did not return to the playoffs until2006, well after Gretzky retired.[120] Along withJaromir Jagr, he topped the NHL in the 1997–98 season with 67 assists. It was the 16th time in 19 seasons that Gretzky earned at least a share of the league lead in the statistic.[121]
In 1997, before his retirement,The Hockey News named a committee of 50 hockey experts (former NHL players, past and present writers, broadcasters, coaches, and hockey executives) to select and rank the 50 greatest players in NHL history. The experts voted Gretzky number one.[21] Gretzky said he would have voted Bobby Orr or Gordie Howe as the best of all time.[122]
The1998–99 season was his last as a professional player. He reached one milestone in this last season, breaking the professional total (regular season and playoffs) goal-scoring record of 1,071, which Gordie Howe had held. Gretzky was having difficulty scoring this season and finished with only nine goals, contributing to this being the only season in which he failed to average at least a point per game, but his last goal brought his scoring total for his combined NHL/WHA career to 1,072, one more than Howe.[123] As the season wound down, there was media speculation that Gretzky would retire, but he refused to announce his retirement. His last NHL game in Canada was on April 15, 1999, a 2–2 tie with theOttawa Senators and the Rangers' second-to-last game of the season.[124] Following the contest, in a departure from the usualthree stars announcement, Gretzky was awarded all three stars.[125] Upon returning to New York, Gretzky announced he would retire after the Rangers' last game of the season.[126]
The final game of Gretzky's career was a 2–1 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on April 18, 1999, inMadison Square Garden. Although the game involved two American teams, bothnational anthems were played, with the lyrics slightly adjusted to accommodate Gretzky's departure. In place of the lyrics "O Canada, we stand on guard for thee",Bryan Adams ad-libbed, "We're going to miss you, Wayne Gretzky".[127] "The Star-Spangled Banner", as sung byJohn Amirante, was altered to include the words "in the land of Wayne Gretzky".[128] Gretzky ended his career with a final point, assisting on the lone New York goal scored by Brian Leetch.[127] At the time of his retirement, Gretzky was the second-to-last WHA player still active in professional hockey. Mark Messier, who attended the game along with other representatives of the Edmonton Oilers dynasty, was the last.[129]
Gretzky made his first international appearance as a member of theCanadian national junior team at the1978 World Junior Championships in Montreal, Quebec. The Canadian coach,Punch McLean, was originally sceptical of Gretzky's ability as he was the youngest player to compete in the tournament at the age of 16.[130][131] He went on to lead the tournament in scoring with 17 points to earn All-Star Team andBest Forward honours.[131] His 17 points remain the most scored by a 16-year-old in the World Junior Championships.[132] Canada finished with the bronze medal.[131][133]
Gretzky debuted with theCanadian national team at the1981 Canada Cup. He led the tournament in scoring with 12 points en route to a second-place finish to theSoviet Union,[131] losing 8–1 in the final. Seven months later, Gretzky joined Team Canada for the1982 World Championships in Finland. He notched 14 points in 10 games, including a two-goal, two-assist effort in Canada's final game againstSweden to earn the bronze.[131] Gretzky did not win his first international competition until the1984 Canada Cup, when Canada defeated Sweden in a best-of-three finals. He led the tournament in scoring for the second consecutive time and was named to the All-Star Team.[131]
Gretzky's international career highlight arguably came three years later at the1987 Canada Cup. Gretzky has called the tournament the best hockey he has played in his life.[134] Playing on a line with Pittsburgh Penguins' superstar Mario Lemieux, he recorded a tournament-best 21 points in nine games. After losing the first game of a best-of-three final series against the Soviets, Gretzky propelled Canada with a five-assist performance in the second game, including the game-winning pass to Lemieux in overtime, to extend the tournament.[134] In the deciding game three, Gretzky and Lemieux once again combined for the game-winner. With the score tied 5–5 and 1:26 minutes to go in regulation, Lemieux one-timed a pass from Gretzky on a 3-on-1 with defencemanLarry Murphy. Lemieux scored to win the tournament for Canada; the play is widely regarded as one of the most memorable plays in Canadian international competition.[135]
The1991 Canada Cup marked the last time the tournament was played under the "Canada Cup" moniker. Gretzky led the tournament for the fourth and final time with 12 points in seven games. He did not, however, compete in the final against theUnited States due to a back injury.[131] Canada nevertheless won in two games by scores of 4–1 and 4–2. Five years later, the tournament was revived and renamed theWorld Cup in1996. It marked the first time Gretzky did not finish as the tournament's leading scorer; his seven points in eight games placed him fourth overall.[131]
Leading up to the1998 Winter Olympics inNagano, Japan, it was announced that NHL players would be eligible to play for the first time. Gretzky was named to the club on November 29, 1997.[131] However, Gretzky was passed over for the captaincy, along with several other Canadian veterans including Steve Yzerman and Ray Bourque in favour of the youngerEric Lindros.[136] Expectations were high for the Canadian team, but the team lost to theCzech Republic in the semi-finals.[137] The game went to a shootout with a 1–1 tie after overtime, but Gretzky was controversially not selected by coachMarc Crawford as one of the five shooters, all of whom failed to score.[138][139] Team Canada then lost the bronze medal game 3–2 toFinland to finish without a medal.[140] The Olympics marked Gretzky's eighth and final international appearance, finishing with four assists in six games. He retired from international play holding the records for most goals (20), most assists (28), and most overall points (48) in best-on-best hockey.[141]
Skills and influences
Style of play
Gretzky in 1997
Gretzky's size and strength were unimpressive—in fact, far below average for the NHL—but he is widely considered the smartest player in the history of the game.[142][143][144] His reading of the game and his ability to improvise on the fly were unrivaled, and he could consistently anticipate where the puck was going to be and execute the right move at the right time.[29] His coach at the Edmonton Oilers, Glen Sather, said, "He was so much more intelligent. While they were using all this energy trying to rattle his teeth, he was just skating away, circling, analyzing things."[145]
He was also considered one of the most creative players in hockey. "You never knew what he was going to do", said hockey Hall of Famer Igor Larionov. "He was improvising all the time. Every time he took the ice, there was some spontaneous decision he would make. That's what made him such a phenomenal player."[146] Gretzky's ability to improvise came into the spotlight at the 1998 Olympics in Japan. Then an older player in the sunset of his career, he had been passed over for the captaincy of the team. But as the series continued, his unique skills made him ateam leader.
The Canadians had trouble with the big ice. They had trouble with the European patterns and the lateral play and the endless, inventive cycling. ... Slowly, as game after game went by and the concern continued to rise, Wayne Gretzky began climbing through the line-up. He, almost alone among the Canadians, seemed to take to the larger ice surface as if it offered more opportunity instead of obligation ... His playing time soared, as he was being sent on not just for power plays but double shifts and even penalty kills. By the final round ... it was Wayne Gretzky who assumed the leadership both on and off the ice.[147]
He passed and shot with prodigious skill. Hall of Fame defenceman Bobby Orr said of Gretzky, "He passes better than anybody I've ever seen."[148] In his first two seasons in the NHL, his deft passing skills helped earn him a reputation as an ace playmaker, and so opposing defencemen focused their efforts on foiling his attempts to pass the puck to other scorers. In response, Gretzky started shooting on goal himself—and with exceptional effectiveness.[149] He had a fast and accurate shot. "Wayne Gretzky was one of the most accurate scorers in NHL history", said one biography.[150] Statistics support the contention: whereas Phil Esposito, who had set the previous goal-scoring record, needed 550 shots to score 76 goals, Gretzky netted his 76th after only 287 shots—about half as many. He scored his all-time single-season record of 92 goals with just 369 shots.[149] Because he was so light compared to other players, goalies were often surprised by how hard Gretzky's shot was. Goalies called his shots "sneaky fast". He also had a way of never shooting the puck with the same rhythm twice, making his shots harder to time and block.[151]
Veteran Canadian journalistPeter Gzowski wrote that Gretzky seemed to be able to slow down time.[152] "There is an unhurried grace to everything Gretzky does on the ice. Winding up for the slapshot, he will stop for an almost imperceptible moment at the top of his arc, like a golfer with a rhythmic swing." "Gretzky uses this room to insert an extra beat into his actions. In front of the net, eyeball to eyeball with the goaltender ... he will ... hold the puck one ... extra instant, upsetting the anticipated rhythm of the game, extending the moment. ... He distorts time, and not only by slowing it down. Sometimes he will release the puck before he appears to be ready, threading the pass through a maze of players precisely to the blade of a teammate's stick, or finding a chink in a goaltender's armour and slipping the puck into it ... before the goaltender is ready to react."[153]
Commentators have noted Gretzky's uncanny ability to judge the position of the other players on the ice—so much so that many suspected he enjoyed some kind ofextrasensory perception, that he played like he had "eyes in the back of his head".[154] Gretzky said he sensed other players more than he saw them. "I get a feeling about where a teammate is going to be", he said. "A lot of times, I can turn and pass without even looking."[5] Gretzky explained that what appeared to be instinct was, in large part, the effect of his relentless study and practice of the game, in co-operation with his coaches. As a result, he developed a deep understanding of its shifting patterns and dynamics. Gzowski said that Gretzky understood the game so well, that he could instantly recognize and capitalize upon emerging patterns of play: "What we take to be creative genius is in fact a reaction to a situation that he has stored in his brain as deeply and firmly as his own phone number." Gretzky agreed with this assessment, saying, "That's a hundred percent right. It's all practice. I got it from my Dad. . . . Nobody would ever say a doctor had learned his profession by instinct; yet in my own way I've put in almost as much time studying hockey as a medical student puts in studying medicine."[155]
Physical attributes
When he entered the league in 1979, critics opined that Gretzky was "too small, too wiry, and too slow to be a force in the [NHL]".[156] He weighed 160 pounds (73 kg), compared to the NHL average of 189 pounds (86 kg) at that time.[157] But that year, Gretzky tied for first place in scoring, and won the Hart Trophy for the league's most valuable player.[158] In his second year in the league, weighing just 165 pounds, he broke the previous single-season scoring record, racking up 164 points.[159] The next year (1981–82), at 170 pounds—still "a wisp compared to the average NHL player"—he set the all-time goal-scoring record, putting 92 pucks in the net.[160] He weighed "about 170 pounds" for the better part of his career.[161] He consistently scored last in strength tests among the Edmonton Oilers, bench pressing only 140 pounds (64 kg).[162]
Despite his lack of strength, Gretzky had remarkable physical stamina. Like his hero, Gordie Howe, Gretzky possessed "an exceptional capacity to renew his energy resources quickly". In 1980, when an exercise physiologist tested the recuperative abilities of all of the Edmonton Oilers, Gretzky scored so high that the tester said he "thought the machine had broken".[163] His stamina is also indicated by the fact that Gretzky often scored late in the game. In the year he scored his record 92 goals, 22 of them went in the net during the first period, 30 in the second—and 40 in the third.[149]
He also had strong general athletic skills. Growing up, he was a competitive runner and alsobatted .492 for the Junior Intercounty Baseball League's Brantford CKCP Braves in the summer of 1980. As a result, he was offered a contract by theToronto Blue Jays.[163] Gretzky also excelled atbox lacrosse, which he played during the summer. At age ten, after scoring 196 goals in his hockey league, he scored 158 goals in lacrosse.[164]
According to Gretzky, lacrosse was where he learned how to avoid getting hit and to protect himself from hardchecks in the event he did get hit: "In those days you could be hit from behind in lacrosse, as well as cross-checked, so you had to learn how to roll body checks for self-protection."[165] Gretzky applied this technique as a professional player, avoiding checks with such skill that a rumour circulated that there was an unwritten rule not to hit him.[166] This was how Gretzky avoided serious injuries despite being undersized and entering the NHL during its "rough and tumble time"; Gretzky noted that his contemporary Mike Bossy "took a beating to score goals, which consequently led him to retire because his back took a beating".[167] Defencemen found Gretzky a most elusive target. The 205-pound (93 kg)Denis Potvin, a fellow Hall of Famer, compared attempting to hit Gretzky to "wrapping your arms around fog. You saw him but when you reached out to grab him your hands felt nothing, maybe just a chill."[168]
Gretzky received a good deal of cover from burly Oiler enforcersDave Semenko and Marty McSorley.[169][170][171] The latter was traded with Gretzky in 1988 to the Los Angeles Kings, where he played the same policeman role for several more years.[171][172] But Gretzky discouraged unfair hits in another way. "If a guy ran him, Wayne would embarrass that guy", said former OilerLee Fogolin. "He'd score six or seven points on him. I saw him do it night after night."[171]
Post-retirement
Gretzky was named honorary chairman of theOpen Ice Summit, held in August 1999 to discuss ways to improve Canadian ice hockey.[173] He stressed the need to play and practice hockey for the love of the game,[174] and felt that skill was more important to develop than talent and that Canada had the potential to be world leaders in skill development.[173]
Gretzky was inducted into theHockey Hall of Fame on November 22, 1999, becoming the tenth player to bypass the three-year waiting period.[175] The Hall of Fame then announced that he would be the last player to do so.[176] He was inducted into theIIHF Hall of Fame in 2000.[177] In addition, Gretzky's jersey number 99 was retired league-wide at the2000 NHL All-Star Game, a decision inspired byMajor League Baseball's retirement of the number 42 worn byJackie Robinson.[178] In October 1999, Edmonton honoured Gretzky by renaming one of Edmonton's busiest freeways, Capilano Drive—which passes by Northlands Coliseum—toWayne Gretzky Drive.[179] Also in Edmonton, the local transit authority assigned a rush-hour bus route numbered No. 99 which also runs on Wayne Gretzky Drive for its commute.[180]
In 2002, the Kings held a jersey retirement ceremony and erected a life-sizedstatue of Gretzky outside theStaples Center; the ceremony was delayed until then so that Bruce McNall, who had recently finished a prison sentence, could attend.[181] Also in 2002, Gretzky received a star onCanada's Walk of Fame in Toronto.[182] His hometown of Brantford, Ontario, renamed Park Road North to "Wayne Gretzky Parkway" as well as renaming the North Park Recreation Centre to The Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre. Brantford further inducted Gretzky into its "Walk of Fame" in 2004.[183] On May 10, 2010, he was awarded The Ambassador Award of Excellence by the LA Sports & Entertainment Commission.[184]
Phoenix Coyotes
Almost immediately after retirement, several NHL teams approached Gretzky about an ownership role.[185] In May 2000, he agreed to buy a 10% stake in thePhoenix Coyotes in a partnership with majority owner Steve Ellman, taking on the roles of alternate governor, managing partner and head of hockey operations.[186] The Coyotes were in the process of being sold and Ellman convinced Gretzky to come on board, averting a potential move toPortland, Oregon.[186] The sale was not completed until the following year, on February 15, 2001, after two missed deadlines while securing financing and partners before Ellman and Gretzky could take over. Trucking magnate andArizona Diamondbacks part-ownerJerry Moyes was added to the partnership.[187][188] Gretzky convinced his long-time agentMichael Barnett to join the team as its General Manager.[189]
In 2005, rumours began circulating that Gretzky was about to name himself head coach of the Coyotes, but were denied by Gretzky and the team.[190] Ultimately, Gretzky agreed to become head coach on August 8, 2005.[191] Gretzky made his coaching debut on October 5,[192] and won his first game, on October 8 against theMinnesota Wild.[193] He took an indefiniteleave of absence on December 17 to be with his ill mother. Phyllis Gretzky died of lung cancer on December 19.[194] Gretzky resumed his head-coaching duties on December 28.[195] The Coyotes' record at the end of the 2005–06 season was 38–39–5, a 16-win improvement over 2003–04; they were 36–36–5 in games Gretzky coached.[196]
In 2006, Moyes became majority owner of the team.[197] There was uncertainty about Gretzky's role[198] until it was announced on May 31, 2006, that he had agreed to a five-year contract to remain head coach.[199] The Coyotes' performance declined in 2006–07, as the team ended the season 15th in their conference. During Gretzky's coaching tenure, the Coyotes did not reach the postseason, and their best finish in the Western Conference standings was 12th.[196]
On May 5, 2009, the Coyotes' holding company, Dewey Ranch Hockey LLC, filed forChapter 11 bankruptcy. An ownership dispute involvingResearch in Motion'sJim Balsillie (to relocate the team toHamilton, Ontario) and the NHL itself arose, which eventually ended up in court. Gretzky did not attend the Coyotes' training camp, leaving associate head coachUlf Samuelsson in charge, due to an uncertain contractual status with the club, whose bankruptcy hearings were continuing. Bidders for the club had indicated that Gretzky would no longer be associated with the team after it emerged from bankruptcy, and on September 24, 2009, Gretzky stepped down as head coach and head of hockey operations of the Coyotes. Gretzky's final head coaching record was 143–161–24.[196]
Winter Olympics
Gretzky was executive director of the Canadian men's hockey team at the2002 Winter Olympics inSalt Lake City, Utah. On February 18, he lashed out at the media at apress conference, frustrated with media and fan comments regarding his team's uninspiring 1–1–1 start.[200] His temper boiled over after Canada's 3–3 draw versus the Czech Republic, as he launched a tirade against the perceived negative reputation of Team Canada among other national squads, and called rumours of dissent in the dressing room the result of "American propaganda". "They're loving us not doing well", he said, referring to American hockey fans.[200] American fans online began calling Gretzky a "crybaby"; defenders said he was merely borrowing a page from former coach Glen Sather to take the pressure off his players. Gretzky addressed those comments by saying he spoke out to protect the Canadian players, and the tirade was not "staged".[201] The Canadian team won the gold medal, its first in 50 years.[202]
Gretzky again acted as executive director of Canada's men'shockey team at the2006 Winter Olympics inTurin, Italy, though not with the success of 2002; the team was eliminated in the quarterfinals and failed to win a medal.[203] He was asked to manage Canada's team at the 2005Ice Hockey World Championships, but declined due to his mother's poor health.[204]
The lighting of an Olympic cauldron insideBC Place Stadium during the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Gretzky served as an ambassador to Vancouver's successful bid for the2010 Winter Olympics,[205] and was named Special Advisor to Canada's men'shockey team at the Games.[206] During the Games'opening ceremony, Gretzky, basketball playerSteve Nash, skierNancy Greene, and speed skaterCatriona Le May Doan jointly lit theOlympic cauldron inside the ceremony venue ofBC Place.[207] Due to BC Place being an indoor stadium, and Olympic protocols stating that the lighting of the cauldron should be visible to the public, Gretzky was then escorted out of the stadium to light a second, outdoor cauldron outside theVancouver Convention Centre, making him thede facto final torchbearer.[208]
Although Gretzky had previously stated he would not participate in any "old-timers exhibition games",[209] on November 22, 2003, he took to the ice to help celebrate the Edmonton Oilers' 25th anniversary as an NHL team. The Heritage Classic, held atCommonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, was the first regular season NHL game to be played outdoors.[210] It was preceded by the Mega Stars game, which featured Gretzky and many of hisOiler Dynasty teammates against a group of retired Montreal Canadiens players (whose likes includedClaude Lemieux,Guy Lafleur and others). Despite frigid temperatures, the crowd numbered 57,167, with an additional several million watching the game on television.[211] The Edmonton alumni won the Megastars game 2–0,[212] while Montreal went on to win the regular season game held later that day, 4–3.[210]
Thirteen years later, on December 31, 2016, Gretzky participated in the Winter Classic Alumni Game, which was held between teams of formerChicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues players two days before the 2017 Winter Classic. Gretzky represented the Blues in the game, which his team won 8–7.[213]
Edmonton Oilers
In October 2016, Gretzky returned to the Oilers as a partner and vice-chairman of the team's parent company,Oilers Entertainment Group, to work closely with ownerDaryl Katz and Oilers Entertainment Group CEO Bob Nicholson on the business side of the Oilers' operation.[214]
On May 25, 2021, Gretzky announced that he would step down from his role with the Oilers, stating that "The Oilers, their fans, and the city of Edmonton have meant the world to me and my family for over four decades—and that will never end. Given thepandemic and other life changes, I realize I will not be able to dedicate the time nor effort needed to support this world-class organization."[215] It was subsequently reported by various outlets that Gretzky had signed with new US NHL rightsholderTurner Sports to become an analyst.[215] He serves as a studio analyst for NHL broadcasts onTNT and TBS.
Gretzky is a dual citizen of Canada and the United States, having become a naturalized citizen of the latter.[222][223] In 2025, he denied having United States citizenship.[224]
While serving as a judge onDance Fever, Gretzky met actressJanet Jones.[227] According to Gretzky, Jones does not recall his being on the show.[227] They met regularly after that, but did not become a couple until 1987 when they ran into each other at aLos Angeles Lakers game.[228] Gretzky proposed in January 1988,[229] and they were married on July 16, 1988, in a lavish ceremony the Canadian press dubbed "The Royal Wedding".[230] Broadcast live throughout Canada fromEdmonton's St. Joseph's Basilica, members of the Fire Department acted as ceremonial guards. The event reportedly cost Gretzky over US$1 million.[231]
The couple have five children: Paulina, Ty, Trevor, Tristan, and Emma. Paulina and golferDustin Johnson announced their engagement on August 18, 2013,[232] and married on April 23, 2022, in Tennessee.[233] Ty played hockey atShattuck-Saint Mary's,[234] but quit the sport, and attendedArizona State University.[235] Trevor is a former minor league baseball player.[236]
Gretzky owned or partnered in the ownership of two sports teams before becoming a partner in the Phoenix Coyotes. In 1985, Gretzky bought theHull Olympiques of theQuebec Major Junior Hockey League forCA$175,000.[238] During his ownership, the team's colours were changed to silver and black, presaging the change in team jersey colours when he played for the Los Angeles Kings. For the first season that Gretzky played in Los Angeles, the Kings had their training camp at the Olympiques' arena.[239] Gretzky sold the team in 1992 forCA$550,000.[240]
Wayne Gretzky's, downtown Toronto, pictured in 2014
In 1991, McNall purchased theToronto Argonauts of theCanadian Football League (CFL) with Gretzky andJohn Candy as minority owners.[241] The club won theGrey Cup championship in the first year of the partnership but struggled in the two following seasons, and the partnership sold the team before the 1994 season.[241][242] Only McNall's name was engraved on the Grey Cup as team owner, but in November 2007, the CFL corrected the oversight, adding Gretzky's and Candy's names.[243] In 1992, Gretzky and McNall partnered in an investment to buy a rareT206 cigarette card ofHonus Wagner for US$451,000, later selling the card. It most recently sold for US$2.8 million.[244] The pair also ownedThoroughbred race horses; one of them,Saumarez, won France'sPrix de l'Arc de Triomphe in 1990.[245] Gretzky was a board member and executive officer of the Hespeler Hockey Company.[246]
Gretzky has written several books, includingGretzky: An Autobiography (1990), withRick Reilly,[270] and99: My Life in Pictures (1999), withJohn Davidson and Dan Diamond.[271] His most recent work,99: Stories of the Game (2016), withKirstie McLellan Day, was an in-depth look at the history of hockey.[272] It was the best-selling Canadian book of 2016.[273]
Gretzky has aligned himself with theConservative Party in Canada andRepublican politicians in the United States.
In 2003, while not criticizing Canada for declining to participate in theinvasion of Iraq, Gretzky praised US PresidentGeorge W. Bush and handling the conflict, saying: "the President of the United States is a great leader, I happen to think he's a wonderful man and if he believes what he's doing is right, I back him 100 per cent".[274]
Following the2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Gretzky supported calls to ban Russian teams from international events.[281][282] The following month, he shared a ceremonial puck-drop with a Ukrainian hockey player.[283]
In 2024, Gretzky attended the victory party forDonald Trump during the2024 United States presidential election.[284] Trump subsequently suggested Gretzky should be prime minister of Canada.[285] According to Trump, when he suggested Gretzky run for prime minister, Gretzky said "Am I going to run for prime minister or governor, you tell me." Trump replied, "I don't know, let's make itgovernor. I like it better."[286] Gretzky's position also resulted in adverse reactions from fans when the NHL awarded Gretzky the honorary team captain for Canada at the4 Nations Face-Off February 2025 finals.[287][288][289] Gretzky did not wear a Team Canada jersey in his representation, unlike the American honorary captain, who wore a Team USA jersey. Gretzky also gave a "thumbs up" to the American team as he came on the ice, but did not give any similar gesture to the Canadian team.[290] Following the 4-Nations Face-Off, a petition circulated onReddit calling for the renaming ofWayne Gretzky Drive in Edmonton due to some fans feeling Gretzky betrayed Canada.[291]
Gretzky's career achievements include a record nine Hart Trophies as the most valuable player in the NHL.[292] Between 1981 and 1994, he won the Art Ross Trophy, presented to the NHL's season points leader, 10 times.[293] Gretzky was named the MVP of the Stanley Cup playoffs in 1985 and 1988, receiving theConn Smythe Trophy.[294] In addition, he earned the Lester B. Pearson Award (nowTed Lindsay Award) on five occasions; the award is given to the NHL's "most outstanding player", as determined byNational Hockey League Players' Association members.[295] TheLady Byng Trophy, awarded for sportsmanship and performance, was presented to Gretzky five times between 1980 and 1999.[296]
Gretzky was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1999, and into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2000. The NHL retired Gretzky's number 99 across the entire league on February 6, 2000. He was an inaugural recipient of theOrder of Hockey in Canada in 2012.[297] Throughout his career Gretzky amassed 894 goals, 1,963 assists, for 2,857 total points points in 1,487 regular-season games.[298] His 1,963 assists remain the NHL career record and his 2,857 career points lead all players, with the second closest beingJaromir Jagr's 1,921.[299]
TheWayne Gretzky International Award is presented by theUnited States Hockey Hall of Fame to honour international individuals who have made major contributions to the growth and advancement of hockey in the United States.[304][305] TheWayne Gretzky 99 Award is awarded annually to the Most Valuable Player in the Ontario Hockey League playoffs.[306] TheWayne Gretzky Trophy is awarded annually to the playoff champion of the OHL's Western Conference.[307] The Edmonton Minor Hockey Association also has an award named for Gretzky.[308]
In May 2021, one of his 1979O-Pee-Chee hockey cards sold forUS$3.75 million.[309]
Order of Canada
In 1984, Gretzky was appointed an Officer of theOrder of Canada, the mid-level grade of the order. The citation describes him as:
A superlative athlete who has devoted his life to his sport of hockey. ... His astonishing talent has dazzled fans and players and his gentlemanly conduct and sportsmanship are an inspiration to his teammates, opponents and youngsters learning the game.[310]
The citation also mentions his philanthropy, particularly in support ofCNIB Foundation.[310]
Gretzky did not come to Ottawa for the investiture in the Order for fourteen years. When he came, his investiture was conducted in private.[222][311]
Gretzky was promoted to the highest rank, a Companion of the Order of Canada, in 2009. The citation for the promotion describes him as
... an outstanding example of community engagement and generosity. ... Off the ice, he uses his celebrity status to make a difference in the lives of others through numerous charitable organizations and community initiatives, including a foundation that helps disadvantaged youth play hockey and an after-school program for children with autism. He continues to be a role model for countless young people around the world and is a proud ambassador for Canada.[310]
As of 2025[update], he has not attended in Ottawa for the investiture as a Companion. His agent stated in 2015 that Gretzky has had trouble fitting one into his schedule. Investitures are held four times a year. Gretzky has been in Canada at various times in the past fifteen years, including for political events.[222][310][311][312]
One of the leading experts on Canada's honours system,Christopher McCreery, has criticized Gretzky for not attending an investiture: "I've probably met 1,000 recipients of the Order of Canada. It's a highlight of their lives—their country saying thank you." McCreery added that not attending the investiture is "insulting to the others who get them. All are supposed to be in the same category, yet they think they are on a plane above everybody else".[222]
A spokesperson for the Governor General's office confirmed in 2015 that the office had made attempts to arrange for an investiture. She also stated that between 1967 and 2015, there had been 467 individuals appointed as Companions. She added: "Of this number, there are five Companions, including Mr. Gretzky, who have not been invested. Two were appointed within the last six months. Two others are deceased."[311]
Regarded as the best player in the history of the NHL: see"Wayne Gretzky".Encyclopædia Britannica.Archived from the original on July 26, 2008. RetrievedJune 10, 2008.
Regarded as the greatest by many sportswriters: seeFalla, Jack (1998). "The Greatest One Bar None". In Dryden, Steve (ed.).The Top 100 NHL Players of All Time. Toronto, Ontario: McClelland & Stewart. p. 16.ISBN978-0-7710-4175-4.
That many players share the view, seeMaloney, Tom (February 15, 2006)."Gretzky's Awkward Arrival".Time. Archived fromthe original on August 23, 2013. RetrievedMarch 7, 2008.
That the NHL shares the view, seeFalla, Jack (2000)."Wayne Gretzky: Greatness Ascendant". In Dan Diamond (ed.).Total Hockey: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Hockey League. Total Sports.ISBN978-1-892129-85-7.Archived from the original on November 17, 2010. RetrievedSeptember 9, 2010.
^Duhatschek, Eric (September 2, 2011)."Getting rid of hockey's goons".The Globe and Mail. Canada.Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. RetrievedDecember 16, 2015.Once upon a time, Wayne Gretzky opposed fighting in hockey as passionately as Sinden, suggesting soon after he arrived in Los Angeles that hockey would never be a mainstream sport as long as fighting was condoned the way it was. Ultimately, as Gretzky's voice was ignored for years and years, he stopped contributing to the conversation. People can only be shouted down for so long before they figure it's somebody else's turn to carry the torch.
^"Soo remembers Gretz".Medicine Hat News. The Canadian Press. April 17, 1999.Archived from the original on January 28, 2019. RetrievedNovember 1, 2018.
^Strachan, Al (November 26, 1987)."Gretzky Escapes Legal Mess".The Globe and Mail.Archived from the original on March 1, 2014. RetrievedFebruary 25, 2014 – via Chicago Tribune.
^Verdi, Bob (January 22, 1990). "Hockey's Babe Ruth is Athlete of the Century".The Sporting News. p. 4.
^Fichtenbaum, Paul (October 9, 1989)."New King Boffo at Box Office".Sports Illustrated.Archived from the original on February 26, 2015. RetrievedApril 15, 2008.
^Casey, Tom (June 29, 1996). "Gretzky gets top billing on big-name free-agent list: Senators continue talks with goalie Damian Rhodes".Ottawa Citizen. p. G3.
^Duffy, Andrew (July 22, 1996). "Great One bound for Broadway: Gretzky signs deal with N.Y. Rangers".The Record. p. D1.
^Atkins, Harry (April 16, 1999)."Gretzky good as gone".Ludington Daily News. Associated Press.Archived from the original on June 10, 2023. RetrievedSeptember 9, 2010.
^"Quirky facts from 1978".worldjunior2015.com. 2015 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. December 16, 2014. Archived fromthe original on December 17, 2014. RetrievedJanuary 29, 2020.
^Beacon, Bill (November 8, 2000)."Nagano still nags at Gretzky". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. RetrievedDecember 19, 2015.
^Schlenker, Phil (April 25, 2013)."Could anyone hit Wayne Gretzky?".The Cambridge Citizen. Archived fromthe original on March 4, 2016. RetrievedOctober 6, 2017.Here is what Esposito himself said about hitting Gretzky in his book on pages 15–16: 'Gretzky saw the ice better than any human being I ever saw play hockey. Until someone came along he was the smartest hockey player ever. People ask me 'Why couldn't anyone hit him?' You can't hit what you can't catch – not that he was fast, but he was so smart. Even when he lost a step when he got older, mentally he was just as sharp.'
^Dryden 1998, p. 10. "The results speak eloquently about the respect accorded the three players. Gretzky, the smartest player in the history of the game, Orr, the most dynamic three-zone player, and Howe, the ultimate symbol of enduring excellence, represent the holy trinity of hockey greats."
^Looney, Douglas S. (April 23, 1999)."To figure Gretzky's greatness just tally up the numbers".The Christian Science Monitor.Archived from the original on January 22, 2017. RetrievedDecember 23, 2016.We've heard from former coaches (repeated ad nauseam was the comment by Barry Melrose, coach while Gretzky played for L.A.: "The reason he's dominated is that he's the smartest that ever played the game"), commentators, players, fans, even Michael Jordan.
^Whitt, Richie (April 19, 1999)."For Gretzky, a great farewell".Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service. Archived fromthe original on June 10, 2014. RetrievedFebruary 15, 2019 – via HighBeam.
^Larionov, Igor (1999). "A consummate artist". In Steve Dryden (ed.).Total Gretzky: The Magic, The Legend, The Numbers. Toronto, Ontario: McClelland & Stewart Inc. p. 92.ISBN978-0-7710-4177-8.
^McGregor, Roy (1999). "Fortune smiled upon us". In Steve Dryden (ed.).Total Gretzky: The Magic, The Legend, The Numbers. Toronto, Ontario: McClelland & Stewart. p. 34.ISBN978-0-7710-4177-8.
^Swift, E. M. (December 27, 1982)."Greatness Confirmed".Sports Illustrated. Archived fromthe original on July 21, 2009. RetrievedApril 23, 2008.
^abcSwift, E. M. (2012). Sports Illustrated (ed.).The Great One: The Complete Wayne Gretzky Collection. Toronto, Ontario: McClelland & Stewart. p. 71.ISBN978-0-7710-8361-7.
^"NHL is growing the game".The Gazette. Montreal. November 5, 2005. Archived fromthe original on April 22, 2014. RetrievedJanuary 12, 2014 – via canada.com.
^Dryden, Steve, ed. (1999). "Season by Season".Total Gretzky: The Magic, The Legend, The Numbers. Toronto, Ontario: McClelland & Stewart. p. 95.ISBN978-0-7710-4177-8.
^Ranadivé, Vivek; Maney, Kevin (2011)."Wayne Gretzky's Brain in a Box".The Two-Second Advantage: How We Succeed by Anticipating the Future—Just Enough. New York: Crown Business. p. 3.ISBN978-0-307-88765-8.In the 1981–82 hockey season, Wayne Gretzky broke the National Hockey League record by putting ninety-two pucks in the net. At the time he stood five feet eleven inches tall and weighed 170 pounds—a wisp compared to the average NHL player
^Kramer, Garret (2012).Stillpower: Excellence with Ease in Sports and Life. New York: Atria Books/Beyond Words. p. 124.ISBN978-1-58270-388-6.Hockey great Wayne Gretzky, for example, weighed about 170 pounds during the better part of his career.
^abLeBrun, Pierre (April 14, 1999)."Hockey summit to target junior leagues".Brandon Sun. Brandon, Manitoba. The Canadian Press. p. 13.Archived from the original on January 28, 2022. RetrievedJune 10, 2020.
^ab"It's us against the world, emotional Gretzky says; The Great One even lashes out against 'American propaganda'".The Record. February 19, 2002. p. D1.
^Scanlan, Wayne (February 20, 2002). "Gretzky: No regrets: The Canadian hockey team boss says he spoke out, loudly, to 'protect' his players".Ottawa Citizen. p. C1.
^"Gretzky buys Hull juniors".The Gazette. Montreal. March 8, 1985. p. C9.
^Morrissey, Bob (September 12, 1989). "Gretzky brings Kings to Hull".The Gazette. Montreal. p. F1.
^Warren, Ken; Mayoh, Rick (May 15, 1992). "Junior Hockey; Gretzky sells his team; There will be at least another three Olympiques years in Hull; Senators want to train in Hull, but Henry not big on idea".Ottawa Citizen. p. E3.
^Graveland, Bill (March 25, 2003)."Bush a great leader, Gretzky feels".The Globe and Mail. The Canadian Press.Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. RetrievedFebruary 23, 2020.
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