Wayne Gretzky
[edit] BiographyWayne Douglas Gretzky, OC (born January 26, 1961) is a former professional ice hockey player and is currently part-owner and head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes. Born in Brantford, Ontario and nicknamed "The Great One," Total Hockey: The Official Encyclopedia of the NHL calls Gretzky "the greatest player of all time". He is generally regarded as the best player of his era and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by sportswriters, players, coaches, and fans alike. Along with his many awards and achievements, he is the only player to ever have his playing number, 99, officially retired across the entire National Hockey League. Identified as a hockey prodigy at a young age, Gretzky regularly played at a level far above his peers, eventually becoming a full professional at the age of 17 in the World Hockey Association, leading to a long career in the National Hockey League. He set 40 regular season records (including 9 MVP awards and 10 scoring titles), 15 playoff records, 6 All-Star, and won four Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers. He is the only player to total over 200 points in a season, accomplishing the feat 4 times; in addition he tallied over 100 points in 15 seasons, 14 of them consecutively. He retired from playing in 1999, becoming Executive Director for the Canadian national men's hockey team during the 2002 Winter Olympics. He also became part owner of the Phoenix Coyotes in 2000 and following the 2004-05 NHL lockout became their head coach. [edit] Early years and the WHAGretzky's grandfather emigrated to Canada at the beginning of the 20th century from the town of Mogilev in Belarus. Taught by his father Walter, Gretzky was a classic prodigy. At age 6 he was skating with 10-year-olds. At age 10 he scored 378 goals and 139 assists in 85 games, and the first story on him was published in the Toronto Telegram. At 14, playing against 20-year-olds, he left Brantford to further his career and signed with his first agent. He played a season in the Ontario Hockey League at the age of 16 with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. While playing for the Greyhounds, he began wearing the number 99 on his jersey. He had originally wanted to wear number 9 — for his hero Gordie Howe — but it was already being worn by another teammate, Brian Gualazzi. At Coach Muzz MacPherson's suggestion, Gretzky settled on 99. He became the youngest player to compete in the World Junior Championships, when he participated in Montreal in 1978 at age 16. Despite being the youngest player in the tournament by far, he finished as the tournament's top scorer, was voted to the All-Star team and Best Forward of the tournament. That year (1978-79) he signed with the Indianapolis Racers of the World Hockey Association (WHA) as an underaged player. The National Hockey League (NHL) does not allow the signing of players under the age of 18, but the WHA had no rules regarding such signings. Racers owner Nelson Skalbania signed the 17-year-old to a personal contract worth between 1.12 and 1.75 million dollars US over one to two years. Knowing that the WHA was fading, Skalbania felt owning the young star was more valuable than owning a WHA team. Only eight games into the 1978-79 WHA season, Skalbania needed money. He sold Gretzky to his former partner and then-owner of the WHA's Edmonton Oilers Peter Pocklington. Although the announced price was $850,000, Pocklington actually paid $700,000 to purchase Gretzky as well as two other Indianapolis players, goaltender Eddie Mio and forward Peter Driscoll, On Gretzky's 18th birthday, January 26th, 1979, Pocklington signed him to a 21-year personal services contract (the longest in hockey history) worth $4-5 million US. Gretzky would go on to capture the Lou Kaplan Trophy for rookie of the year, finish third in league scoring (110 points), and help the Oilers to first overall in the league. That would be Gretzky's only season in the WHA, which folded following the Avco World Trophy finals. [edit] NHL careerAfter the World Hockey Association folded in 1979, four teams, including the Edmonton Oilers, joined the National Hockey League. Gretzky's success in the WHA carried over into the NHL, despite some critics suggesting he would flounder in what was considered a bigger, tougher, and more talented NHL. [edit] EdmontonIn his first NHL season, 1979-80, Gretzky proved his critics wrong. He was awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy as the League's Most Valuable Player (the first of eight in a row) and tied for the scoring lead with Marcel Dionne with 137 points, which remains the most points by a first-year player. Since Dionne scored more goals, he was awarded the Art Ross Trophy over Gretzky. Gretzky became the youngest player to score 50 goals but was not eligible for the Calder Memorial Trophy, given to the top NHL rookie, because of his previous year of professional experience. The rule was later changed. In his second season, Gretzky won the Art Ross Trophy (the first of seven consecutive) with a then-record 164 points, breaking both Bobby Orr's record for assists in a season and Phil Esposito's record for points in a season. He won his second straight Hart Trophy. During the 1981-82 season, he surpassed one of the game's most cherished records: 50 goals in 50 games. Set by Maurice "Rocket" Richard during the 1944-45 NHL season and tied by Mike Bossy during the 1980-81 NHL season, Gretzky accomplished the feat in only 39 games. His 50th goal of the season came on December 30, 1981 in the final seconds of a 7-5 win against Philadelphia and was his fifth of the game. Later that season, Gretzky broke Esposito's record for most goals in a season (76) on February 24, 1982 scoring four goals to help beat the Buffalo Sabres, 6-3. He ended the 1981-1982 season with records of 92 goals, 120 assists, and 212 points in 80 games, becoming the first player in NHL history to break the 200 point mark. That year, Gretzky became the first hockey player and first Canadian to be named Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year. He was also named Sports Illustrated Magazine's 1982 "Sportsman of the Year." The following seasons would see Gretzky break his own assists record three more times (125, 135, and 163) and his point record one more time (215). By the time he finished playing in Edmonton, he held or shared 49 NHL records, which in itself was a record. The Edmonton Oilers finished their last WHA season first overall in the regular season. The same success was not immediate when they joined the NHL, but within 4 seasons, the Oilers were competing for the Stanley Cup. The Oilers were a young, strong team featuring forwards Mark Messier, Glenn Anderson, and Jari Kurri, defenceman Paul Coffey, goaltender Grant Fuhr, and Gretzky as its captain. In 1983, they made it to the Stanley Cup finals, only to be swept by the three-time defending champion New York Islanders. The following season, the Oilers met the Islanders in the Finals again, this time winning the Stanley Cup, their first of five in seven years. Gretzky was named an officer of the Order of Canada on June 25, 1984 for outstanding contribution to the sport of hockey. Since the Order ceremonies are always held during the hockey season, it took 13 years, seven months and two Governors-General before he could accept the honour. The Oilers, with Gretzky, also won the Cup in 1985, 1987, and 1988. [edit] "The Trade"On August 9, 1988, in a move that drastically changed the dynamics of the NHL, Gretzky was traded with Marty McSorley and Mike Krushelnyski by the Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings for Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas, $15 million cash, and the Kings' first-round draft picks in 1989 (Jason Soules) , 1991 (Tyler Wright), and 1993 (Jason Arnott). "The Trade," as it came to be known, upset Canadians to the extent that New Democratic Party House Leader Nelson Riis demanded that the government block it, and Pocklington was burned in effigy. Gretzky himself was considered a "traitor" by some Canadians for turning his back on his adopted hometown, his home province, and his home country; his motivation was widely rumoured to be to further his wife's acting career. Others believe it was Pocklington who instigated the trade, seeking to benefit personally from the transaction. After "The Trade", Gretzky's personal popularity sank across Canada, but only temporarily. Gretzky's first season in Los Angeles saw a marked increase in attendance and fan interest in a city not previously known for following ice hockey. The Kings, who then played their home games at the Great Western Forum, boasted numerous sellouts on their way to reaching the 88-89 playoffs. Despite being underdogs against the defending Stanley Cup champion Edmonton Oilers, Gretzky led the Kings to a shocking upset of his old squad. Gretzky led his team back from a 3-1 deficit to win the series 4-3. Gretzky finished second in scoring but narrowly beat out Mario Lemieux (who scored 199 points) for the Hart Trophy as MVP. Many credit Gretzky's arrival with putting non-traditional U.S. hockey markets on "the NHL map"; not only did California receive two more NHL franchises (the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the San Jose Sharks) during Gretzky's tenure in L.A., but his popularity in Southern California proved to be an impetus in the league establishing teams in other parts of the U.S. Sun Belt. In 1990, the AP named him Male Athlete of the Decade. After being sidelined during 1992 season with an upper back injury, Gretzky's tenure with the Kings reached its peak when he scored three goals in game seven of the 1993 Western Conference Finals against the Toronto Maple Leafs, propelling the Kings into the Stanley Cup Finals. After winning the first game of the series, however, the team lost the next four in a row to the Montreal Canadiens. The team began a long slide that continued despite numerous player and coaching moves and failed to even qualify for the playoffs again until 1998. Long before that, running out of time and looking for a team with which he could win again, Gretzky had been traded from the Kings at his request. [edit] A Stopover in St. LouisOn February 27, 1996 he joined the St. Louis Blues in a trade for Patrice Tardif, Roman Vopat, Craig Johnson, and draft picks. While he scored 37 points in 31 games for the team (regular season and playoffs), and they got within one overtime game of the Conference finals, he never clicked with the team or with sniper and good friend Brett Hull on the ice as well as many had expected. On July 12th, he signed with the New York Rangers as a free agent, rejoining longtime Oilers teammate Mark Messier. [edit] Reunion in New YorkGretzky ended his professional career with the Rangers. He played his final three seasons there and helped the team reach the conference finals in 1997. In 1997, prior to his retirement, The Hockey News named a committee of 50 hockey experts (former NHL players, past and present writers, broadcasters, coaches and hockey executives) to select and rank the 50 greatest players in NHL history. The experts voted Gretzky number one, ahead of the once seemingly incomparable Bobby Orr and Gordie Howe. He participated in the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. Expectations were high for the Canadian team, but without the presence of Mario Lemieux (with whom Gretzky did well in the 1987 Canada Cup) and several other star Canadians due to injury, the team lost to the Czech Republic in the semi-finals. Many attribute Canada's failure to head coach Marc Crawford's decision to use defenceman Ray Bourque, and not Gretzky, in the shoot-out against Dominik Hasek. Gretzky's last NHL game in Canada was on April 16, 1999, in a 2-2 tie with the Ottawa Senators, and his final NHL game was a 2-1 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on April 18, in which Jaromir Jagr scored the winning goal. The national anthems in that game were adjusted to accommodate Gretzky's departure. In place of "O Canada, we stand on guard for thee", Bryan Adams sang "We're going to miss you Wayne Gretzky". The Star-Spangled Banner, sung by John Amirante, was changed from "the land of the free" to "the land of Wayne Gretzky". He scored his final point in this game, assisting on the lone New York goal scored by Brian Leetch. Gretzky was named as the first, second, and third star of both games. At the time of his retirement, Gretzky was the second-to-last WHA player still active in professional hockey, with his longtime teammate Messier being the last. [edit] Highlight Reel[edit] SkillsGretzky's dominance throughout his career was attributed to the amount of time he practiced (by his own admission at least 4-5 hours a day) and also that he was a natural prodigy. At 16, Gretzky's skills were already described as "a magic touch," that he was a good shot, moved the puck very well and never quit, playing both ways (adept at playing defence as well as offence) and a player that any team could build their hockey club around. It was said that he "seems to have eyes in the back of his head" and had a knack of "rolling with a check." By the time of his retirement, Gretzky had become known for setting up behind the net, which acquired the nickname of "Gretzky's office" because "he went to work there", passing to teammates like Luc Robitaille or Mark Messier or jumping out quickly for a wrap-around goal. No less an expert Bobby Orr said he "thinks so far ahead," while Gretzky himself referred to it as having "...a feeling about where a teammate is going to be, a lot of times, I can turn and pass without looking." [edit] Post-retirementGretzky was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on November 22, 1999, becoming the tenth player to bypass the three-year waiting period. The NHL then stated that he would be the last player to do so. Gretzky's famous #99 was retired league-wide at the 2000 NHL All-Star game. Later that year, he became Alternate Governor and Managing Partner of the Phoenix Coyotes NHL team. Rumours began regarding Gretzky becoming the head coach of the team, but were nixed by Gretzky and the rest of the Coyotes' ownership. Despite previous assurances, in August 2005 Gretzky agreed to become the new coach of the Phoenix Coyotes. This was announced following the conclusion of the 2004-05 NHL lockout and may have been partly a marketing decision due to the league's financial struggles, though few question Gretzky's overriding motive to win hockey games. In the time leading up to Gretzky's announcement, several prominent free agents signed with Phoenix citing the chance to play for Gretzky, including Brett Hull. Gretzky made his coaching debut on October 5, 2005, the opening night of the 2005-06 NHL season, losing 3-2 to the Vancouver Canucks. His first coaching victory was October 8, 2005, beating the Minnesota Wild 2-1. Gretzky took an indefinite leave of absence as coach on December 17, 2005 to care for his ill mother in Brantford, Ontario. Unfortunately, his mother would lose her battle to lung cancer two days later, passing away on December 19, 2005. Assistant coach Rick Tocchet assumed the position until Gretzky's return on December 28. [edit] Winter OlympicsGretzky was Executive Director of the Canadian men's hockey team at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. On February 18, he lashed out at the media at a press conference, frustrated with speculation regarding his team's uninspiring 1-1-1 start. His temper boiled over after Canada's 3-3 draw vs. the Czech Republic, as he launched a tirade against the perceived negative reputation of Team Canada amongst other national squads, and called rumours of dissent in the dressing room the result of "American propaganda." "They're loving us not doing well," he said, referring to American hockey fans. American fans online began calling Gretzky a "crybaby"; defenders said he was merely borrowing a page from former coach Glen Sather to take the pressure off his players. Canada beat the U.S. to win the gold medal 50 years to the day after the Edmonton Waterloo Mercurys won the nation's last gold medal in ice hockey. While forming the ice, a Canadian loonie was used to mark centre ice. This information was leaked to both teams and it became a good luck charm. The coin is now at the Hockey Hall of Fame; a specially-minted loonie was placed at centre ice for the finals of the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. In retrospect, Gretzky's outbursts against the media turned out to be a galvanizing force for the Canadian team in the quest for the gold; they can be compared to Phil Esposito's legendary rant against Canadian fans during the 1972 Summit Series. Gretzky again acted as Executive Director of Canada's men's hockey team at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, though not to the success of 2002; the team was eliminated in the quarterfinals and failed to win a medal. He was asked to manage Canada's team at the 2005 Ice Hockey World Championships, but declined due to his mother's poor health. [edit] The Heritage ClassicIn 2003, Gretzky took to the ice one last time to help celebrate the Edmonton Oilers' 25th anniversary as an NHL team. The Heritage Classic was the first NHL game to be played outdoors, at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton. Preceding the NHL game was an exhibition game that reunited Gretzky and many of his retired Oiler teammates against a group of retired Montreal Canadiens players in front of 57,167 fans (an NHL record), as well as millions more on TV. [27] The game was subsequently released on DVD. [edit] Off the iceGretzky met American actress Janet Jones in 1984 when he was a judge on Dance Fever and she was a dancer on the show. They began dating after running into each other at a Los Angeles Lakers game in 1987. Janet was four months pregnant with Paulina when they married on July 17, 1988. "The Royal Wedding," broadcast live throughout Canada, took place at Edmonton's St. Joseph's Basilica, although Gretzky nor Jones is Catholic. Members of the Fire Department acted as guards at the church steps. The lavish event reportedly cost him over USD $1 million; Janet's dress alone cost $40,000. They have 4 other children: Ty Robert (b. July 9, 1990), Trevor Douglas (b. September 14, 1992), Tristan Wayne (b. August 2, 2000), and Emma Marie (b. March 28, 2003). Ty lived with Wayne in Arizona during the 2005-06 NHL season while the other children lived with Janet and her mother in the family's custom-built Thousand Oaks Georgian home. While in Edmonton, Gretzky endorsed everything from soft drinks and jeans to his own wallpaper, pillow cases, cereal, chocolate bars, and a Mattel "Great Gretzky" doll. Past and present plugs include Thrifty, Peak Antifreeze, Ford-Canada, Coca-Cola, Esso, McDonald's, Campbell's Soup, Primestar TV, Upper Deck, Nike, Ultra Wheels, Hallmark Cards, Zurich Insurance, Tylenol and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, and Power Automotive Group of Southern California. He and Ty did commercials for the Sharp Viewcam. Forbes estimates that Gretzky earned $93.8 million from hockey and endorsements from 1990-98. In 1991 Gretzky became co-owner, with Bruce McNall and John Candy, of the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. He hosted Saturday Night Live in 1989 and lent his likeness to a 1992 cartoon show, ProStars, and video games in 1996, 2004, and 2006. He has also posed for the cover of Cigar Aficionado with Jones. In 1998, he launched a line of menswear, and signed a licensing agreement with a phone card company. He owns a restaurant, Hespeler sports equipment, and co-owns a chain of roller-hockey rinks. In poker, a pair of nines is sometimes called a "Gretzky". The model of helmet that Gretzky wore throughout his career, the Jofa VM, is now known popularly as the "Gretzky helmet", even though it was worn by many NHL players in its time. These distinctive and long-discontinued (for safety reasons) helmets are today a collectors' item. [edit] Gambling controversyOn February 7, 2006, Coyotes assistant coach Rick Tocchet was implicated in a New Jersey-based gambling ring. Bets were allegedly taken from NHL players as well as celebrities, including Jones and Coyotes GM Michael Barnett, whom confirmed to police he placed a bet on Super Bowl XL with Tocchet. Gretzky stated: "I did nothing wrong, or nothing that has to do with anything along the lines of betting; that never happened... I'll say it one more time: I didn't bet, didn't happen, not going to happen, never will happen, hasn't happened, not something I've done." Reports by the Newark Star-Ledger stated that the New Jersey State Police possessed wiretaps with Gretzky speaking to Tocchet about the ring. Sources told the paper there is no evidence Gretzky made any bets, but police were attempting to learn if he placed any bets through his wife. Another source later confirmed that the wiretap occurred after police arrived at Gretzky's house to question Jones. It was announced on February 16, 2006 that Gretzky would not be charged nor would it be likely his wife would be charged. On March 15, 2006, the New Jersey attorney general announced it will subpoena Jones to testify as soon as a grand jury convenes. On May 8, 2006, attorneys for Tocchet and Jones filed separate notices that they intend to sue the State for USD $50 million for defamation. Each claims the investigation has damaged their reputations and cost them business opportunities. [edit] Statistics("GC" denotes Goals Created)
--- Regular Season --- ---- Playoffs ----
Season Team Lge GP G A Pts GC PIM GP G A Pts PIM
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1976-77 Peterborough Petes OHA 3 0 3 3 -- 0
1977-78 Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds OHA 64 70 112 182 -- 14
1978-79 Indianapolis Racers WHA 8 3 3 6 3 0 -- -- -- -- --
1978-79 Edmonton Oilers WHA 72 43 61 104 44 19 13 10 10 20 2
1979-80 Edmonton Oilers NHL 79 51 86 137 58 21 3 2 1 3 0
1980-81 Edmonton Oilers NHL 80 55 109 164 68 28 9 7 14 21 4
1981-82 Edmonton Oilers NHL 80 92 120 212 87 26 5 5 7 12 8
1982-83 Edmonton Oilers NHL 80 71 125 196 79 59 16 12 26 38 4
1983-84 Edmonton Oilers NHL 74 87 118 205 85 39 19 13 22 35 12
1984-85 Edmonton Oilers NHL 80 73 135 208 85 52 18 17 30 47 4
1985-86 Edmonton Oilers NHL 80 52 163 215 82 46 10 8 11 19 2
1986-87 Edmonton Oilers NHL 79 62 121 183 73 28 21 5 29 34 6
1987-88 Edmonton Oilers NHL 64 40 109 149 57 24 19 12 31 43 16
1988-89 Los Angeles Kings NHL 78 54 114 168 64 26 11 5 17 22 0
1989-90 Los Angeles Kings NHL 73 40 102 142 53 42 7 3 7 10 0
1990-91 Los Angeles Kings NHL 78 41 122 163 60 16 12 4 11 15 2
1991-92 Los Angeles Kings NHL 74 31 90 121 44 34 6 2 5 7 2
1992-93 Los Angeles Kings NHL 45 16 49 65 23 6 24 15 25 40 4
1993-94 Los Angeles Kings NHL 81 38 92 130 50 20 -- -- -- -- --
1994-95 Los Angeles Kings NHL 48 11 37 48 18 6 -- -- -- -- --
1995-96 Los Angeles Kings NHL 62 15 66 81 30 32 -- -- -- -- --
1995-96 St. Louis Blues NHL 18 8 13 21 8 2 13 2 14 16 0
1996-97 New York Rangers NHL 82 25 72 97 37 28 15 10 10 20 2
1997-98 New York Rangers NHL 82 23 67 90 34 28 -- -- -- -- --
1998-99 New York Rangers NHL 70 9 53 62 21 14 -- -- -- -- --
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WHA Totals 80 46 64 110 47 19 13 10 10 20 2
NHL Totals 1487 894 1963 2857 1116 577 208 122 260 382 66
[edit] References[edit] Related Articles[edit] Recent Wayne Gretzky ArmchairGM Stories
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