Wayne Gretzky - The Greatest Hockey Player That Ever Was
Posted: Monday, August 09, 2010
by Dr. Carla Goddard
In my opinion the greatest player of all time is Wayne Douglas Gretzky, or The Great One as many call him. It is argued by some that The Rocket is the greatest player. For me and many others it is Gretzky. He set nearly every record there is in the game of hockey and is still the only player to total over 200 points in one season (which he did 4 times). He is the only player in the NHL to officially have his number retired from the NHL. Currently he is part owner and head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes.
That same year, he signed with the World Hockey Association as an underage player, as the NHL did not allow the signing of players under the age of 18. He signed an 8 year personal contract worth an estimated $1.75 million over a two year period. On Gretzky's 18th birthday, he was signed to a 20 year personal services contract worth $4-5 million which was the longest contract in the history of hockey.
After the WHA folded in 1979, Gretsky's success was carried over to the NHL. Most critics at the time said Gretsky would flounder in the "big leagues". However, in his first NHL Season in 1979 he was awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's MVP. It would be the first of eight in a row. Because of his previous professional career in the WHA, Gretsky was not eligible for the Rookie of the Year Award, which went to Ray Bourque that year. In his second season, he won the Art Ross award which was the first of seven consecutive awards. That year he broke Bobby Orr's record for assists in a season and Phil Esposito's record for total points in a season.Gretsky went on to break a record that had stood for 35 years by scoring 50 goals in 50 games. In his career he would break NHL history by becoming the first and only player to score more than 200 points in any season. That same year he became the first hockey player to ever be named the Male Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press, also becoming Sportsman of the Year for Sports Illustrated.
He led the Oilers to win 5 Stanley Cups in 7 years. In 1988 Gretzky was traded to the Los Angeles Kings. This move was more than a trade between hockey teams. Wayne Gretzky was no longer playing for a Canadian Team. The parliament of Canada tried to legally block the trade unsuccessfully. Many Canadian fans turned on Gretzky considering him a traitor. In 1996 he was traded to the St Louis Blues, but never really clicking with the team, the following season he signed with the New York Rangers as a free agent. He played with the Rangers until he retired in 1999. In his Gretzky's Farewell Game on April 16, 1999 the national anthems for both the US and Canada were changed. In place of "O Canada, we stand on guard for thee" it was "we're going to miss you Wayne Gretzky. "The land of the free" was changed to "the land of Wayne Gretzky".
His dominance, by his own account, was attributed to the minimum four hours a day that he practiced the sport. Gretzky was not really that impressive in his basic athletic abilities and critics claimed he was too small and two slow for the game in the beginning. By the time he retired even the critic's were calling the area behind the net "Gretzky's office".
Gretzky was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1999, having the waiting period waved. At the 2000 NHL All Star Game, the NHL retired the number 99 league wide. Gretzky made his coaching debut in October of 2005 only to take a leave of absence almost immediately after to care for his mother who subsequently died of lung cancer. In 2006 Gretzky signed a 5 year contract as head coach of the Coyote's.
In 2003 Gretzky broke his word stating he not participate in any old timer games when he laced up his skates one last time to celebrate with the Edmonton Oiler's at the Heritage Classic. This was the first NHL game to be played outdoors.
Off the ice Gretzky married Janet Jones in 1988 and broadcast in Canada as the "Royal Wedding". After the wedding, Wayne Gretzky obtained his American citizenship.
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)Wayne is pretty darn good. I'm leaning towards Henrik Lundqvist as a current great hockey player!ChristineI would agree Henrik is one of the great goalies of all time.mwah
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