Wayne Douglas Gretzky CC (/ˈɡrɛtski/; born January 26, 1961) is a
Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach.
He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four
teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "The Great One", he has been called
the greatest hockey player ever by many sportswriters, players, and
the NHL itself. Gretzky is the leading scorer in NHL history, with
more goals and assists than any other player. He garnered more assists
than any other player scored total points, and is the only NHL player
to total over 200 points in one season â€" a feat he accomplished four
times. In addition, Gretzky tallied over 100 points in 16 professional
seasons, 14 of them consecutive. At the time of his retirement in
1999, he held 61 NHL records: 40 regular season records, 15 playoff
records, and 6 All-Star records.Wayne Douglas Gretzky CC
(/ˈɡrɛtski/; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former
professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20
seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979
to 1999. Nicknamed "The Great One", he has been called the greatest
hockey player ever by many sportswriters, players, and the NHL itself.
Gretzky is the leading scorer in NHL history, with more goals and
assists than any other player. He garnered more assists than any other
player scored total points, and is the only NHL player to total over
200 points in one season â€" a feat he accomplished four times. In
addition, Gretzky tallied over 100 points in 16 professional seasons,
14 of them consecutive. At the time of his retirement in 1999, he held
61 NHL records: 40 regular season records, 15 playoff records, and 6
All-Star records.Born and raised in Brantford, Ontario, Canada,
Gretzky honed his skills at a backyard rink and regularly played minor
hockey at a level far above his peers. Despite his unimpressive
stature, strength and speed, Gretzky's intelligence and reading of the
game were unrivaled. He was adept at dodging checks from opposing
players, and consistently anticipated where the puck was going to be
and executed the right move at the right time. Gretzky became known
for setting up behind his opponent's net, an area that was nicknamed
"Gretzky's office".Gretzky was the top scorer in the 1978 World Junior
Ice Hockey Championships. In June 1978, he signed with the
Indianapolis Racers of the World Hockey Association (WHA), where he
briefly played before being traded to the Edmonton Oilers. When the
WHA folded, the Oilers joined the NHL, where he established many
scoring records and led his team to four Stanley Cup championships.
Gretzky's trade to the Los Angeles Kings on August 9, 1988, had an
immediate impact on the team's performance, eventually leading them to
the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals, and he is credited with popularizing
hockey in California. Gretzky played briefly for the St. Louis Blues
before finishing his career with the New York Rangers. Gretzky
captured nine Hart Trophies as the most valuable player, 10 Art Ross
Trophies for most points in a season, two Conn Smythe Trophies as
playoff MVP and five Lester B. Pearson Awards (now called the Ted
Lindsay Award) for most outstanding player as judged by his peers. He
led the league in goal-scoring five times and assists 16 times, won
the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for sportsmanship and performance five
times, and often spoke out against fighting in hockey. Wayne Gretzky Top Movies & Young Movies