Wayne Gretzky

Lore & Background

Wayne Gretzky was born and raised in Brantford, Ontario, where he honed his skills on a backyard rink built by his father, Walter. By age two, he was skating, and by age six he played on a team of ten-year-olds. At age ten, he scored 378 goals and 139 assists in one season with the Brantford Nadrofsky Steelers. Despite his unimpressive size and strength, his intelligence, stamina, and reading of the game were unrivaled. He became known for setting up behind the opponent's net, an area nicknamed 'Gretzky's office.'

Gretzky signed with the Indianapolis Racers of the World Hockey Association (WHA) at age 17, then was traded to the Edmonton Oilers. After the NHL-WHA merger, he set many scoring records in ten seasons with the Oilers, leading them to four Stanley Cup championships. He was traded to the Los Angeles Kings, where he played eight seasons and led them to the 1993 Stanley Cup Final, and is credited with popularizing hockey in California. He also played briefly for the St. Louis Blues and finished his career with the New York Rangers.

After retiring in 1999, Gretzky was immediately inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, and the NHL retired his jersey number 99 league-wide. He became executive director for the Canadian national men's hockey team during the 2002 Winter Olympics, winning a gold medal. He later became part-owner and head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes, and in 2016 returned to the Oilers as a minority partner and vice-chairman. He left in 2021 to become an analyst on Turner Sports' NHL coverage.

Reader's Guide

Wayne Gretzky's significance in ice hockey is unparalleled. He is the leading career point scorer and assist producer in NHL history, with more assists than any other player has total career points. He is the only NHL player to total over 200 points in a season, doing so four times, and scored over 100 points in 15 professional seasons. At his retirement, he held 61 NHL records: 40 regular season, 15 playoff, and six All-Star records. He won nine Hart Trophies as most valuable player, ten Art Ross Trophies for most points in a season, two Conn Smythe Trophies as playoff MVP, and five Lester B. Pearson Awards. He led the league in goal-scoring five times and assists 16 times, and won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for sportsmanship five times. His legacy extends beyond statistics: he is credited with popularizing hockey in California during his time with the Los Angeles Kings. The NHL surveys of hockey writers, ex-players, general managers, and coaches have called him the greatest ice hockey player ever. His number 99 was retired league-wide, and he was voted to the IIHF Centennial All-Star Team and inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame.

Did You Know?

• Gretzky is the only NHL player to total over 200 points in a single season, a feat he accomplished four times.
• He has more career assists than any other player has total career points.
• At age ten, Gretzky scored 378 goals and 139 assists in one season with the Brantford Nadrofsky Steelers.
• The NHL retired his jersey number 99 league-wide after his retirement.