Wayne Gretzky

Wayne Douglas Gretzky, OC (born January 26 1961) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who is currently part-owner and head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes.

Born in Brantford, Ontario and nicknamed "The Great One," Total Hockey: The Official Encyclopedia of the NHL calls Gretzky "the greatest player of all time". NHL.com, Wayne Gretzky: Greatness Ascendant He is regarded as the best player of his era and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" John Halligan, WAYNE GRETZKY: THE GREATEST EVER by sportswriters, Steve Dryden, The Top 100 NHL Players of All-Time, 1998 Mike Lupica, Gretzky faces Great gamble, February 10, 2006 Jim Huber, The Greatest?, April 17, 1999 players, Tom Maloney, Gretzky's Awkward Arrival, Time Magazine, February 15, 2006 coaches, and fans. Along with 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 very young age, Gretzky regularly played at a level far above his peers. He became a full professional at the age of 17 in the World Hockey Association, leading to a long career in the NHL. He set 40 regular-season records, 15 playoff records, 6 All-Star records, won four Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers, and won 9 MVP awards and 10 scoring titles. He is the only player ever to total over 200 points in a season (a feat that he accomplished four times in his career). In addition, he tallied over 100 points a season for 15 NHL seasons, 13 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 and the WHA

Gretzky's grandfather immigrated to Canada at the beginning of the 20th century from the town of Mogilev in Belarus. ESPN.com, The Great One an American? Almost Taught by his father Walter, Gretzky was 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.

Gretzky was scouted and brought to Toronto by Sam McMaster, coach of the powerhouse Young Nationals. He played with the likes of Paul Coffey, Darryl Evans, Darren McCarty, Tommy MacNamee Jr. (whose father Tommy Sr. was well known to hockey fans in the city). McMaster then became GM of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and brought Gretzky with him.

He played a season in the Ontario Hockey League at the age of 16 with the 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, Brian Gualazzi. At Coach Muzz MacPherson's suggestion, Gretzky settled on 99. NHL.com, 99 Reasons Why Wayne Gretzky is "The Great One"

He became the youngest player to compete in the World Junior Championships, when he participated in Montreal in 1978 at age 16. IMPACT!, The Crucible, December 2002 Despite being the youngest player in the tournament by far, he finished as the tournament's top scorer, was voted to the All-Star team and Best Forward of the tournament. NHL.com, Gretzky's International Career, accessed April 15, 2006

That year (1978-79) he signed with the Indianapolis Racers of the World Hockey Association (WHA) as an underage player. The National Hockey League (NHL) does not allow the signing of players under the age of 18, but the WHA had no rules regarding such signings. Racers owner Nelson Skalbania signed the 17-year-old to a personal contract worth between 1.12 and 1.75 million dollars US over one to two 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 WHA's Edmonton Oilers, Peter Pocklington. Although the announced price was $850,000, Pocklington actually paid $700,000 to purchase Gretzky as well as two other Indianapolis players, goaltender Eddie Mio and forward Peter Driscoll.

On Gretzky's 18th birthday, January 26, 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, which folded following the Avco World Trophy finals.

NHL Career

After the World Hockey Association folded in 1979, the Edmonton Oilers and three other teams joined the National Hockey League. Gretzky's success in the WHA carried over into the NHL, despite some critics suggesting he would flounder in what was considered the bigger, tougher, and more talented NHL. Kenneth Shouler, Lord of the Rink, Cigar Aficionado, 1997

Edmonton

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 NHL.com, Complete List of Hart Memorial Trophy winners) and tied for the scoring lead with Marcel Dionne with 137 points, which remains the most points by a first-year player. Since Dionne scored more goals, he was awarded the Art Ross Trophy over Gretzky. Gretzky 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 NHL.com, Complete List of Art Ross Trophy winners) 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 season, 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 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.Mike Loftus, Wayne Gretzky, MSN Encarta, accessed February 6, 2006 That year, 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."

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).waynegretzky.com, Statistics - Record Book 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. Hockeydb.com, 1978-79 World Hockey Association Standings, accessed February 6, 2006 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 the Stanley Cup, their first of five in seven years. Gretzky was named an officer of the Order of Canada on June 25, 1984 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 he could accept the honour. The Oilers, with Gretzky, also won the Cup in 1985, 1987, and 1988; and without him in 1990.

"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 (Jason Soules) , 1991 (Tyler Wright), and 1993 (Jason Arnott). "The Trade," as it came to be known, After the Trade, OilersHeritage.com, Accessed July 13, 2006 upset Canadians to the extent that New Democratic Party House Leader Nelson Riis demanded the government to block it, Scott Morrison, Wayne Gretzky traded... ...California here he comes, Toronto Sun, August 10, 1988 and Pocklington was burned in effigy. Julia Necheff, Edmontonians thank Gretzky for putting city on the map, Canadian Press, April 16, 1999 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. Terry Jones, Telling it like it is, Edmonton Sun, August 12, 1988 Others believe it was Pocklington who instigated the trade, seeking 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 underdogs against the defending Stanley Cup champion Edmonton Oilers in the Divisional Semis, Gretzky led the Kings to a shocking upset of his old squad. 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. Kevin Roderick, The Big Chill, accessed February 7, 2006; originally published in Los Angeles Magazine, December 2001 In 1990, the AP named him Male Athlete of the Decade.

After being sidelined during the 1992-93 season with an upper back injury (the only year in which he didn't lead his team in scoring), Gretzky's tenure with the Kings reached its peak when he scored three goals in game seven of the 1993 Western Conference Finals against the Toronto Maple Leafs, 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. He scored 37 points in 31 games for the team in both the regular season and the playoffs, and the Blues came within one overtime game of the Conference finals. Unfortunately, he never clicked with the team or with Brett Hull on the ice as well as many had expected. On July 12, he signed with the New York Rangers as a free agent, rejoining longtime Oilers teammate Mark Messier.

Reunion in New York

Gretzky ended his professional career with the Rangers. He played his final three seasons there and helped the team reach the conference finals in 1997.

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.

He participated in the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Expectations were high for 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 the Czech Republic in the semi-finals. 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. Jim O'Leary, Old dogs exclusion raises questions, SLAM! Sports, February 20, 1998

His last NHL game in Canada was on 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 April 18 in which Jaromir Jagr scored the winning goal. 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". Erik Brady, He loved 'every part of the game', USA Today, April 19, 1999 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 games.

At the time of his retirement, Gretzky was the second-to-last WHA player still active in professional hockey, Mark Messier being the last.

Skills

Gretzky's dominance throughout his career was attributed to the amount of time he practiced (by his own account, at least 4-5 hours a day) and also that he was a natural prodigy. At 16, Gretzky's skills were already described as "a magic touch," that he was a good shot, moved the puck very well and never quit, playing both ways (adept at playing defense as well as offense) and a player that any team could build their hockey club around. It was said that he "seems to have eyes in the back of his head" and had a knack of "rolling with a check." archives.cbc.ca, Ordinary guy with extraordinary talent, accessed February 9, 2006

By the time of his retirement, Gretzky had become known for setting up behind the net, which acquired the nickname of "Gretzky's office" because "he went to work there", passing to teammates like Luc Robitaille or Mark Messier or jumping out quickly for a wrap-around goal. No less an expert than Bobby Orr said he "thinks so far ahead," while Gretzky himself referred to it as having "...a feeling about where a teammate is going to be, a lot of times, I can turn and pass without looking." Larry Schwartz, Great and Gretzky belong together, ESPN.com Sportscentury Biography

Post-retirement

Gretzky was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on November 22, 1999, becoming the tenth player to bypass the three-year waiting period. The NHL then stated that he would be the last player to do so.

Gretzky's #99 was retired league-wide at the 2000 NHL All-Star game. Later that year, he became Alternate Governor and Managing Partner of the Phoenix Coyotes NHL team. Rumours began regarding Gretzky becoming the head coach of the team, but were nixed by Gretzky and the rest of the Coyotes' ownership. Sports Desk, PLUS: N.H.L. -- PHOENIX; Gretzky's Role To Be Limited, New York Times, June 3, 2000

Despite previous assurances, on August 8 2005 Gretzky agreed to become the new coach of the Coyotes. This was announced following the conclusion of the 2004-05 NHL lockout and may have been partly a marketing decision due to the league's financial struggles, though few question Gretzky's overriding motive to win hockey games.

In the time leading up to Gretzky's announcement, several prominent free agents signed with Phoenix citing the chance to play for Gretzky, 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.

Coyotes' CEO Jeff Shumway announced on June 5, 2006 that Gretzky has agreed to a new 5 year contract to remain as head coach, and the team has hired Ulf Samuelsson as an assistant coach, replacing Rick Bowness.

Winter Olympics

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 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. 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 again acted as Executive Director of Canada's men's hockey team at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, Hockeycanada.ca, Final Canadian Roster, accessed February 6, 2006 though not to the success of 2002; the team was eliminated in the quarterfinals and failed to win a medal. He was asked to manage Canada's team at the 2005 Ice Hockey World Championships, but declined due to his mother's poor health.

The Heritage Classic

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 57,167 fans (an NHL record), as well as millions more on TV. Kara Yorio, On frozen pond, The Sporting News, December 1, 2003 The Edmonton alumni won the game, 2-0, while the Montreal Canadiens went on to win the regular season game held later that day, 4-3. The game was subsequently released on DVD.

Off the ice

Gretzky met American actress Janet Jones in 1984 when he was a judge on Dance Fever and she was a dancer on the show. They began dating after running into each other at a Los Angeles Lakers game in 1987. SI.com, Power Couples, accessed February 7, 2006 Janet was four months pregnant with Paulina when they married on July 16 1988.Jones, Terry. The Royal Wedding. Canoe.ca. URL accessed July 14 2006. "The Royal Wedding" was broadcast live throughout Canada from Edmonton's St. Joseph's Basilica, although neither Gretzky nor Jones is Catholic. Members of the Fire Department acted as guards at the church steps. The lavish event reportedly cost Gretzky over States dollar|US$" target="_blank" >^*1 million. They have 4 other children: Ty Robert (b. July 9, 1990), Trevor Douglas (b. September 14, 1992), Tristan Wayne (b. August 2 2000), and Emma Marie (b. March 28, 2003). Ty lived with Wayne in Arizona during the 2005-06 NHL season while the other children lived with Janet in the family's custom-built Thousand Oaks Georgian home.

While in Edmonton, Gretzky endorsed a variety of products including denim jeans, his own line of wallpaper, pillow cases, cereal, chocolate bars, clocks, lunch box and a Mattel doll. Rubylane.com, Wayne Gretsky NRFB by Mattel, accessed February 7, 2006 Past and present plugs include Koho, Titan, and Easton hockey sticks, Thrifty, Peak Antifreeze, Ford-Canada, Coca-Cola, Esso, McDonald's, Campbell's Soup, the Official All-Star Café chain (with Tiger Woods, Shaquille O'Neal, Ken Griffey, Jr., Monica Seles, and Andre Agassi), Primestar TV, Upper Deck, Nike, Ultra Wheels, Hallmark Cards, Zurich Insurance, 7 Up, Tylenol and Canadian Imperial Bank, and Power Automotive Group. He and Ty did commercials for the Sharp Viewcam. Johnson and Johnson press release, December 1, 1999 Forbes estimates that Gretzky earned US$93.8 million from 1990-98.

In 1991 Gretzky purchased the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL with Bruce McNall and John Candy. He and McNall bought one of the Honus Wagner T206 tobacco cards. He hosted Saturday Night Live in 1989 (becoming the first and so far only hockey player to host SNL) and lent his likeness to a 1992 cartoon show, ProStars, Retrojunk.com, Stars Show Info, accessed February 7, 2006 and video games in 1991, 1996, 2004, and 2006. He posed for the cover of Cigar Aficionado with Jones.

In 1998, he launched a line of menswear, Sylvi Capelaci, Wayne's new world, Toronto Sun, September 22, 1998 and signed a licensing agreement with a phone card company. He owns a restaurant in Toronto and Hespeler sports equipment.

In poker, a pair of nines is sometimes called a Gretzky. homepoker.com Name that hand, accessed February 7, 2006 The model of helmet that Gretzky wore throughout his career, the Jofa VM, is known popularly as the "Gretzky helmet", even though it was worn by many NHL players. They are today a collectors' item.

He has been the subject of artwork by Andy Warhol, LeRoy Neiman, and Stephen Holland.

Gambling controversy

On February 7, 2006, Coyotes assistant coach Rick Tocchet was implicated in a New Jersey-based gambling ring. Bets were allegedly taken from NHL players, Janet Jones and Coyotes GM Michael Barnett, who confirmed to police he placed a bet on Super Bowl XL with Tocchet. Gretzky stated: "I did nothing wrong, or nothing that has to do with anything along the lines of betting; that never happened... I'll say it one more time: I didn't bet, didn't happen, not going to happen, never will happen, hasn't happened, not something I've done." ESPN.go.com Gretzky, wife address gambling ring allegations, accessed February 11, 2006 Reports by the Newark Star-Ledger stated that the New Jersey State Police possessed wiretaps with Gretzky speaking to Tocchet. Sources told the paper there is no evidence Gretzky made any bets, but police were attempting to learn if he placed any bets through his wife. Rick Hepp, Gretzky talked about betting ring on wiretap, Newark Star-Ledger, February 9, 2006 Another source later confirmed that the wiretap occurred after police went to Gretzky's house to question Jones. MSNBC.com, Timing of wiretap supports Gretzky's claim, accessed February 12, 2006 It was announced on February 16, 2006 that Gretzky would not be charged nor would it be likely his wife would be charged. Angela Della Santi and Beth DeFalco, Gretzky, wife won't be charged criminally, lawyers say, Associated Press Newswire

On March 15, 2006, the New Jersey attorney general announced it will subpoena Jones to testify as soon as a grand jury convenes. On May 8, 2006, attorneys for Tocchet and Jones filed separate notices that they intend to sue the State of New Jersey for US$50 million for defamation. Each claims the investigation has damaged their reputations and cost them business opportunities. David Vest, Tocchet, Gretzky's wife start suits, The Arizona Republic, May 26, 2006

Career statistics

			Regular season									Playoffs
Season	Team	League	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	+/-	PP	SH	GW	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1975-76	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	58	62	14	-23	3	0	3	—	—	—	—	—
20 years	Totals	NHL	1487	894	1963	2857	577	+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 April 18, 1999, including 40 regular season records, 15 playoff records, and 6 all-star records.

The 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, accomplishing that feat in only 39 games and the record for most goals in a 50 game period (61, which he accomlished twice). In 1983-84, he had a 51 game point scoring streak that has been compared to Joe DiMaggio's streak in baseball, during which he scored 61 goals and received credit for 92 assists (153 points).

Gretzky set impressive records in both regular season and post-season play, holding 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 for the regular season is Mark Messier at 1,887. Gretzky's point total including regular season and playoffs stands at an imposing 3,239. Gretzky also had more career assists than any other player has ever gained total points.

His 47 playoff points in 1985 and 31 assists in 1988 are still records for a single post-season round, and he holds the record for career playoff goals (122), assists (260), points (382), hat tricks (10), and game winning goals (24).

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. Gretzky holds the record for most MVP awards of any player in North 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 (sportsmanship) – 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

International play

Played for Canada in:

1978 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships (bronze medal)
1981 Canada Cup (silver medal)
1982 World Championships (bronze medal)
1984 Canada Cup (gold medal)
1987 Canada Cup (gold medal)
1991 Canada Cup (gold medal)
1996 World Cup of Hockey (silver medal)
1998 Winter Olympics (failed to medal)

International statistics

Year	Team	Event	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1978	Canada	WJC	6	8	9	17	2
1981	Canada	CC	7	5	7	12	2
1982	Canada	WCh	10	6	8	14	0
1984	Canada	CC	8	5	7	12	2
1987	NHL All-Stars	RV-87	2	0	4	4	0
1987	Canada	CC	9	3	18	21	2
1991	Canada	CC	7	4	8	12	2
1996	Canada	WCp	8	3	4	7	2
1998	Canada	OG	6	0	4	4	2
Int'l Totals			63	34	69	103	14

Notes

References

Wayne Gretzky with Rick Reilly (1990). Gretzky: An Autobiography. An Edward Burlingame Book. ISBN 0060163399
Wayne Gretzky, John Davidson, and Dan Diamond. 99: My Life in Pictures. ISBN 0920445675
SLAM! Presents Wayne Gretzky, Canadian Online Explorer: SLAM! Sports.
Wayne Gretzky Fansite, Wayne Gretzky Stats, Biography, Career Milestones and Quotes
Wayne Gretzky on NHL.com

External links

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