Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, OC (born January 26, 1961) is a former professional ice hockey player and is currently a part owner and coach of the Phoenix Coyotes. Born in Brantford, Ontario, Canada, he is known as "The Great One", and is regarded as one of the greatest hockey players ever to play the game and the best of his era. Among his many awards and achievements, he is the only player to ever have his playing number, 99, officially retired across the entire National Hockey League.
Identified as a hockey prodigy at a young age, Gretzky regularly played at a level far above his peers, eventually becoming a full professional at the age of 17 in the World Hockey Association, leading to the National Hockey League. He set 40 regular season records (including 9 MVP awards and 10 scoring titles), 15 playoff records, 6 All-Star records and won four Stanley Cups. He was the only player to total over 200 points in a season, accomplishing the feat 4 times; in addition he tallied over 100 points in 15 seasons, 14 of them consecutively.
He retired from playing in 1999, becoming Executive Director for the Canadian national men's hockey team during the 2002 Winter Olympics. He also became part owner of the Phoenix Coyotes in 2000 and following the 2004-05 NHL lockout, became their head coach.
Early Years
His grandfather emigrated to Canada at the beginning of the 20th century from a town in Belarus called Mogilev. [1]
Taught by his father Walter, Gretzky was seen as a classic prodigy. At age 6 he was skating with 10-year-olds. At age 10 he scored 378 goals and 139 assists in 85 games, and the first story on him was published in the Toronto Telegram. At 14, playing against 20-year-olds, he left Brantford to further his career and signed with his first agent.
He played a season in the Ontario Hockey League at the age of 16 with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. While playing for the Greyhounds, he began wearing the number 99 on his jersey. He had originally wanted to wear number 9 — for his hero Gordie Howe — but it was already being worn by another teammate named Brian Gualazzi. At Coach Muzz MacPherson's suggestion Gretzky settled on 99. [2]
The following year (1978-79) he signed with the Indianapolis Racers of the World Hockey Association (WHA) as an underaged player.
WHA career
Template:HHOF The NHL did not allow the signing of players under the age of 18 (nor does it now), but the WHA had no rules regarding such signings. Indianapolis Racers owner Nelson Skalbania signed the 17 year old future superstar to a personal contract worth between 1.12 and 1.75 million dollars US over 1 to 2 years.
Knowing that the WHA was fading, Skalbania felt owning the young star was more valuable than owning a WHA team. Only eight games into the 1978-79 WHA season, Skalbania needed money. He sold Gretzky to his former partner and then-owner of the Edmonton Oilers Peter Pocklington. Paying $700,000, Pocklington purchased Gretzky as well as two other Indianapolis players, goaltender Eddie Mio and forward Peter Driscoll, although the announced price was actually $850,000.
On Gretzky's 18th birthday, the 26th of January, 1979, Pocklington signed him to a 21-year personal services contract (the longest in hockey history) worth $4-5 million US. Gretzky would go on to capture the Lou Kaplan Trophy for rookie of the year, finish third in league scoring (110 points), and help the Oilers to first overall in the league. That would be Gretzky's only season in the WHA, as it folded following the Avco World Trophy finals.
NHL career
Edmonton
After the World Hockey Association folded in 1979, four teams, including the Edmonton Oilers, joined the National Hockey League. Gretzky's success in the WHA carried over into the NHL despite critics expecting otherwise. Gretzky was expected to flounder in what was considered a bigger, tougher, and more talented NHL.
In his first NHL season, 1979-80, Gretzky proved his critics wrong. He was awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy as the League's Most Valuable Player (the first of eight in a row [3]) and tied for the scoring lead with Marcel Dionne with 137 points, still the most points by a first-year player. He became the youngest player to score 50 goals but was not eligible for the Calder Memorial Trophy, given to the top NHL rookie, because of his previous year of professional experience. The rule was later changed.
In his second season, Gretzky won the Art Ross Trophy (the first of seven consecutive years [4]) with a then-record 164 points, breaking both Bobby Orr's record for assists in a season and Phil Esposito's record for points in a season. He won his second straight Hart Trophy.
During the 1981-82, he surpassed one of the game's most cherished records: 50 goals in 50 games. Set by Maurice "Rocket" Richard during the 1944-45 NHL season and tied by Mike Bossy during the 1980-81 NHL season, Gretzky accomplished the feat in only 39 games. His 50th goal of the season came on December 30, 1981 in the final seconds of a 7-5 win against Philadelphia and was his fifth of the game. Later that season, Gretzky broke Esposito's record for most goals in a season (76) on February 24, 1982 breaking scoring four goals to help beat the Buffalo Sabres, 6-3. He ended the 1981-1982 season with records of 92 goals, 120 assists, and 212 points in 80 games, becoming the first player in NHL history to break the 200 point mark. [5]
The following seasons would see Gretzky break his own assists record three more times (125, 135, and 163) and his point record one more time (215). [6] He would also go on to break dozens of other records and set standards that to this day still stand. By the time he finished playing in Edmonton, he held or shared 49 NHL records, which in itself was a record.
The Edmonton Oilers finished their last WHA season first overall in the regular season. [7] The same success was not immediate when they joined the NHL, but within 4 seasons, the Oilers were competing for the Stanley Cup. The Oilers were a young, strong team featuring forwards Mark Messier, Glenn Anderson, and Jari Kurri, defenceman Paul Coffey, goaltender Grant Fuhr, and Gretzky as its captain. In 1983, they made it to the Stanley Cup finals, only to be swept by the three-time defending champion New York Islanders. The following season, the Oilers met the Islanders in the Finals again, this time winning their first of five Stanley Cups over the next seven years. The Oilers, with Gretzky, also won the Cup in 1985, 1987, and 1988.
"The Trade"
On August 9, 1988, in a move that drastically changed the dynamics of the NHL, Gretzky was traded with Marty McSorley and Mike Krushelnyski by the Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings for Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas, $15 million cash, and the Kings' first-round draft picks in 1989, 1991, and 1993. "The Trade," as it came to be known, upset Canadians to the extent that one lawmaker demanded the government block it, and Pocklington was burned in effigy. Gretzky himself was considered a "traitor" by some Canadians for turning his back on his adopted hometown, his home province, and his home country; his motivation was widely rumoured to be to further his wife's acting career. [8] Others believe it was Pocklington who instigated the trade, who sought to benefit personally from the transaction. After "The Trade", Gretzky's personal popularity sank across Canada, but only temporarily.
Gretzky's first season in Los Angeles saw a marked increase in attendance and fan interest in a city not previously known for following ice hockey. The Kings, who then played their home games at the Great Western Forum, boasted numerous sellouts on their way to reaching the 88-89 playoffs. Despite being heavy underdogs against his old squad, Gretzky led the new-look Kings on and off the ice to a shocking upset of the defending Stanley Cup champion Edmonton Oilers, as Gretzky led his team back from a 3-1 deficit to win the series 4-3. Gretzky finished second in scoring but narrowly beat out Mario Lemieux (who scored 199 points) for the Hart Trophy as MVP. Many credit Gretzky's arrival with putting non-traditional U.S. hockey markets on "the NHL map"; not only did California receive two more NHL franchises (the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the San Jose Sharks) during Gretzky's tenure in L.A., but his popularity in Southern California proved to be an impetus in the league establishing teams in other parts of the U.S. Sun Belt.
Gretzky's tenure with the Kings reached its peak when he scored three goals in game seven of the 1993 Western Conference Finals against Toronto, propelling the Kings into the Stanley Cup Finals. After winning the first game of the series, however, the team lost the next four in a row to the Montreal Canadiens. The team began a long slide that continued despite numerous player and coaching moves and failed to even qualify for the playoffs again until 1998. Long before that, running out of time and looking for a team with which he could win again, Gretzky had been traded from the Kings at his request.
A Stopover in St. Louis
On February 27, 1996 he joined the St. Louis Blues in a trade for Patrice Tardif, Roman Vopat, Craig Johnson, and draft picks. While he scored 37 points in 31 games for the team (regular season and playoffs), and they got within one overtime game of the Conference finals, he never clicked with the team or with sniper Brett Hull on the ice as well as many had expected. On July 21, he signed with the New York Rangers as a free agent, rejoining Mark Messier.
Reunion in New York
He ended his professional career with the Rangers, playing his final three seasons there and helping the team reach the conference finals in 1997. His last NHL game in Canada was on the April 16, 1999, in a 2-2 tie with the Ottawa Senators, and his final game was a 2-1 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on the April 18. The national anthems in that game were adjusted to accommodate Gretzky's departure. In place of "O Canada, we stand on guard for thee", Bryan Adams sang "We're going to miss you Wayne Gretzky". [[9]] The Star-Spangled Banner, sung by John Amirante, was changed from "the land of the free" to "the land of Wayne Gretzky". He scored his final point in this game, assisting on the lone New York goal scored by Brian Leetch. Gretzky was named as the first, second, and third star of both the 16th and 18th of April games.
In 2003, Gretzky took to the ice one last time to help celebrate the Edmonton Oilers' 25th anniversary as an NHL team. The Heritage Classic was the first NHL game to be played outdoors, at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton. Preceding the NHL game was an exhibition game that reunited Gretzky and many of his retired Oiler teammates against a group of retired Montreal Canadiens players in front of an ice hockey record 57,167 fans and millions more on TV. The game was subsequently released on DVD.
Career Statistics
- Position: Centre
- Shoots: Left
- Height: 6 ft (1.83 m)
- Weight: 185 lb (84 kg)
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | PM | PP | SH | GW | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1976-77 | Vaughan Nationals | OHA-B | 28 | 27 | 33 | 60 | 7 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1976-77 | Seneca Eagles | OHA-B | 32 | 36 | 36 | 72 | 35 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 23 | 40 | 35 | 75 | -- | ||
| 1976-77 | Peterborough Petes | OHL | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1977-78 | Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds | OHL | 64 | 70 | 112 | 182 | 14 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1978-79 | Indianapolis Racers | WHA | 8 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1978-79 | Edmonton Oilers | WHA | 72 | 43 | 61 | 104 | 19 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 13 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 2 | ||
| 1979-80 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 79 | 51 | 86 | 137 | 21 | +15 | 13 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | ||
| 1980-81 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 80 | 55 | 109 | 164 | 28 | +41 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 7 | 14 | 21 | 4 | ||
| 1981-82 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 80 | 92 | 120 | 212 | 26 | +81 | 18 | 6 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 8 | ||
| 1982-83 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 80 | 71 | 125 | 196 | 59 | +60 | 18 | 6 | 9 | 16 | 12 | 26 | 38 | 4 | ||
| 1983-84 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 74 | 87 | 118 | 205 | 39 | +76 | 20 | 12 | 11 | 19 | 13 | 22 | 35 | 12 | ||
| 1984-85 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 80 | 73 | 135 | 208 | 52 | +98 | 8 | 11 | 7 | 18 | 17 | 30 | 47 | 4 | ||
| 1985-86 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 80 | 52 | 163 | 215 | 46 | +71 | 11 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 11 | 19 | 2 | ||
| 1986-87 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 79 | 62 | 121 | 183 | 28 | +70 | 13 | 7 | 4 | 21 | 5 | 29 | 34 | 6 | ||
| 1987-88 | Edmonton Oilers | NHL | 64 | 40 | 109 | 149 | 24 | +39 | 9 | 5 | 3 | 19 | 12 | 31 | 43 | 16 | ||
| 1988-89 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 78 | 54 | 114 | 168 | 26 | +15 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 5 | 17 | 22 | 0 | ||
| 1989-90 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 73 | 40 | 102 | 142 | 42 | +8 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 0 | ||
| 1990-91 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 78 | 41 | 122 | 163 | 16 | +30 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 4 | 11 | 15 | 2 | ||
| 1991-92 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 74 | 31 | 90 | 121 | 34 | -12 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 2 | ||
| 1992-93 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 45 | 16 | 49 | 65 | 6 | +6 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 24 | 15 | 25 | 40 | 4 | ||
| 1993-94 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 81 | 38 | 92 | 130 | 20 | -25 | 14 | 4 | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1994-95 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 48 | 11 | 37 | 48 | 6 | -20 | 3 | 0 | 1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1995-96 | Los Angeles Kings | NHL | 62 | 15 | 66 | 81 | 32 | -7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1995-96 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 18 | 8 | 13 | 21 | 2 | -6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 2 | 14 | 16 | 0 | ||
| 1996-97 | New York Rangers | NHL | 82 | 25 | 72 | 97 | 28 | +12 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 2 | ||
| 1997-98 | New York Rangers | NHL | 82 | 23 | 67 | 90 | 28 | -11 | 6 | 0 | 4 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1998-99 | New York Rangers | NHL | 70 | 9 | 53 | 62 | 14 | -23 | 3 | 0 | 3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 20 Years | Totals | NHL | 1487 | 894 | 1963 | 2857 | 596 | +518 | 204 | 73 | 91 | 208 | 122 | 260 | 382 | 68 | ||
NHL Records
For more information and a list of Gretzky's official and unofficial records, see Wayne Gretzky's records.
Wayne Gretzky held or shared 61 NHL records upon his retirement on the 18th of April, 1999. He had 40 regular season records, 15 playoff records, and 6 all-star records.
Some of the more impressive regular season records include most goals in a season (92), most assists in a season (163), and most points in a season (215). He also holds the record for the fastest 50 goals in 50 games or less, which he did in only 39 games and the most goals in 50 games (61, which he did twice). In 1982-83, he had a 51 game point scoring streak that has been compared to Joe DiMaggio's streak in baseball. During Gretzky's point-scoring streak, he had 61 goals and 92 assists for 153 points.
He had dominated the playoffs like he had dominated the regular season. His 47 points in 1985 and his 31 assists in 1988 are still records for a playoff year. He is the career playoff leader in goals (122), assists (260), points (382), hat tricks (10), and game winning goals (24). Given that Gretzky was by far the highest scorer of the highest scoring period in the game's history, these playoff numbers appear to be untouchable.
His career regular season stats are equally as impressive. He has the record for most career regular season goals (894), assists (1,963), points (2,857), and hat tricks (50). The next closest player in total points is Mark Messier with 1887 points.
His total points including regular season and playoffs is an impressive 3,239.
Stats and Facts
- Gretzky is the youngest player to score 50 goals.
- Marcel Dionne's best single season point total in his career was 137 points. Gretzky matched that in his first year. In fact, Gretzky didn't have fewer than 137 points in a season until over 10 years later in 1991-92 when he had 121.
- He was not considered a rookie in his first year, but he still holds the record for most points (137) in a season by a first-year player (second is Teemu Selänne with 132) and most assists (86). He also has the most points (8) and assists (7) in one game by a first-year player.
- Bobby Orr is one of the greatest players in NHL history. In Gretzky's second season, he broke Orr's record for most assists in one season (102) with 109. Gretzky did not have fewer than 102 assists until the 1991-92 season.
- In his second season, he broke the NHL record for most points (152) held by superstar Phil Esposito with 164. In doing so, he also became the first player to average more than two points a game in the modern NHL. Mario Lemieux is the only other player in the NHL to do that.
- In his third season, Gretzky did what many thought was impossible. First, he scored 50 goals in 39 games. Next, he broke Esposito’s record for most goals in a season (76). Then, he hit the 200-point plateau. He finished the season setting new records with 212 points, 92 goals, and 120 assists.
- After scoring 212 points the year before, he had what many people called a "disappointing" season in 1982-83 with only 196 points. Even though he had a "disappointing" season, he still set a new record for assists with 125.
- Gretzky is the only player to reach 200 points in a season. He did it four times in 5 years between 1981-82 and 1985-86.
- In 1983-84, Gretzky set a record with a 51-game point scoring streak. During that streak, he had 61 goals and 92 assists for 153 points. That is exactly three points a game, which is amazing considering that he had a separated shoulder for much of that streak. After that streak ended, he took 6 games off to rest his shoulder.
- Gretzky has scored the magical 50 goals in 50 games or less three times in his career, more than anyone else. Brett Hull did it twice.
- Considering that only one player besides Gretzky has ever averaged two points a game in a season, what he did in 1985-86 is truly astounding. He averaged over 2 assists a game that season. He had 163 assists in 80 games and still managed to score 52 goals.
- In 1989, he broke Gordie Howe's record for most points in a career. It took Howe 26 years to get 1850 points. It took Gretzky only 10. Gretzky averaged over 180 points a season for those 10 years. His average was better than anyone else's best (except for Mario Lemieux, who achieved over 180 points once in his career).
- Only two players besides Gretzky have ever had 100 assists in an NHL season. Mario Lemieux did it once with 114. Bobby Orr also did it once with 102. Gretzky did it 11 times consecutively. During that streak, his best season (1985-86) he had 163 assists and his worst season (1989-90) he had 102. He holds the top eight spots in the record books for most assists in a season.
- He had 1669 points in 696 games while playing in Edmonton.
- Wayne Gretzky scored more goals than anyone else in hockey history. Ignoring all of Gretzky's goals, however, he still would have won the Art Ross Trophy for leading scorer four times and still would have more career points than anyone else. His 1963 career assists are more than Gordie Howe's 1850 and Mark Messier's 1887 points.
- Gretzky played a total of 1788 professional regular season and playoff games in the NHL and WHA, amassing 1072 goals and 2297 assists for a total of 3369 points. Gordie Howe is second in all three categories with 1071 goals, 1518 assists, and 2589 points.
Awards
He won nine Hart Trophies, the NHL's most valuable player award, and eight of these were awarded in consecutive years from 1980-1987. In fact, Gretzky holds the record for most MVP awards of any player in American professional sports.
- Hart Memorial Trophy (most valuable player) -1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989
- Art Ross Trophy (scoring champion) -1981, 1982 ,1983 ,1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1994
- Conn Smythe Trophy (playoff most valuable player) - 1985, 1988
- Lester B. Pearson Award (outstanding player, voted by the players) -1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987
- Lady Byng Memorial Trophy (most gentlemanly player) -1980, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1999
- NHL Plus/Minus Award (best plus-minus rating) -1982, 1984, 1985, 1987
- Chrysler-Dodge/NHL Performer of the Year -1985, 1986, 1987
- Lester Patrick Trophy (outstanding service to hockey in the United States) -1994
- NHL All-Star Game MVP-1983, 1989, 1999
- NHL First All-Star Team-1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1991
- NHL Second All-Star Team-1980, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1994, 1997, 1998
Winter Olympics
Gretzky participated in the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Expectations were high of the Canadian team, but without the presence of Mario Lemieux (with whom Gretzky did well in the 1987 Canada Cup) and several other star Canadians due to injury, the team lost to Finland for the bronze medal. Many attribute Canada's failure to head coach Marc Crawford's decision to use a defenceman, Ray Bourque, and not Gretzky in the shoot-out against Dominik Hasek. CBC's post-shootout shot of Gretzky sitting alone on the bench following the loss of the shoot-out is still ruefully and vividly remembered by many Canadian fans.
Gretzky was Executive Director of the Canadian men's hockey team at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. On February 18, he lashed out at the media at a press conference, frustrated with speculation regarding his team's uninspiring 1-1-1 start. His temper boiled over after Canada's 3-3 draw vs. the Czech Republic, as he launched a tirade against the perceived negative reputation of Team Canada amongst other national squads, and called rumors 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. 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. Canada beat the U.S. to win the gold medal 50 years to the day after the Edmonton Waterloo Mercurys won the nation's last gold medal in ice hockey. While forming the ice, a Canadian loonie was used to mark centre ice. This information was leaked to both teams and it became a good luck charm. The coin is now at the Hockey Hall of Fame; a specially-minted loonie was placed at centre ice for the finals of the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. In retrospect, Gretzky's outbursts against the media turned out to be a galvanizing force for the Canadian team in the quest for the gold; they can be compared to Phil Esposito's legendary rant against Canadian fans during the 1972 Summit Series.
Gretzky will once again act as Executive Director of Canada's men's hockey team at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. He was asked to manage Canada's team at the 2005 Ice Hockey World Championships, but declined due to his mother's poor health. Even though he wasn't officially a member of the management staff, he was consulted regularly about decisions. Canada won the gold medal defeating Russia 5-0.
Head Coaching Career
In 2000, Gretzky became Alternate Governor and Managing Partner of the Phoenix Coyotes NHL team. Gretzky owns 17% of the team. In August 2005, following the conclusion of the 2004-05 NHL lockout, Gretzky agreed to become the new coach of the Phoenix Coyotes. Although some have considered the move to have come at a convenient time in terms of marketing due to the league's recent financial struggles, few question Gretzky's overriding motive to win hockey games. In the time leading to Gretzky's announcement, as it was widely speculated on and even expected once he became a Coyotes Managing Partner, several prominent free agents signed with Phoenix with playing for Gretzky being the main factor, including Brett Hull. Gretzky made his coaching debut on October 5, 2005, the opening night of the 2005-06 NHL season, losing 3-2 to the Vancouver Canucks. His first coaching victory was October 8, 2005, beating the Minnesota Wild 2-1.
Gretzky took an indefinite leave of absence as coach on December 17, 2005 to care for his ill mother in Brantford, Ontario. Unfortunately, his mother would lose her battle to lung cancer two days later, passing away on December 19, 2005. Assistant coach Rick Tocchet assumed the position until Gretzky's return on December 28.
Honours and Accolades
- Hockey Hall of Fame
- He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on November 22, 1999, becoming the tenth player to by-pass the three-year waiting period. The NHL then stated that he would be the last player to do so. His daily "journal" was syndicated throughout Canada's newspapers detailing his personal thoughts and feelings about his induction as the day neared.
- Male Athlete of the Decade
- In 1982, Gretzky became the first hockey player and first Canadian to be named Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year. He was also named Sports Illustrated Magazine's 1982 "Sportsman of the Year." In 1990, the AP named him Male Athlete of the Decade.
- Order of Canada
- Gretzky was named an officer of the Order of Canada on June 25, 1984, during his heyday with the Edmonton Oilers, for outstanding contribution to the sport of hockey. Since the Order ceremonies are always held during the hockey season, it took 13 years, seven months and two Governors-General before Gretzky could accept the honour.
- Greatest Hockey Player
- In 1997, prior to 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, ahead of the once seemingly incomparable Bobby Orr and Gordie Howe.
- Fifth Greatest Athlete
- In 1999, ESPN named Gretzky the fifth greatest athlete of the 20th century. Gretzky, the most honoured player in a team sport with nine MVP awards, was voted No. 5 among North American athletes by SportsCentury's distinguished 48-person panel. Only Michael Jordan, Babe Ruth, Muhammad Ali, and Jim Brown preceded him. Only two other NHL players made the ESPN list, Mario Lemieux and Steve Yzerman who were voted No. 66 and No. 67, respectively.
- The Wayne Gretzky Trophy
- The Ontario Hockey League has named a trophy after the Great Gretzky. The OHL hands out the Wayne Gretzky Trophy to the winner of the Western Conference each year.
- Greatest Canadian, CBC poll
- In 2004, he was voted one of the ten Greatest Canadians in a CBC opinion poll.
- League-Wide Retirement
- Gretzky's famous #99 was retired league-wide at the 2000 All-Star Game.
"The Royal Wedding"
He met American actress Janet Jones in 1984 when he was a judge on the show "Dance Fever" and she was a dancer, but they didn't begin dating until 1987. Their July 17, 1988, Anglican Church nuptials at St. Joseph's Basilica in Edmonton, Alberta was dubbed "The Royal Wedding" by the press and broadcast live throughout Canada. "Guards" from the Edmonton Fire Department stood on the church steps. The event reportedly cost Gretzky over $1 million dollars; Janet's dress alone cost $40,000. They have 5 children: model/pop singer Paulina Gretzky, Ty, Trevor, Tristan, and Emma.
Off the ice
While in Edmonton, he endorsed everything from soft drinks and blue jeans to his own wallpaper, pillow cases, breakfast cereal, chocolate bars, and a Mattel "Great Gretzky" doll. Past and present plugs include Thrifty Car Rental, Peak Antifreeze, Ford Motor Company (in Canada only), Coca-Cola, Esso, McDonald's, Campbell's Soup, Primestar TV, Upper Deck, Nike, Ultra Wheels, Hallmark Cards, Zurich Insurance, Tylenol and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. He and his son Ty did commercials for the Sharp Viewcam. He hosted Saturday Night Live in 1989, though this re-enforced the notion among the public that he had better not quit his day job to pursue an acting career. He lent his likeness to a 1992 cartoon show, ProStars, and video games in 1996, 2004, and 2006. He posed for the cover of Cigar Aficionado Magazine with Janet. In 1998, he launched a line of fashion menswear, and signed a licensing agreement with a phone card company. He owns a restaurant, Hespeler sports equipment, and co-owns a chain of roller-hockey rinks. After his retirement, he became the spokesman for Power Automotive Group of Southern California, and Tylenol Arthritis Formula. Forbes estimates that Gretzky earned $93.8 million from hockey and endorsements from 1990-98.
A "Gretzky" has also become the nickname of a legendary coffee at Tim Hortons: with 9 cream and 9 sugar (99, Gretzky's number).
In poker, a pair of 9s is sometimes called a Gretzky.
The model of helmet that Gretzky wore throughout his career, the Jofa VM, is now known more popularly as the "Gretzky helmet", even though it was a popular model worn by many NHL players in its time. These distinctive and long-discontinued helmets are today a collectors' item among hockey players and fans.
Quotations
- Skate "to where the puck is going, not where it's been." -- From his father, Walter (Gretzky & Reilly, 1990, pg. 88.)
- "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take."
- "Everything I have in my life I owe to hockey."
- "A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be."
See also
- List of NHL players
- 50 goals in 50 games
- Wayne Gretzky's records
- List of members of the Hockey Hall of Fame
- Hockey Hall of Fame
- List of NHL statistical leaders
- List of NHL seasons
- Gretzky Family
- Notable families in the NHL
- List of NHL players with 1000 points
References
- Wayne Gretzky with Rick Reilly (1990). Gretzky: An Autobiography. An Edward Burlingame Book. ISBN 0060163399
- SLAM! Presents Wayne Gretzky, Canadian Online Explorer: SLAM! Sports.
- Wayne Gretzky Fansite, Wayne Gretzky Stats, Biography, Career Milestones and Quotes
External links
- Wayne Gretzky-The Official Homepage
- NHL.com Wayne Gretzky section
- The Greatest Canadians
- Armstrong Draws Inspiration from Gretzky
- Order of Canada Citation
- United Athletes Magazine Gretzky's physical qualities and abilities.
- Malcolm Gladwell article on the concept of "physical genius"; cites example of Wayne Gretzky; interesting quotations from Gretzky on his skill
Note: Luc Robitaille served as the Los Angeles Kings captain during the first half of the 1992-93 season. Gretzky was injured and out of the lineup.
- 1961 births
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- St. Louis Blues players
- Hockey Hall of Fame
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- Peterborough Petes alumni
- Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds alumni
- Art Ross winners
- Hart Trophy winners
- Lady Byng winners
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- Living people
- NHL 100-point seasons