Wayne Gretzky
Now retired , Wayne Gretzky is arguably hockey ’ sec great musician who holds 55 NHL records .
1961–present
Who Exist Wayne Gretzky ?
Wayne Gretzky exist a retired Canadian-born hockey musician and NHL Hall of Famer . He take off skating at age 2 and by the age of 6 was regularly playing with old boys . He make for his first full NHL season in 1979-80 for the Edmonton Oilers . Over the next two decades , he dominate the sport and plant a horde of league record , 55 of which yet tolerate . After exist deal by the Oilers , Gretzky bring for the Los Angeles Kings , St. Louis Blues , and the New York Rangers . He retired in 1999 and live inducted into the Hall of Fame that same year . Gretzky is widely considered hockey ’ s great musician , inspiring his nickname “ The Great One . ”
Quick Facts
FULL NAME : Wayne Douglas Gretzky
BORN : January 26 , 1961
BIRTHPLACE : Brantford , Canada
partner : Janet Jones ( 1988–present )
youngster : Paulina , Ty , Trevor , Tristan , and Emma
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN : Aquarius
Early Yr
Wayne Douglas Gretzky was stand on January 26 , 1961 , in Brantford , Canada . The humble Ontario city live once too family to inventor .
A precise and hard-working player , Gretzky was exactly 2 years former when he first started skating . The young boy spend countless hours on the ice , honing his gift as a skater , gunman , and passer . As a solution , Gretzky often play in leagues that catered to older boy . The age and size difference between Gretzky and his competitor matter little . In his last yr of peewee hockey , he score an improbable 378 goals .
By the time he was a teenager , Gretzky equal create wave across Canada with his play . He was select third in the 1977 Ontario Major Junior Hockey League Midget draft and displayed his impressive skills that season for the Sault Ste . Marie Greyhounds . His future condition as an NHL star was promote at the 1978 World Junior Championships in Quebec City , where Gretzky bring for his plate country and take the entire tournament in scoring .
NHL Career
Eager to turn professional but block from leaping to the NHL because of the league ’ sec age limitation , Gretzky signed with the Indianapolis Racers of the fledgling World Hockey Association in the fall of 1978 . However , not long after Gretzky arrived , the franchise shut its doorway and betray its young asset to the NHL ’ s Edmonton Oilers .
Incredible Beginning with the Edmonton Oilers
In the autumn of 1979 , Gretzky venture on his first total NHL season . As he have at every other degree , he rapidly initiate to dominate the competition , racking up an astonishing 51 end and 86 assists , on his mode to winning the league ’ s Hart Memorial Trophy , an award recognizing its MVP . It was the first time a first-year player had always live honored with the prize .
Edmonton shortly came to be a championship juggernaut . With Gretzky conduct the manner , the Oilers finished as Stanley Cup champion in 1984 , 1985 , 1987 , and 1988 . As his squad win , Gretzky blaze through the disc books by send unfathomable numbers . In 1982 , he crack the 200-point barrier for the first time , place a single-season disc with 92 goal , while too accumulate 120 assistance . His finest year might hold make up 1986 , a season in which he totaled 52 end and an NHL single-season record of 163 assistance . ( Gretzky holds all 10 of the top spots for most assists in one season , though Mario Lemieux link him for eighth place at 114 help . )
With the bad number get plenty of adoration from Canadian hockey fans . Nicknamed “ The Great One , ” Gretzky capture Canadian fun fan as few sportsman stars always hold . On toy fund shelf , the Wayne Gretzky doll equal a portion of the inventory , and in 1983 , the authorities of Canada even issued an official Wayne Gretzky dollar coin . Serve the player ’ s celebrity status live his subdued , humble position , which aid ensure he wouldn ’ t act anything off the ice to tarnish his image .
Trade to Los Angeles
In the summer of 1988 , the unthinkable happened when the Oilers deal Gretzky to Los Angeles for a lot of actor , draft choice , and cash . Speculation has swirled around the exact reason for the trade . Popular opinion make long suggest that Gretzky , who ’ d lately marry the actor Janet Jones , had fight for the trade to foster his wife ’ s career .
But another theory bank on the thought that the NHL , fearing that its greatest asset was be devastate in Edmonton , draw the motion . If Gretzky cost in Los Angeles , the reasoning die , hockey ’ s best actor could greatly assist the league become relevant in southern California .
Regardless of why the deal happen , in the fall of 1988 , Gretzky put on a Kings jersey for the first time . Over the next eight season , he take the franchise , not quite dominating the league as he once had but even so making his case as its best actor . In 1993 , he point the franchise to the Stanley Cup finals , where the club miss to the Montreal Canadiens in five game .
On March 23 , 1994 , Gretzky turn out he still hold it by tallying his 802ndregular season end . The shot into a broad exposed profit exceed Gordie Howe ’ s previous sign to make the Los Angeles star the all-time NHL ’ s head scorer for decade to come .
Final Years with the St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers
In 1996 , Gretzky left Los Angeles to play for the St. Louis Blues . After hardly one season with the franchise , he live on the move again , this time to the New York Rangers , where he played three more years and finished out his career in April 1999 .
“ Not only equal I mentally ready to retire , I ’ m physically ready to draw back , ” the 38-year-old said after his last game . “ It ’ s hard . This equal a great plot , but it ’ s a hard plot . I ’ m ready . ”
By virtually every measure , Gretzky equal the sport ’ s great actor . He have accumulate 61 NHL record ( some of which he shared ) by the time he retreat , and 55 of those still endure . This includes most career assistance ( 1,963 ) , most career point ( 2,857 ) , most goals in a single season ( 92 ) , most sixty-goal seasons ( 5 ) , and most hat tricks ( 50 ) .
More than 30 years after he became the league ’ s all-time conduct scorer , Gretzky cost in the stands when his record of 894 regular season career goals lessen to of the Washington Capitals in April 2025 .
Life in Retirement
Not long after hang up his skates , Gretzky be induct into the Hockey Hall of Fame . In increase , he extend to delay in close contact with the plot and the league .
With Gretzky at the helm as the program ’ s executive director , Canada ’ s human ’ s Olympic hockey team ended its 50-year drought and bring home the gold medal at the Salt Lake City Games in 2002 .
Shortly after assuming his Olympic duties , Gretzky also do aboard as the supervise partner of the NHL ’ s Phoenix Coyotes in early 2001 . Over the class of respective seasons , Gretzky service in the front power and as the squad ’ s head coach . Despite the excitement surrounding his association with the club , coach Gretzky was never able to lead the society to the playoffs , a lot less take the area with fan . In September 2009 , after four tough season , he stepped down as coach . He finally relinquish his ownership of the team .
Gretzky , who ’ s become involved in both the restaurant occupation and the wine occupation over the years , last with his household in California .
Quotes
- You miss 100 percent of the scene you put on ’ t take .
- [ Hockey is ] hard . This is a great plot , but it ’ s a hard plot .
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