Position	Centre
Shot	Left
Nickname(s)	The Great One
Height Weight	6 ft 0 in (1. Ice hockey, often referred to simply as hockey, is a team Sport played on Ice. Centre ( center in the USA) in Ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice A shot in Ice hockey is an attempt by a player to score a goal by striking the puck with their stick in the direction of the net A nickname is a Name of an entity or thing that is not its Proper name. Human height varies according to both "nature" and "nurture". 83 m) 185 lb (84 kg/13 st 3 lb)
Pro clubs	WHA  Indianapolis Racers  Edmonton Oilers NHL  Edmonton Oilers  Los Angeles Kings  St. Louis Blues  New York Rangers
Nationality	Canada
Born	January 26, 1961 (1961-01-26) (age 47), Brantford, Ontario, CAN
Pro career	1978 – 1999
Hall of Fame, 1999

Wayne Douglas Gretzky, OC (born January 26, 1961) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player, and current coach and part-owner of the Phoenix Coyotes National Hockey League (NHL) team. The pound or pound-mass (abbreviation lb, lbm, or sometimes in the United States #) is a unit of Mass The stone is a unit of Weight. It is part of the Imperial system of weights and measures used in the British Isles, and formerly used in most The pound or pound-mass (abbreviation lb, lbm, or sometimes in the United States #) is a unit of Mass The World Hockey Association (French Association Mondiale de Hockey) was a professional Ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 The Indianapolis Racers were a franchise in the former World Hockey Association from 1974-78 The Edmonton Oilers are a professional Ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The National Hockey League ( NHL) is a professional Ice hockey league composed of 30 teams in North America The Edmonton Oilers are a professional Ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles California. The St Louis Blues are a professional Ice hockey team based in St The New York Rangers are a professional Ice hockey team based in New York, New York, United States. Nationality is a relationship between a Person and their State of Origin, Culture, association Affiliation and/or Loyalty Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Birthday is the name given to the date of the anniversary of a person's birth Events 1340 - King Edward III of England is declared King of France. Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Brantford is a city located on the Grand River in south-western Ontario, Canada. Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The 1978-79 WHA season was the seventh and final Regular season of the World Hockey Association (WHA The 1998–99 NHL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Hockey League. The Hockey Hall of Fame ( Temple de la renommée du hockey in French) is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Order of Canada is the highest civilian honour within the Canadian system of honours, with membership awarded to those who exemplify the order's Latin Events 1340 - King Edward III of England is declared King of France. Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Ice hockey, often referred to simply as hockey, is a team Sport played on Ice. Coach (baseball|Coach (basketball|Coach (ice hockeyIn Sports a coach or manager is an individual involved in the direction instruction and training of the operations The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional Ice hockey team based in Glendale Arizona, just outside of Phoenix. The National Hockey League ( NHL) is a professional Ice hockey league composed of 30 teams in North America Born and raised in Brantford, Ontario, Gretzky regularly played minor hockey at a level far above his peers. Brantford is a city located on the Grand River in south-western Ontario, Canada. This is a list of Ice hockey leagues, both professional and amateur, from around the World; parentheses denote year of establishment ^[1] In 1978, he signed with the Indianapolis Racers of the World Hockey Association (WHA), where he briefly played before being signed by the Edmonton Oilers. The Indianapolis Racers were a franchise in the former World Hockey Association from 1974-78 The World Hockey Association (French Association Mondiale de Hockey) was a professional Ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 The Edmonton Oilers are a professional Ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. When the WHA folded, the Oilers joined the NHL, where Gretzky won four Stanley Cups, nine Hart Trophies as the most valuable player, and ten Art Ross Trophies for most points in a season. The Stanley Cup (La Coupe Stanley is an Ice hockey club championship Trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL playoffs champion The Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, the "oldest and most prestigious individual award in hockey" is awarded annually to the The Art Ross Trophy is awarded to the National Hockey League player who leads the league in scoring points at the end of the regular season Point in Ice hockey has two official meanings A point is given to a player who either scores a goal or earns an assist during a game

Nicknamed "The Great One", Gretzky was called "the greatest player of all time" in Total Hockey: The Official Encyclopedia of the NHL. ^[2] He is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the NHL,^[3][4] and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters^[5][6] players,^[7] and coaches. Upon his retirement on April 18, 1999, he held forty regular-season records, fifteen playoff records, and six All-Star records. Events 1025 - Bolesław Chrobry is crowned in Gniezno, becoming the first King of Poland. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) The National Hockey League All-Star Game (Match des Étoiles de la Ligue Nationale de Hockey is an exhibition Ice hockey game that traditionally marks the midway ^[8] He is the only NHL player to total over 200 points in one season—a feat he accomplished four times. In addition, he tallied over 100 points in 15 NHL seasons, 13 of them consecutively. He is the only player to have his number (99) officially retired by the NHL for all teams.

After his retirement in 1999, he was immediately inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. The 1998–99 NHL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Hockey League. The Hockey Hall of Fame ( Temple de la renommée du hockey in French) is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He became Executive Director for the Canadian national men's hockey team during the 2002 Winter Olympics, where the team won a gold medal. History From 1920 until 1963 the Senior Amateur Club teams representing Canada were usually the most recent Allan Cup champions The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIX Olympic Winter Games were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 2002 In 2000 he became part owner of the Phoenix Coyotes, and following the 2004–05 NHL lockout he became their head coach. The 1999–2000 NHL season was the 83rd Regular season of the National Hockey League. The 2004–05 NHL lockout resulted in the cancellation of what would have been the 88th season of the National Hockey League (NHL

Contents 1 Early years 2 World Hockey Association 3 NHL career 3.1 Edmonton Oilers (1979–1988) 3.2 "The Trade" 3.3 Los Angeles Kings (1988–1996) 3.4 St. Louis Blues (1996) 3.5 New York Rangers (1996–1999) 4 Skills 5 Post-retirement 5.1 Phoenix Coyotes 5.2 Winter Olympics 5.3 Heritage Classic 6 Off the ice 6.1 Family 6.2 Business ventures 6.3 Gambling controversy 7 Transactions 8 Statistics 8.1 Playing career 8.2 International play 8.3 Coaching record 9 See also 10 Notes 11 References 12 External links

Early years

Gretzky's paternal grandfather Anton (Tony) Gretzky was an immigrant who came to Canada via the United States at the beginning of the 20th century from Grodno Governorate of the former Russian Empire, now part of Belarus,^[9] with his Polish wife Mary. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Grodno Governorate, ( Гро́дненская губе́рнiя, gubernia grodzieńska Gardino gubernija was a Governorate ( Guberniya The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya Belarus ( Belarusian Беларусь / Biełaruś is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland ^[10] In interviews, Gretzky's father Walter has referred to himself as being from Belarus and his parents being White Russians,^[11] while on other occasions he has mentioned his family's Polish ancestry. Walter Gretzky, CM, OOnt, (born October 8, 1938 in Canning Ontario, Canada) is the father of NHL legend The White movement (Beloie Dvijenie Белое движение whose military arm is known as the White Army (Belaia Armia Белая Армия or White Guard The Polish people, or Poles, (Polacy) are a Western Slavic Ethnic group of Central Europe, living predominantly in Poland. ^[12] In a 1999 Hockey Hall Of Fame inductee press conference, Gretzky stated "Thank God I'm Polish" when a friendly joke was made about another inductee of Scottish descent who wore a traditional Scottish kilt in honor of his heritage. The Hockey Hall of Fame ( Temple de la renommée du hockey in French) is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Scots people ( Scots Gaelic: Albannaich) are a Nation and an Ethnic group indigenous to Scotland. The kilt is a knee-length garment with pleats at the rear originating in the traditional dress of men and boys in the Scottish Highlands of the 16th century ^[13]

Tony and Mary owned a 25-acre vegetable farm in Canning, Ontario, while Wayne's parents Walter and Phyllis had their own apartment in Brantford where Walter worked for Bell Telephone Canada when Wayne, their first child, was born. Brantford is a city located on the Grand River in south-western Ontario, Canada. Bell Canada, commonly shortened to "Bell" is a major Canadian Telecommunications company ^[10] Seven months after Wayne was born, Walter and Phyllis moved into their own home where the family grew to include Wayne's siblings Kim, Keith, Glen, and Brent. Keith Edward Gretzky (born February 16 1967 in Brantford, Ontario) is one of the brothers of famous Ice hockey player Wayne Gretzky Brent Gretzky (born February 20, 1972 in Brantford, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian Ice hockey player and the brother of The farm was considered a second home, where the family watched Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday nights; in a sign of things to come, at age two Wayne tried to score goals against his grandmother using a souvenir stick. A goal in Ice hockey provides a team with one point A goal is scored when a puck completely crosses the goal line within the goal frame Method of scoring ^[14] The farm was where Wayne ice skated for the first time, two months before his third birthday. ^[14]

Walter taught Wayne and his brothers Keith, Brent, and Glen to play hockey on a rink Walter made in the back yard of their home, nicknamed the "Wally Coliseum". ^[15] Drills included skating around Javex bleach bottles and tin cans, and flipping pucks over scattered hockey sticks to be able to pick up the puck again in full flight. ^[15] Walter's advice included to "skate where the puck's going, not where it's been. "^[15] In an unusually frank 1990 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Gretzky related how Walter would build him up one minute then tear him down the next, reminding him that he could never have an "average" game. The Los Angeles Times (also known as the LA Times) is a daily Newspaper published in Los Angeles California and distributed Wayne was a classic prodigy whose extraordinary skills made him the target of jealous parents. List of child prodigies|Fictional child prodigies A child prodigy is a one who masters one or more skills or arts at an early age ^[16]

Gretzky's first team, at age six, was a team of ten-year-olds, starting a pattern where Gretzky always played at a level far above his peers through his minor hockey years. ^[17] 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. He continued doing this after making it to the NHL. ^[20]

By the age of ten he had scored 378 goals and 120 assists in just 85 games with the Brantford Nadrofsky Steelers. In Ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to the two previous players of the scoring team who touched or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate meaning that they ^[2] His play now attracted media attention beyond his hometown of Brantford, including a profile by John Iaboni in the Toronto Telegram in October 1971. The Toronto Telegram (previously the Toronto Evening Telegram) was a conservative, Broadsheet afternoon daily Newspaper ^[21] By age 13, he had scored over 1,000 goals. ^[22] His play attracted considerable negative attention from other players' parents, including those of his teammates, and he was often booed. ^[23] According to Walter, the "capper" was being booed on "Brantford Day" at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens in February 1975. This article is about the arena For the company formerly known as Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd ^[22]

When Gretzky was 14, his family arranged for him to move to and play hockey in Toronto, partly to further his career, and partly to remove him from the uncomfortable pressure he faced in his hometown. Toronto (təˈrɒntoʊ colloquially pronounced or) is the largest city in Canada and is the provincial capital of Ontario The Gretzkys had to legally challenge the Canadian amateur hockey associations to win Wayne the right to play elsewhere, which was disallowed at the time. ^[24] The Gretzkys won, and Wayne played Junior B hockey with the Toronto Nationals. The Toronto Nationals are a pair of defunct Tier II Junior "A" Ice hockey teams from Vaughan, Ontario, Canada. He earned Rookie of the Year honours in the Metro Junior B Hockey League in 1975–76, with 60 points in 28 games. This article is about the league in operation from 1956-1998 For the Metro Junior Hockey League from 1961-1963 see Metro Junior A League ----The Metro The following year, as a 15-year-old, he had 72 points in 32 games with the same team, then known as the Seneca Nationals. ^[25] In addition, he signed with his first agent, Bob Behnke.

Despite his offensive statistics, two teams bypassed him in the 1977 OMJHL Midget Draft of 16-year-olds. Oshawa picked Tom McCarthy, and Niagara Falls picked Steve Peters second overall. With the third pick, the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds selected Gretzky, even though Walter Gretzky had told the team that Wayne would not move to Sault Ste. Marie, a northern Ontario city that inflicts a heavy traveling schedule on its junior team. The Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds (aka Soo Greyhounds) are a major Junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. Sault Ste Marie (nicknamed "the Sault" or "the Soo" is a City on the St Territorial evolution Those areas which formed part of New France in the pays d'en haut, essentially the watersheds of the Ottawa River, The Gretzkys made an arrangement with a local family they knew and Wayne played a season in the Ontario Hockey League at the age of 16 with the Greyhounds. ^[26] It was with the Greyhounds that Wayne first wore the number 99 on his jersey. He originally wanted to wear number 9—for his hockey hero Gordie Howe—but it was already being worn by a teammate. Gordon "Gordie" Howe, OC (born March 31 1928 in Floral, Saskatchewan) is a former professional Ice hockey player from Canada At coach Muzz MacPherson's suggestion, Gretzky settled on 99. Murray "Muzz" MacPherson (born February 19, 1938, in London, England) is a retired British professional Ice hockey ^[27]

At 16, in his single year at the major junior level, Gretzky surpassed the OMJHL single-season scoring record, winning the OMJHL Rookie of the Year and Most Sportsmanlike awards. The Emms Family Award is presented annually to the top first year player in the Ontario Hockey League. The William Hanley Trophy is awarded to the Ontario Hockey League 's Most Sportsmanlike Player He was selected to play for Canada at the 1978 World Junior Championships. The Ice Hockey World Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation. ^[28] The youngest player in the tournament, he finished as the top scorer, was voted to the All-Star team, and was named Best Forward. ^[29]

World Hockey Association

In 1978, the World Hockey Association (WHA) league was in competition with the established NHL. The World Hockey Association (French Association Mondiale de Hockey) was a professional Ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 The NHL did not allow the signing of players under the age of 20, but the WHA had no rules regarding such signings. Several WHA teams courted Gretzky, notably the Indianapolis Racers and the Birmingham Bulls. The Indianapolis Racers were a franchise in the former World Hockey Association from 1974-78 The Birmingham Bulls were a professional Ice hockey team in the World Hockey Association from 1976 to 1979 and the Central Hockey League from 1979 to 1981 Birmingham Bulls owner John F. Bassett wanted to confront the NHL by signing as many young and promising superstars as possible and saw Gretzky as the most promising young prospect,^[30] but it was Racers owner Nelson Skalbania who signed 17-year-old Gretzky to a seven-year personal services contract worth $1. Nelson M Skalbania (born February 12, 1938) is a flamboyant Canadian businessman from Vancouver, British Columbia best known for 75 million US. ^[31] Gretzky scored his first professional goal against Dave Dryden of the Edmonton Oilers^[32] in his fifth game, and his second goal four seconds later. Dave Dryden (born September 5, 1941 is a Retired Canadian Ice hockey Goaltender. The Edmonton Oilers are a professional Ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. ^[33]

Gretzky only played eight games for Indianapolis. The Racers were losing $40,000 per game and Skalbania told Gretzky he would be moved, offering him a choice between Edmonton and Winnipeg. On the advice of his agent, Gretzky picked Edmonton, but the move was not that simple. Gretzky, goaltender Eddie Mio and forward Peter Driscoll were put on a private plane, not knowing where they would land and what team they would be joining. This article is about the goaltender in Ice hockey. For the similar position in other sports see Goalkeeper. Eddie Mio (born January 31, 1954 in Windsor, Ontario) was a professional Ice hockey Goaltender in the WHA and NHL Peter Driscoll (born October 27 1954, in Powassan Ontario) was a professional Ice hockey left wing in the WHA and NHL While in the air, Skalbania worked on the deal. Skalbania offered to play a game of backgammon 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. Backgammon is a Board game for two players in which the playing pieces are moved according to the roll of Dice. Gobuty turned down the proposal and the players landed in Edmonton. ^[34] Skalbania sold Gretzky, Mio, and Driscoll to his former partner, and then-owner of the Edmonton Oilers, Peter Pocklington. Peter H Pocklington (b November 18, 1943, in London Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian Entrepreneur who has dabbled in Politics Although the announced price was $850,000, Pocklington actually paid $700,000. ^[32] Mio paid the $4,000 bill for the flight with his credit card. ^[35]

One of the highlights of Gretzky’s season was his appearance in the 1979 WHA All-Star Game. The format was a three-game series between the WHA All-Stars against Dynamo Moscow. HC Dynamo Moscow ( ru Динамо Москва is a Russian professional Ice hockey club based in Moscow competing in the Kontinental The WHA All-Stars were coached by Jacques Demers, who put Gretzky on a line with his boyhood idol Gordie Howe and his son, Mark Howe. Jacques Demers (b August 25, 1944 in Montreal, Quebec) is a Canadian former Head coach for the World Hockey Association Mark Steven Howe (born May 28 1955, in Detroit, Michigan) is a retired American professional Ice hockey defenseman ^[36] In game one, the line scored seven points, and the WHA All-Star won by a score of 4–2. ^[36] In game two, Gretzky and Mark Howe each scored a goal and Gordie Howe picked up an assist as the WHA won 4–2. ^[36] The line did not score in the final game, but the WHA won by a score of 4–3. ^[37]

On Gretzky's 18th birthday, January 26, 1979, Pocklington signed him to a 10-year personal services contract (the longest in hockey history) worth C$3 million, with options for 10 more years. Events 1340 - King Edward III of England is declared King of France. Year 1979 ( MCMLXXIX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1979 Gregorian calendar) ^[38] Gretzky finished third in the league in scoring at 110 points, behind Robbie Ftorek and Real Cloutier. Robert Brian Ftorek (born January 2, 1952 in Needham Massachusetts) is a former NHL player and coach Real "Buddy" Cloutier (born July 30, 1956 in Saint-Émile Quebec) is a retired Canadian Ice hockey winger, most ^[39] Gretzky captured the Lou Kaplan Trophy as rookie of the year,^[32] and helped the Oilers to first overall in the league. The Lou Kaplan Trophy was presented to the World Hockey Association 's Rookie of the year ^[40] The Oilers reached the Avco World Trophy finals, where they lost to the Winnipeg Jets in six games. The Avco World Trophy also known as the Avco Cup was the championship trophy of the original World Hockey Association ( 1972 - 1979) The Winnipeg Jets were a professional Hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. ^[41] It was Gretzky's only year in the WHA, as the league folded following the season. ^[42]

NHL career

After the World Hockey Association folded in 1979, the Edmonton Oilers and three other teams joined the NHL. ^[43] 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 league. ^[44]

Edmonton Oilers (1979–1988)

In his first NHL season, 1979–80, Gretzky proved his critics wrong. The 1979–80 NHL season was the 63rd season of the National Hockey League. He was awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy as the League's Most Valuable Player (the first of eight in a row) and tied for the scoring lead with Marcel Dionne with 137 points,^[45][46] which remains the most points by a first-year player. The Hart Memorial Trophy, originally known as the Hart Trophy, the "oldest and most prestigious individual award in hockey" is awarded annually to the Marcel Elphege "Little Beaver" Dionne (born August 3 1951 in Drummondville, Quebec, Canada) is a retired Canadian Although Gretzky played 79 games to Dionne's 80, Dionne was awarded the Art Ross Trophy since he scored more goals (53 vs. The Art Ross Trophy is awarded to the National Hockey League player who leads the league in scoring points at the end of the regular season 51). ^[47] 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 WHA experience. The Calder Memorial Trophy is an annual award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League ^[48] The Calder was awarded to Boston Bruins defenseman Ray Bourque. The Boston Bruins are a professional Ice hockey team based in Boston Massachusetts. Raymond Jean "Ray" Bourque (born December 28 1960 in Saint-Laurent, Quebec, now a district of Montreal) is a retired professional Ice hockey ^[49]

In his second season, Gretzky won the Art Ross (the first of seven consecutive) with a then-record 164 points, breaking both Bobby Orr's record for assists in a season (102) and Phil Esposito's record for points in a season (152). Robert Gordon "Bobby" Orr OC (born March 20 1948 in Parry Sound, Ontario) is a retired Canadian Ice hockey defenseman Philip Anthony "Espo" Esposito, OC (born February 20, 1942 is a retired professional hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National ^[27] He won his second straight Hart Trophy. ^[45]

During the 1981–82 season, he surpassed a record that had stood for 35 years: 50 goals in 50 games. The 1981–82 NHL season was the 65th season of the National Hockey League. 50 goals in 50 games refers to the act of scoring 50 goals in the first 50 games of a National Hockey League (NHL season 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. The Hon Joseph Henri Maurice "Rocket" Richard PC OC OQ ( August 4, 1921 &ndash May 27 The 1944–45 NHL season was the 28th season of the National Hockey League. Michael Dean "Mike" Bossy (born in Montreal, Quebec, on January 22[[ 957]] is a former Canadian Ice hockey player who played The 1980–81 NHL season was the 64th season of the National Hockey League. His 50th goal of the season came on December 30, 1981 in the final seconds of a 7–5 win against the Philadelphia Flyers and was his fifth of the game. Events 1460 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Wakefield. 1816 - The Treaty of St The 1981–82 NHL season was the 65th season of the National Hockey League. The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional Ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ^[50] Later that season, Gretzky broke Esposito's record for most goals in a season (76) on February 24, 1982, scoring three goals to help beat the Buffalo Sabres 6–3. Events 303 - Galerius, Roman Emperor, publishes his edict that begins the persecution of Christians in his portion of the Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) The Buffalo Sabres are a professional Ice hockey team based in Buffalo New York. ^[51] He ended the 1981–82 season with records of 92 goals, 120 assists, and 212 points in 80 games, becoming the first and only player in NHL history to break the 200–point mark. Point in Ice hockey has two official meanings A point is given to a player who either scores a goal or earns an assist during a game ^[52] That year, Gretzky became the first hockey player and first Canadian to be named Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year. The first Athlete of the Year award in the United States was initiated by the Associated Press (AP in 1931. ^[53] He was also named 1982 "Sportsman of the Year" by Sports Illustrated. Since its inception in 1954, Sports Illustrated magazine has annually presented the " Sports Illustrated is an American Sports Magazine owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. ^[54]

The following seasons saw Gretzky break his own assists record three more times (125 in 1982–83, 135 in 1984–85, and 163 in 1985–86); he also bettered that mark (120 assists) in 1986–87 with 121 and 1990–91 with 122, and his point record one more time (215). The 1982–83 NHL season was the 66th season of the National Hockey League. The 1984–85 NHL season was the 68th season of the National Hockey League. The 1985–86 NHL season was the 69th season of the National Hockey League. The 1986–87 NHL season was the 70th season of the National Hockey League. The 1990–91 NHL season was the 74th regular season of the National Hockey League. ^[55] 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 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 the Stanley Cup. The Stanley Cup (La Coupe Stanley is an Ice hockey club championship Trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL playoffs champion ^[56] The Oilers were a young, strong team featuring forwards Mark Messier, Gretzky, Glenn Anderson and Jari Kurri, defenceman Paul Coffey, and goaltender Grant Fuhr. Mark John Douglas Messier (born January 18 1961 in Edmonton, Alberta) is a former Ice hockey centerman of the National Hockey League Glenn Christopher Anderson (born October 2, 1960 in Vancouver, British Columbia) is a retired Canadian professional Ice hockey Jari Pekka Kurri (born May 18 1960 in Helsinki, Finland is a retired Finnish professional Ice hockey right winger Defence ( defense in the USA in Ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring. Paul Douglas Coffey (born June 1 1961 in York, Ontario) is a retired professional Ice hockey defenceman in the National Hockey League Grant S Fuhr (born September 28 1962 is a former Goaltender in the National Hockey League. Gretzky was its captain from 1983–88. In Ice hockey, each team has a designated captain, who normally wears a "C" on his or her jersey. In 1983, they made it to the Stanley Cup Finals, only to be swept by the three-time defending champion New York Islanders. The 1983 Stanley Cup Finals were played from May 10 to May 17, 1983 between the Edmonton Oilers in their first Finals appearance and the defending The New York Islanders are a professional Ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. ^[57] 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. The 1984 Stanley Cup Finals were played from May 10 to May 19, 1984 between the Edmonton Oilers in their second Finals appearance and the defending ^[58] Gretzky was named an officer of the Order of Canada on June 25, 1984 for outstanding contribution to the sport of hockey. The Order of Canada is the highest civilian honour within the Canadian system of honours, with membership awarded to those who exemplify the order's Latin Events 524 - Battle of Vézeronce, the Franks defeat the Burgundians Athletics For an extensive coverage see 1984 in athletics (track and field Auto Racing Since the Order ceremonies are always held during the hockey season, it took 13 years and 7 months—and two Governors-General—before he could accept the honour. The term governor general or governor-general refers to a vice-regal representative of a Monarch in an independent realm or a major colonial circonscription ^[59] The Oilers also won the Cup with Gretzky in 1985, 1987, and 1988; and without him in 1990 with Messier as captain. The 1985 Stanley Cup Finals were played from May 21 to May 30, 1985 between the defending champion Edmonton Oilers in their third straight Finals The 1987 Stanley Cup Finals were held from May 17 to May 31, 1987 in a best-of-seven series between the Edmonton Oilers and the Philadelphia The 1988 Stanley Cup Finals was played from May 18 to May 26, 1988, between the Edmonton Oilers and Boston Bruins. The Edmonton Oilers defeated the Boston Bruins in the 1990 Stanley Cup Finals, four games to one ^[60]

"The Trade"

Two hours after the Oilers won the Stanley Cup in 1988, Wayne learned from his father that the Oilers were planning to deal him to another team. ^[61] Walter had known for months, but kept it from Wayne to not upset him. According to Walter, Wayne was being "shopped" to Los Angeles, Detroit, New York and Vancouver. According to Wayne, Pocklington needed money as his other business ventures were not doing well, and had gone 'sour' on Wayne and wanted to move him. ^[62] At first Gretzky did not want to leave Edmonton, but he later received a call from Los Angeles Kings owner Bruce McNall while on his honeymoon asking permission to meet and discuss the deal. The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles California. Bruce Patrick McNall (born April 17, 1950 in Arcadia California) is a former American sports executive who once owned the Los Angeles Wayne's requirements to McNall were that Marty McSorley and Mike Krushelnyski join him as teammates in Los Angeles. Martin James McSorley (born May 18, 1963 is a Canadian former Professional hockey player in the National Hockey League and former Head Mike Krushelnyski (born April 27, 1960, in Montreal, Quebec) was a professional Ice hockey center in the NHL After the details of the trade were finalized by McNall and Pocklington, one final condition had to be met: Gretzky had to call Pocklington and request a trade. ^[63]

On August 9, 1988, in a move that heralded significant change in the NHL, the Oilers traded Gretzky, along with McSorley and Krushelnyski, to the Los Angeles Kings for Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas, $15 million in cash, and the Kings' first-round draft picks in 1989 (later traded to the New Jersey Devils—New Jersey selected Jason Miller), 1991 (Martin Rucinsky), and 1993 (Nick Stajduhar). Events 48 BC - Caesar's civil war: Battle of Pharsalus - Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at Pharsalus Athletics For an extensive coverage see 1988 in athletics (track and field Marathon International James Charles Carson (born July 20 1968 in Southfield Michigan) is a Retired professional hockey player of Greek origin Martin Gélinas ( (born June 5 1970 is a professional Ice hockey forward The 1989 NHL Entry Draft was held in June at the Metropolitan Sports Center in Bloomington Minnesota. The New Jersey Devils are a professional Ice hockey team based in Newark New Jersey. Jason Miller (born March 1, 1971 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) is a retired Ice hockey left winger. The 1991 NHL Entry Draft was held on June 22 at the Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo New York. Martin Ručinský (born March 11, 1971, in Most, Czechoslovakia) is a professional Ice hockey player in the National Hockey The 1993 NHL Entry Draft took place on June 26 1993 at the Colisee de Quebec in Quebec City Quebec. Nick Stajduhar (b December 6, 1974 in Kitchener, Ontario) is a former professional Ice hockey defenceman. ^[55] "The Trade", as it came to be known,^[64] upset Canadians to the extent that New Democratic Party House Leader Nelson Riis demanded that the government block it,^[65] and Pocklington was burned in effigy outside the Northlands Coliseum. Principles policies and electoral achievement The NDP grew from populist, agrarian and democratic socialist roots In Canada, each political party with representation in the House of Commons has a House Leader who is a Front bench Member of Parliament (MP and an expert Nelson Andrew Riis (born January 10 1942) currently a businessman and is a former Canadian politician and New Democratic Party (NDP Member Rexall Place is an indoor arena in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada situated on the north side of Northlands Park. ^[16] 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 the furtherance of his wife's acting career. For other persons of a similar name Janet Jones (disambiguation. ^[66]

Edmontonians bore Gretzky no grudge. On his first appearance in Edmonton after the trade—a game that was nationally televised in Canada—he received a four-minute standing ovation. ^[67] The arena was sold out, and the attendance of 17,503 was the Oilers' biggest crowd ever to that date. ^[67] Large cheers erupted for his first shift, his first touch of the puck, his two assists and for Mark Messier's body check of Gretzky into the boards. Mark John Douglas Messier (born January 18 1961 in Edmonton, Alberta) is a former Ice hockey centerman of the National Hockey League ^[67] 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. "^[67] After the 1988–89 season, a life-sized bronze statue of Gretzky was erected outside the Northlands Coliseum, holding the Stanley Cup over his head (picture shown above, to the right). ^[68]

Los Angeles Kings (1988–1996)

The Kings named Gretzky their captain (a position he held until his trade to St. Louis in 1996). He made an immediate impact on the ice, scoring on his first shot on goal in the first regular-season game. ^[69] The Kings got off to their best start ever, winning four straight on their way to qualifying for the playoffs. Despite being underdogs against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Oilers in the Smythe 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. An underdog is a person or group in a Competition, frequently in electoral politics, Sports, and Creative works who is popularly expected to The NHL 's Smythe Division was formed in 1974 as part of the Clarence Campbell Conference. ^[70] For only the second time in his NHL career, Gretzky finished second in scoring, but narrowly beat out Pittsburgh's Mario Lemieux (who scored 199 points) for the Hart Trophy as MVP. The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional Ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Mario Lemieux (born October 5, 1965 is a retired Canadian professional Ice hockey centre who played 17 seasons for the Pittsburgh Penguins ^[71] In 1990, the Associated Press named him Male Athlete of the Decade. Athletics For an extensive coverage see 1990 in athletics (track and field Marathon International The Associated Press ( AP) is an American News agency. The AP is a Cooperative owned by its contributing Newspapers radio ^[72]

Gretzky's first season in Los Angeles saw a marked increase in attendance and fan interest in a city not previously known for following hockey. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Fans in Little Italyjpg|thumb|right|Fans in Little Italy Manhattan celebrating the victory of the Italian association football team after the 2006 FIFA World Cup]][[Image Wm-oly-de-cr The Kings now boasted of numerous sellouts. ^[73] Many credit Gretzky's arrival with putting non-traditional US hockey markets on "the NHL map"; not only did California receive two more NHL franchises (the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and San Jose Sharks) during Gretzky's tenure in L. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. The Anaheim Ducks are a professional Ice hockey team based in Anaheim California, USA. The San Jose Sharks are a professional Ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. A. , but his popularity in Southern California proved to be an impetus in the league establishing teams in other parts of the US Sun Belt. Southern California, or So Cal, is defined as the southern portion of the U The Sun Belt is a region of the United States generally considered to stretch across the South and Southwest (the geographic southern United States ^[74]

Gretzky was sidelined for much of the 1992–93 regular season with an upper back injury, the only year in which he did not lead his team in scoring. The 1992–93 NHL season was the 76th regular season of the National Hockey League. ^[75] However, he performed very well in the playoffs, notably when he scored a hat trick in Game 7 of the Campbell Conference Finals against the Toronto Maple Leafs. A hat-trick in Sports is associated with succeeding at anything three times in three consecutive attempts "Leafs" and "Maple Leafs" redirect here For the former American Hockey League team see St ^[27] This victory propelled the Kings into the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history, where they faced the Montreal Canadiens. The Montreal Canadiens (Les Canadiens de Montréal are a professional Ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. 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. ^[76] The next season, Gretzky broke Gordie Howe's career goal-scoring record and won the scoring title,^[27] but the team began a long slide, and despite numerous player and coaching moves, they failed to qualify for the playoffs again until 1998. The 1993–94 NHL season was the 77th regular season of the National Hockey League. The 1997–98 NHL season was the 81st Regular season of the National Hockey League. ^[77] Long before then, 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.

St. Louis Blues (1996)

On February 27, 1996, he joined the St. Louis Blues in a trade for Patrice Tardif, Roman Vopat, Craig Johnson, and two draft picks. Events 1560 - The Treaty of Berwick, which would expel the French from Scotland, is signed by England and the Congregation The 1995–96 NHL season was the 79th Regular season of the National Hockey League. The St Louis Blues are a professional Ice hockey team based in St Patrice Tardif (born October 30, 1970 in Saint-Methode-de-Frontenac, Quebec) professional Ice hockey centre formerly of the National Hockey Roman Vopat (born April 21 1976 in Litvinov, Czechoslovakia) is a Czech professional Ice hockey forward currently playing for Craig Johnson (born March 8 1972 in St Paul, Minnesota) is an American ice hockey player who currently plays for the EC Red Bull Salzburg ^[55] The trade was partially orchestrated by Gretzky himself, the process beginning after reports that Wayne was unhappy in Los Angeles. ^[78] At the time of the trade, the Blues and New York Rangers emerged as front-runners, but the Blues obtained Gretzky because they met his salary demands. ^[79] Wayne was immediately named the team's captain. He scored 37 points in 31 games for the team in both the regular season and the playoffs,^[55] and the Blues came within one game of the Conference Finals. ^[80] However, he never clicked with the team or with his new right-winger, “The Golden Brett” Hull, on the ice as well as many had expected and Blues coach Mike Keenan publicly criticized him. Brett Andrew Hull (born August 9, 1964 in Belleville, Ontario and raised in Chicago, Winnipeg and Vancouver) is a ^[81] Gretzky rejected a three-year deal worth $15 million with the Blues, and on July 22, he signed with the New York Rangers as a free agent, rejoining longtime Oilers teammate Mark Messier for a two-year $8 million (plus incentives) contract. Events 1099 - First Crusade: Godfrey of Bouillon is elected the first Defender of the Holy Sepulchre of The Kingdom of The New York Rangers are a professional Ice hockey team based in New York, New York, United States. In Professional sports a free agent is a team player whose contract with a team has expired and the player is able to sign a contract with another team if that player ^[82]

New York Rangers (1996–1999)

Gretzky ended his professional career with the New York Rangers, where he played his final three seasons and helped the team reach the Eastern Conference Finals in 1997. The New York Rangers are a professional Ice hockey team based in New York, New York, United States. The 1996–97 NHL season was the 80th Regular season of the National Hockey League. ^[83] The Rangers were defeated in the conference finals by the Philadelphia Flyers, despite Gretzky leading the Rangers in the playoffs with 10 goals and 10 assists. ^[55] For the first time in his NHL career, Gretzky was not named captain,^[84] although he briefly wore the captain's 'C' in 1998 when captain Brian Leetch was injured and out of the lineup. Brian Joseph Leetch (born March 3, 1968 in Corpus Christi, Texas) is a retired American professional Ice hockey defenseman ^[85] After the 1996–97 season, Mark Messier signed a free agent contract with the Vancouver Canucks, ending the brief reunion of Messier and Gretzky after just one season. The Vancouver Canucks are a Professional Ice hockey team based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. ^[86] With Messier's departure from the Rangers, the spotlight was on Gretzky once again. The Rangers, however, did not return to the playoffs during the remainder of Gretzky's career. ^[87].

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 Hockey News is a North American hockey magazine published by Transcontinental. The experts voted Gretzky number one. ^[2]

He participated in the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVIII Olympic Winter Games were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1998 the capital city of Nagano Prefecture, is located in the northern part of the prefecture near the confluence of the Chikuma and the Sai rivers on the However, Gretzky, Steve Yzerman, and Ray Bourque were passed over for the captaincy in favour of the younger Eric Lindros. Stephen Gregory Yzerman ˈaɪzɚmən (born May 9, 1965 in Cranbrook British Columbia, Canada) is a retired Canadian professional hockey Raymond Jean "Ray" Bourque (born December 28 1960 in Saint-Laurent, Quebec, now a district of Montreal) is a retired professional Ice hockey Eric Bryan Lindros (born 28 February 1973 in London, Ontario, Canada) is a retired professional Ice hockey player ^[88] 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. Mario Lemieux (born October 5, 1965 is a retired Canadian professional Ice hockey centre who played 17 seasons for the Pittsburgh Penguins The 1987 Canada Cup was a Professional international ice hockey tournament series in 1987 The Czech Republic ( ˈt͡ʃɛskaː ˈrɛpuˌblɪka short form in Česko ˈt͡ʃɛskɔ also called Czechia, ^[89] There was some additional controversy when Gretzky was not selected by coach Marc Crawford for the decisive shootout. Marc Joseph John Crawford (born February 13, 1961, in Belleville, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian professional Ice ^[90] Team Canada then lost the bronze medal game 3–2 to Finland,^[91] but Gretzky was said to have encouraged all of his teammates to attend the closing ceremony afterwards.

The 1998–99 season was his last season. Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG, and known colloquially as The Garden, has been the name of four Arenas in New York City. The 1998–99 NHL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Hockey League. He reached one milestone in this last season, breaking the professional total (regular season and playoffs) goal-scoring record of 1,071, which had been held by Gordie Howe. Gretzky was having difficulty scoring this season and finished with only nine goals, but his last goal brought his scoring total for his combined NHL/WHA career to 1,072. ^[92] 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 1999-04-15, a 2–2 tie with the Ottawa Senators, the Rangers' second-to-last game of the season. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Events 1450 - Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English The Ottawa Senators (Les Sénateurs d'Ottawa are a professional Ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada ^[93] Following the contest, instead of the usual three stars announcement, Gretzky was named the game's only star. In Ice hockey, the three stars of a match are the three best players as chosen by a third party with the first star considered the best player akin to the (Gretzky was named all three stars). ^[94] It was only after this game, after returning to New York that Gretzky announced his retirement, before the Rangers' last game of the season. ^[95]

The final game of Gretzky's career was a 2–1 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on April 18, 1999 in Madison Square Garden. Events 1025 - Bolesław Chrobry is crowned in Gniezno, becoming the first King of Poland. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG, and known colloquially as The Garden, has been the name of four Arenas in New York City. The national anthems in that game were adjusted to accommodate Gretzky's departure. A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's In place of "O Canada, we stand on guard for thee", Bryan Adams sang "We're going to miss you, Wayne Gretzky". {Otherpeople|Brian Adams}} Bryan Adams OC, OBC, (born Bryan Guy Adams on November 5, 1959) is a Canadian rock ^[96] "The Star-Spangled Banner", sung by John Amirante, was changed from "O'er the land of the free" to "O'er the land of Wayne Gretzky". " The Star-Spangled Banner " is the National anthem of the United States of America ^[97] He scored his final point in this game, assisting on the lone New York goal scored by Brian Leetch. ^[96] 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 basic athletic abilities were not considered impressive. He was 6 feet (1. 8 m) tall, weighing only 160 pounds (73 kg) as an 18-year-old NHL rookie in 1979, and 185 pounds at the end of his career in 1999. At the beginning of Gretzky's NHL career, many critics opined that Gretzky was "too small, too wiry, and too slow to be a force in the NHL". ^[98] On the other hand, his intelligence and reading of the game were unrivaled, and he could consistently anticipate where the puck was going to be and execute the right move at the right time. ^[26] It was said that he "seems to have eyes in the back of his head" and had a knack of "rolling with a check". ^[99]

Gretzky's skills were developed on a backyard rink at his home, with extraordinary dedication and the encouragement and teachings of his father Walter. Walter Gretzky had played Junior B hockey, but was slowed by chicken pox and failed in a tryout for the Junior A Toronto Marlboros, ending his playing career. Chickenpox is a highly contagious illness caused by primary infection with Varicella zoster virus (VZV ^[100] Walter cultivated a love of hockey in his sons and provided them with a backyard rink and drills to enhance their skills. ^[100] On the backyard rink, nicknamed the "Wally Coliseum", winter was total hockey immersion with Walter as mentor-teacher as well as teammate. According to Brent Gretzky, "It was definitely pressed on us, but we loved the game. Without the direction of the father, I don't know where I'd be. "^[101]

The rink itself was built so that Walter could keep an eye on his boys from the warmth of his kitchen, instead of watching them outdoors on a neighbourhood rink, as Wayne put in long hours on skates. ^[102] Walter's drills were his own invention, but were ahead of their time in Canada. Wayne remarked that the Soviet National Team's practice drills, which impressed Canada in 1972, had nothing to offer him: "I'd been doing these drills since I was three. My dad was very smart. "^[102]

Where Wayne differed was in the extraordinary commitment of time on the ice. In his autobiography, he wrote:

"All I wanted to do in the winters was be on the ice. I'd get up in the morning, skate from 7:00 to 8:30, go to school, come home at 3:30, stay on the ice until my mom insisted I come in for dinner, eat in my skates, then go back out until 9:00. On Saturdays and Sundays we'd have huge games, but nighttime became my time. It was a sort of unwritten rule around the neighborhood that I was to be out there myself or with my dad. "^[103]

Wayne would prod next-door neighbour Brian Rizzetto to play goal after sundown to practice his backhand. ^[102]

Wayne's excellence at hockey was matched in baseball and lacrosse, which he played during the summer. At age 10, after scoring 196 goals in his hockey league, he scored 158 goals in lacrosse. ^[104] According to Wayne, lacrosse was where he learned to protect himself from hard body checking: "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. Checking in Ice hockey is the act of physically keeping an opposing player in check. "^[105] Wayne applied this skill to the NHL, avoiding checks to the point that it was claimed that there was an unwritten rule not to hit Gretzky. ^[106] Gretzky insisted that the skill was necessary for self-defense as he only weighed 170 pounds. ^[106]

Gretzky became known for setting up behind the net, an area that was nicknamed "Gretzky's office" because of his skills there. ^[107] He could pass to teammates like Luc Robitaille and Jari Kurri, or jump out quickly for a wrap-around shot. Luc Robitaille (born February 17, 1966 in Montreal, Quebec) is a retired professional Ice hockey player Jari Pekka Kurri (born May 18 1960 in Helsinki, Finland is a retired Finnish professional Ice hockey right winger Gretzky became accustomed to the position after watching and studying Bobby Clarke play in that zone. Robert Earle Clarke, OC (born August 13, 1949 in Flin Flon, Manitoba) better known as Bobby Clarke, is a retired Canadian ^[108] In honour of that, for his last game there were two large "99"s painted on the ice behind the goal. ^[109] Hall of Fame defenceman Bobby Orr said of Gretzky, "He passes better than anybody I've ever seen. And he thinks so far ahead. "^[110] 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. "^[1]

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 Hockey Hall of Fame ( Temple de la renommée du hockey in French) is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Events 498 - Kofi Aseidu- After the death of Anastasius II, Symmachus is elected Pope in the Lateran Athletics For an extensive coverage see 1999 in athletics (track and field Track Hicham ^[111] The Hall of Fame then announced that he would be the last player to do so. ^[112] He was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2000. The IIHF Hall of Fame was established by the International Ice Hockey Federation in 1997 when 30 individuals were inducted at the world championships in Helsinki. ^[113] In addition, Gretzky's #99 was retired league-wide at the 2000 NHL All-Star Game. The 50th National Hockey League All-Star Game was part of the 1999–2000 NHL season, and took place in Toronto 's Air Canada Centre ^[4] Edmonton honoured Gretzky by renaming the highway that passes by the Oilers arena, Capilano Drive, one of Edmonton's busiest, to "Wayne Gretzky Drive" in October 1999. ^[114] In 2002, the Kings held a jersey retirement ceremony and erected a life-sized statue of Gretzky outside the Staples Center. Staples Center is a multi-purpose sports Arena in Downtown Los Angeles California adjacent to the L ^[115] His hometown of Brantford, Ontario, renamed Park Road to "Wayne Gretzky Parkway". ^[116]

Phoenix Coyotes

Almost immediately after retirement, several NHL teams approached him about an ownership role. ^[117] In May 2000, he agreed to become a 10% owner of the Phoenix Coyotes in a partnership with majority owner Steve Ellman, taking on the roles of Alternate Governor and Managing Partner. The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional Ice hockey team based in Glendale Arizona, just outside of Phoenix. ^[118] The Coyotes were in the process of being sold and Ellman convinced Gretzky to come on board, averting a potential move to Portland, Oregon. Portland is a city located in the Northwestern United States, near the Confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers ^[118] 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. Events 590 - Khosrau II is crowned as king of Persia 1637 - Ferdinand III becomes Holy Roman Emperor Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. The sale completed with the addition to the partnership of Jerry Moyes. ^[119] Gretzky convinced his long-time agent Michael Barnett to join the team as its General Manager. Michael N Barnett (born 1960 is a major constructivist scholar of International relations. ^[120]

In 2005, rumours began regarding Gretzky becoming the head coach of the team, but were nixed by Gretzky and the rest of the Coyotes' ownership. ^[121] Despite previous denials, on August 8, 2005, Gretzky agreed to become the new coach of the Coyotes. Events 1220 - Sweden is defeated by Estonian tribes in the Battle of Lihula. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[122] 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. Events 869 - The Fourth Council of Constantinople is convened to decide about what to do about Patriarch Photius of Constantinople Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The 2005–06 NHL season was the 88th season of the National Hockey League. The Vancouver Canucks are a Professional Ice hockey team based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. ^[123] His first coaching victory was October 8, 2005, beating the Minnesota Wild 2–1. Events 314 - Roman Emperor Licinius is defeated by his colleague Constantine I at the Battle of Cibalae, and loses Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Minnesota Wild are a professional Ice hockey team based in Saint Paul Minnesota. ^[124] Gretzky took an indefinite leave of absence as coach on December 17, 2005, to care for his ill mother in Brantford, Ontario. Leave of absence (LOA is a term used to describe a period of time that one is to be away from his/her primary job while maintaining the status of employee. Events 546 - Gothic War (535–554: The Ostrogoths of King Totila Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. His mother lost her battle to lung cancer two days later, passing away on December 19, 2005. Lung cancer is a Disease of uncontrolled Cell growth in tissues of the Lung. Events 324 - Licinius abdicates his position as Roman Emperor. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[125] Assistant coach Rick Tocchet assumed the position until Gretzky's return on December 28. Richard Tocchet (born on April 9, 1964 in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada) is a retired professional Ice hockey player Events 1065 - Westminster Abbey is Consecrated. 1308 - The reign of Emperor Hanazono, Emperor of ^[126]

In 2006, the Coyotes ownership partnership changed, with an agreement for Moyes to take over majority ownership of the team, and Ellman to take over the majority ownership of the Glendale Arena and Westgate development. ^[127] A period of uncertainty ensued about Gretzky's role^[128] until Coyotes' new CEO Jeff Shumway announced on May 31, 2006 that Gretzky had agreed to a new five-year contract to remain as head coach. Events 1279 BC - Rameses II (The Great (19th dynasty becomes pharaoh of Ancient Egypt. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ^[129] He remains a minority partner and managing owner.

Winter Olympics

Gretzky was Executive Director of the Canadian men's hockey team at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIX Olympic Winter Games were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 2002 Salt Lake City is the Capital and the most populous city of the U The State of Utah (ˈjuːtɔː or) is a western state of the United States. On February 18, he lashed out at the media at a press conference, frustrated with media and fan comments regarding his team's uninspiring 1–1–1 start. Events 3102 BC - Epoch (origin of the Kali Yuga. 1229 - The Sixth Crusade: Frederick II Holy A news conference or press conference is a Media event in which newsmakers invite journalists to hear them speak and most often ask questions ^[130] 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 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. ^[130] 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. Glen "Slats" Sather (born September 2, 1943 in High River, Alberta) is a retired professional Ice hockey left winger in Gretzky addressed those comments by saying he spoke out to protect the Canadian players, and the tirade was not "staged". ^[131] The Canadian team won the gold medal, its first in 50 years. ^[132]

Gretzky again acted as Executive Director of Canada's men's hockey team at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, though not with the success of 2002; the team was eliminated in the quarterfinals and failed to win a medal. The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in Ice hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics was held at the Torino Palasport Olimpico and the Torino Esposizioni in Turin, Italy ^[133] 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 Ice Hockey World Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation. ^[134]

Heritage Classic

Main article: Heritage Classic

Although Gretzky had previously stated he would not participate in any old-timers exhibition games,^[135] on November 22, 2003 he took to the ice one last time to help celebrate the Edmonton Oilers' 25th anniversary as an NHL team. The Heritage Classic was an outdoor Ice hockey game played on November 22, 2003 in Edmonton Alberta, Canada between the Events 498 - Kofi Aseidu- After the death of Anastasius II, Symmachus is elected Pope in the Lateran Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. The Heritage Classic, held at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, was the first NHL game to be played outdoors. The Heritage Classic was an outdoor Ice hockey game played on November 22, 2003 in Edmonton Alberta, Canada between the For the stadium of the same name in Kentucky, see Commonwealth Stadium (Kentucky. ^[136] It was preceded by the Mega Stars game, which featured Gretzky and many of his Oiler Dynasty teammates against a group of retired Montreal Canadiens players, including Claude Lemieux and Guy Lafleur. The Edmonton Oilers are a professional Ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The Montreal Canadiens (Les Canadiens de Montréal are a professional Ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Claude Percy Lemieux (born July 16, 1965 in Buckingham, Quebec) is a former professional Ice hockey player active in the National Hockey Guy Damien Lafleur, OC, CQ, (born September 20 1951 in Thurso, Quebec) is a former professional ice hockey player and is widely regarded Despite frigid temperatures, the crowd numbered 57,167, with an additional several million watching the game on television. ^[137] The Edmonton alumni won the Megastars game 2–0,^[138] while Montreal went on to win the regular season game held later that day, 4–3. ^[136] The game was subsequently released on DVD entitled Heritage Classic: A November to Remember. ^[139]

Off the ice

Gretzky has made several TV appearances, including a Dance Fever celebrity judge, and a 'forgettable appearance', acting in a dramatic role The Young and The Restless in 1981. Dance Fever was a syndicated musical variety series in which three celebrities judged amateur dancers to hottest disco hits of the day The Young and the Restless is a 39 time Emmy Award winning American Television Soap opera, first broadcast on CBS on March 26 ^[140] In 1984, he travelled to the Soviet Union to film a television program on Russian goaltender Vladislav Tretiak. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Vladislav Aleksandrovich Tretiak MSM (Владисла́в Алекса́ндрович Третья́к born April 25, 1952 in the village Orudyevo ^[141] Gretzky hosted the Saturday Night Live comedy program in 1989. Saturday Night Live ( SNL) is a weekly late-night 90-minute American Sketch comedy / Variety show based in New York City ^[142] A fictional crime-fighting version of him served as one of the main characters in the cartoon ProStars in 1991. ProStars was a Saturday morning cartoon show produced by DiC for NBC in 1991. ^[143][144] Gretzky has made over 40 movie, network television and video appearances as himself, according to IMDB, as of May 1, 2008. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common ^[145]

Family

It was when Gretzky was celebrity judge on 'Dance Fever' that he met his future wife, American actress Janet Jones, a contestant on the show. For other persons of a similar name Janet Jones (disambiguation. ^[146] According to Wayne, Janet does not recall him being on the show. ^[146] They met regularly after that, but did not become a couple until 1987 when they ran into each other at a Los Angeles Lakers game that Wayne and Alan Thicke were attending. The Los Angeles Lakers are a National Basketball Association (NBA team based in Los Angeles, California. Alan Thicke (born March 1, 1947) is a Canadian Actor, Songwriter, Game show host and talk-show emcee ^[147] They went out for dinner together and saw each other regularly, and Wayne proposed in January 1988. ^[148] In March, Janet became pregnant with their first child, Paulina. Paulina Mary Jean Gretzky (born 19 December 1988 in Los Angeles, California) is an American model and pop singer ^[149]

Wayne and Janet were married on July 17, 1988. Events 180 - Twelve inhabitants of Scillium in North Africa are executed for being Christians Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) ^[150] "The Royal Wedding" was broadcast live throughout Canada from Edmonton's St. Joseph's Basilica, although neither Gretzky nor Jones are Roman Catholic. St Joseph's Cathedral Basilica is a Minor basilica in Edmonton Alberta, Canada. Members of the Fire Department acted as guards at the church steps. The event reportedly cost Gretzky over US$1 million. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been ^[151] Gretzky obtained American citizenship after the wedding, and has since resided in the United States. A Canadian-American is a person living in the United States who was born in raised in or possesses ancestral ties to Canada. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the ^[152] Eddie Mio was best man, and Alan Thicke was master of ceremonies. As wedding presents, Thicke gave them the cushions to the seats they sat in when they first went for dinner together. ^[149] Wayne gave Janet a Rolls-Royce Corniche automobile. ^[149]

Janet and Wayne have five children: Paulina, (born December 19, 1988), Ty Robert (born July 9, 1990), Trevor Douglas (born September 14, 1992), Tristan Wayne (born August 2, 2000), and Emma Marie (born March 28, 2003). Paulina Mary Jean Gretzky (born 19 December 1988 in Los Angeles, California) is an American model and pop singer Events 324 - Licinius abdicates his position as Roman Emperor. Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) Events 455 - Roman military commander Avitus is proclaimed Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) Events 81 - Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus. Year 1992 ( MCMXCII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar) Events 338 BC - A Macedonian army led by Philip II defeated the combined forces of Athens and Thebes in the 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Events 37 - Roman Emperor Caligula accepts the titles of the Principate, entitled to him by the Senate. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Ty now plays for Shattuck-Saint Mary's Midget AA hockey team, the same school that produced Sidney Crosby. Shattuck-St Mary's School (also known as SSM is a Coeducational Episcopal Church -affiliated Boarding school in Faribault, Minnesota Sidney Patrick Crosby ONS (born August 7 1987 is a Canadian professional Ice hockey player and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins ^[153]

Business ventures

Gretzky has owned or partnered in the ownership of two sports teams before becoming a partner in the Phoenix Coyotes. In 1985, Gretzky bought the Hull Olympiques of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for $175,000 CA. The Gatineau Olympiques are a major junior Ice hockey team playing in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League out of Gatineau Quebec The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (French la Ligue de hockey junior majeur du Québec, abbreviated QMJHL in English LHJMQ in French is ^[154] During his ownership, the team's colors were changed to silver and black, presaging the change in team jersey colors 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. ^[155] Gretzky eventually sold the team in 1992 for $550,000 CA. ^[156]

In 1991, Gretzky purchased the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League with Bruce McNall and John Candy. The Toronto Argonauts are a Canadian Football League team based in Toronto, Ontario. The Canadian Football League (CFL ( Ligue canadienne de football (LCF in Bruce Patrick McNall (born April 17, 1950 in Arcadia California) is a former American sports executive who once owned the Los Angeles John Franklin Candy (October 31 1950 &ndash March 4 1994 was a Canadian Comedian and Actor. The club won the Grey 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. The Grey Cup (in Coupe Grey is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League (CFL and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team 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. The Canadian Football League (CFL ( Ligue canadienne de football (LCF in ^[157] In 1992, Gretzky and McNall partnered in an investment to buy a rare Honus Wagner T206 cigarette card for $500,000 US, later selling the card. Johannes Peter "Honus" Wagner (ˈhɑnəs ˈwæɡnɚ February 24 1874 &ndash December 6 1955) nicknamed " The Flying Dutchman The tobacco card set known as T206 was issued from 1909 to 1911 in Cigarette and loose Tobacco packs through 16 different brands owned Cigarette cards are Trade cards issued by Tobacco manufacturers to stiffen cigarette packaging and advertise cigarette brands. It most recently sold for $2. 8 million US. ^[158]

As of May 2008, Gretzky's current business ventures include the "Wayne Gretzky's" restaurant in Toronto near the football stadium in downtown Toronto, opened in partnership with John Bitove in 1993. ^[159] Gretzky is also a partner in First Team Sports, a maker of sports equipment and Worldwide Roller Hockey, Inc. , an operator of roller hockey rinks. ^[160] He has endorsed and launched a wide variety of products, from pillow cases to insurance. ^[161][162] Forbes estimates that Gretzky earned US$93. Forbes is an American Publishing and media company Its flagship publication Forbes magazine is published bi-weekly 8 million from 1990–98. ^[1]

Gambling controversy

On February 7, 2006, Coyotes assistant coach Rick Tocchet was charged for operating an illegal New Jersey-based gambling ring. Events 457 - Leo I becomes emperor of the Byzantine Empire. 1074 - Battle of Montesarchio in which the Prince Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Richard Tocchet (born on April 9, 1964 in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada) is a retired professional Ice hockey player New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. ^[163] Bets were allegedly taken from NHL players, Janet Gretzky and Coyotes GM Michael Barnett, who confirmed to police he placed a bet on Super Bowl XL with Tocchet. Super Bowl XL featured the American Football Conference (AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC champion Seattle ^[164] 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. "^[165] Reports by the Newark Star-Ledger stated that the New Jersey State Police possessed wiretaps with Gretzky speaking to Tocchet. The Star-Ledger is a Newspaper in the US state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. The New Jersey State Police ( NJSP) is the State police force for the state of New Jersey. Wiretap redirects here For the radio program see WireTap (radio program Telephone tapping (or wire tapping / wiretapping in Sources told the paper there was no evidence Gretzky made any bets, but police were attempting to learn if he placed any through his wife. ^[166] Another source later confirmed that the wiretap occurred after police went to Gretzky's house to question Jones. ^[167] It was announced on 2006-02-16 that Gretzky would not be charged nor was it likely his wife would be charged. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1249 - Andrew of Longjumeau is dispatched by Louis IX of France as his ambassador to meet with the Khan of the Mongols ^[168] Tocchet brought an end to the case by pleading guilty to the gambling charges on May 2, 2007. Events 1194 - King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[169] Gretzky and Jones were never charged with any wrong-doing.

Transactions

• June 12, 1978 – Signed as a free agent with the Indianapolis Racers

• November 2, 1978 – Traded by the Indianapolis Racers, along with Eddie Mio and Peter Driscoll, to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for $700,000 and future considerations. Events 1381 - Peasants' Revolt: in England, rebels arrive at Blackheath. Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) The Indianapolis Racers were a franchise in the former World Hockey Association from 1974-78 Events 1570 - A Tidal wave in the North Sea devastates the coast from Holland to Jutland, killing more than 1000 Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) Eddie Mio (born January 31, 1954 in Windsor, Ontario) was a professional Ice hockey Goaltender in the WHA and NHL Peter Driscoll (born October 27 1954, in Powassan Ontario) was a professional Ice hockey left wing in the WHA and NHL The Edmonton Oilers are a professional Ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

• August 9, 1988 – Traded by the Edmonton Oilers, along with Mike Krushelnyski and Marty McSorley, to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas, Los Angeles's 1989, 1991, and 1993 first round draft choices, and cash. Events 48 BC - Caesar's civil war: Battle of Pharsalus - Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at Pharsalus Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) Mike Krushelnyski (born April 27, 1960, in Montreal, Quebec) was a professional Ice hockey center in the NHL Martin James McSorley (born May 18, 1963 is a Canadian former Professional hockey player in the National Hockey League and former Head The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles California. James Charles Carson (born July 20 1968 in Southfield Michigan) is a Retired professional hockey player of Greek origin Martin Gélinas ( (born June 5 1970 is a professional Ice hockey forward

• February 27, 1996 – Traded by the Los Angeles Kings to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for Roman Vopat, Craig Johnson, Patrice Tardif, St. Events 1560 - The Treaty of Berwick, which would expel the French from Scotland, is signed by England and the Congregation Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) The St Louis Blues are a professional Ice hockey team based in St Roman Vopat (born April 21 1976 in Litvinov, Czechoslovakia) is a Czech professional Ice hockey forward currently playing for Craig Johnson (born March 8 1972 in St Paul, Minnesota) is an American ice hockey player who currently plays for the EC Red Bull Salzburg Patrice Tardif (born October 30, 1970 in Saint-Methode-de-Frontenac, Quebec) professional Ice hockey centre formerly of the National Hockey Louis's 1996 third round draft choice, and 1997 first round draft choice.

• July 21, 1996 – Signed as a free agent with the New York Rangers. Events 356 BC - Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) The New York Rangers are a professional Ice hockey team based in New York, New York, United States.

Source: Players: Wayne Gretzky. NHL. Retrieved on 2008-05-05. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John

Statistics

Playing career

Figures in boldface italics are NHL records.

GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty Minutes; +/– = Plus/Minus; PP = Powerplay Goals; SH = Shorthanded Goals; GW = Game-Winning Goals

				Regular season										Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	+/–	PP	SH	GW		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1975–76	Toronto Nationals	MetJHL		28	27	33	60	7	—	—	—	—		—	—	—	—	—
1976–77	Seneca Nationals	MetJHL		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		—	—	—	—	—
NHL career totals (20 seasons)				1,487	894	1,963	2,857	577	+518	204	73	91		208	122	260	382	66

International play

Year	Event	Team	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	Medal
1978	World Junior Championships	Canada	6	8	9	17	2	Bronze
1981	Canada Cup	Canada	7	5	7	12	2	Silver
1982	World Championships	Canada	10	6	8	14	0	Bronze
1984	Canada Cup	Canada	8	5	7	12	2	Gold
1987	Rendez-vous '87	NHL All-Stars	2	0	4	4	0	N/A
1987	Canada Cup	Canada	9	3	18	21	2	Gold
1991	Canada Cup	Canada	7	4	8	12	2	Gold
1996	World Cup	Canada	8	3	4	7	2	Silver
1998	Winter Olympics	Canada	6	0	4	4	2	none
International totals			63	34	69	103	14

Coaching record

As of May 2008, Gretzky is active as the head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes. A goal in Ice hockey provides a team with one point A goal is scored when a puck completely crosses the goal line within the goal frame Method of scoring In Ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to the two previous players of the scoring team who touched or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate meaning that they Point in Ice hockey has two official meanings A point is given to a player who either scores a goal or earns an assist during a game For clarity male pronouns will be used throughout this article A penalty in Ice hockey is a Punishment for inappropriate Behavior Plus/minus is an Ice hockey Statistic that measures the team goal differential when a specific player is on the ice The Toronto Nationals are a pair of defunct Tier II Junior "A" Ice hockey teams from Vaughan, Ontario, Canada. This article is about the league in operation from 1956-1998 For the Metro Junior Hockey League from 1961-1963 see Metro Junior A League ----The Metro The 1976–77 OMJHL season was the 3rd season of the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League. The Peterborough Petes are a Junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The 1977–78 OMJHL season was the 4th season of the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League. The Sault Ste Marie Greyhounds (aka Soo Greyhounds) are a major Junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. The 1978-79 WHA season was the seventh and final Regular season of the World Hockey Association (WHA The Indianapolis Racers were a franchise in the former World Hockey Association from 1974-78 The World Hockey Association (French Association Mondiale de Hockey) was a professional Ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 The Edmonton Oilers are a professional Ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The 1979–80 NHL season was the 63rd season of the National Hockey League. The National Hockey League ( NHL) is a professional Ice hockey league composed of 30 teams in North America The 1980–81 NHL season was the 64th season of the National Hockey League. The 1981–82 NHL season was the 65th season of the National Hockey League. The 1982–83 NHL season was the 66th season of the National Hockey League. The 1983–84 NHL season was the 67th season of the National Hockey League. The 1984–85 NHL season was the 68th season of the National Hockey League. The 1985–86 NHL season was the 69th season of the National Hockey League. The 1986–87 NHL season was the 70th season of the National Hockey League. The 1987–88 NHL season was the 71st season of the National Hockey League. The 1988–89 NHL season was the 72nd season of the National Hockey League. The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles California. The 1989–90 NHL season was the 73rd season of the National Hockey League. The 1990–91 NHL season was the 74th regular season of the National Hockey League. The 1991–92 NHL season was the 75th regular season of the National Hockey League. The 1992–93 NHL season was the 76th regular season of the National Hockey League. The 1993–94 NHL season was the 77th regular season of the National Hockey League. The 1994–95 NHL season was the 78th Regular season of the National Hockey League. The 1995–96 NHL season was the 79th Regular season of the National Hockey League. The St Louis Blues are a professional Ice hockey team based in St The 1996–97 NHL season was the 80th Regular season of the National Hockey League. The New York Rangers are a professional Ice hockey team based in New York, New York, United States. The 1997–98 NHL season was the 81st Regular season of the National Hockey League. The 1998–99 NHL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Hockey League. The International Ice Hockey Federation World Under 20 Championship (colloquially known as the World Junior Hockey Championship WJHC) is an annual event organized by the The Canadian national under 20 men's ice hockey team is the national under-20 Ice hockey team in Canada. The 1981 Canada Cup was the second professional ice hockey world championship involving the world's top six ice hockey nations History From 1920 until 1963 the Senior Amateur Club teams representing Canada were usually the most recent Allan Cup champions The 1982 Ice Hockey World Championships took place in Finland from the 15th April to the 29th April. The Ice Hockey World Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation. The 1984 Canada Cup was a professional international ice hockey tournament played during the first three weeks of September 1984 Rendez-vous '87 was an Ice hockey exhibition series between the Soviet national ice hockey team and a team of All-Stars from the National Hockey League, The 1987 Canada Cup was a Professional international ice hockey tournament series in 1987 The 1991 Canada Cup was a professional international ice hockey tournament played in September 1991 The first World Cup of Hockey ( WCH) or 1996 World Cup of Hockey, replaced the Canada Cup as one of the premier championships for professional This article is about Ice Hockey For other Hockey World Cups see World Cup (hockey for disambiguation Overview Games were played at The Big Hat and Aqua Wing Arena. The Winter Olympic Games are a winter Multi-sport event held every four years The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional Ice hockey team based in Glendale Arizona, just outside of Phoenix.

Team	Year	Regular Season						Post Season
		G	W	L	OTL	Pts	Finish	Result
PHO	2005–06	82	38	39	5	81	5th in Pacific	Missed playoffs
PHO	2006–07	82	31	46	5	67	5th in Pacific	Missed playoffs
PHO	2007–08	82	38	37	7	83	4th in Pacific	Missed playoffs
Total		246	107	122	17	Points %: 46. The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional Ice hockey team based in Glendale Arizona, just outside of Phoenix. The 2005–06 NHL season was the 88th season of the National Hockey League. The 2006–07 NHL season was the 89th Regular season of the National Hockey League (NHL The 2007–08 NHL season was the 90th season of the National Hockey League. 95 %

Source: hockeydb.com: Wayne Gretzky's profile. hockeydb. com. Retrieved on 2008-05-05. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John

See also

• List of career achievements by Wayne Gretzky
• List of NHL players with 500 goals
• List of NHL statistical leaders

Notes

References

• Diamond, Dan, ed. (1998), Total hockey : the official encyclopedia of the National Hockey League, New York, New York: Total Sports, ISBN 0836271149 
• Dryden, Steve, ed. (1998), The Top 100 NHL Players of All Time, Toronto, Ontario: McClelland & Stewart Inc. , ISBN 0771041756 
• Dryden, Steve, ed. (1999), Total Gretzky: The Magic, The Legend, The Numbers, Toronto, Ontario: McClelland & Stewart Inc. , ISBN 0771041772 
• Gretzky, Wayne & Reilly, Rick (1990), Gretzky: An Autobiography, New York, New York: HarperCollins, ISBN 0060163399 
• Gretzky, Wayne & Davidson, John (1999), Diamond, Dan, ed. , 99: My Life in Pictures, Toronto, Ontario: Total Sports Canada, ISBN 0920445675 
• Kukushkin, Vadim (2007), From Peasants to Labourers: Ukrainian and Belarusan Immigration from the Russian Empire to Canada, Montreal, Quebec: McGill-Queen's University Press, ISBN 9780773532670 
• Redmond, Gerald (1993), Wayne Gretzky: The Great One, Toronto, Ontario: ECW Press, ISBN 1550221906 
• Surgent, Scott (2004), The Complete Historical and Statistical Reference to the World Hockey Association: 1972-1979, Xaler Press, ISBN 0964477440 
• Taylor, Jim (1994), Wayne Gretzky: The authorized pictorial biography, Vancouver, British Columbia: Opus Productions, ISBN 1551102633 
• Willes, Ed (2004), The Rebel League: The Short and Unruly Life of the World Hockey Association, Toronto, Ontario: McClelland and Stewart, ISBN 0771089473 

External links

• Wayne Gretzky - The Official Homepage
• NHL.com Wayne Gretzky section
• Wayne Gretzky on NHL.com
• Wayne Gretzky's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database
• Wayne Gretzky's biography at Legends of Hockey
• Wayne Gretzky at the Internet Movie Database

Persondata
NAME	Gretzky, Wayne Douglas
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	"The Great One"
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Professional hockey player
DATE OF BIRTH	January 26, 1961
PLACE OF BIRTH	Brantford, Ontario, Canada
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH

Events 1340 - King Edward III of England is declared King of France. Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Brantford is a city located on the Grand River in south-western Ontario, Canada. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page

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