About Wayne Gretzky
On January 26, 1961, Wayne Douglas Gretzky was born in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. He was destined for a life on the ice, in part because his father Walter constructed an ice rink in his backyard when he was only 6 years old. Wayne naturally played there for a long time. His father saw it as self-preservation to occupy an active child.
named “The White Tornado”
Wayne scored 378 goals in a single season of Pee Wee hockey. Because of his quick play and white gloves, he gained the moniker “The White Tornado,” He relocated to Toronto when he was 14 years old, where he continued to develop and play. He had the highest scoring total in the 1978 World Junior Championship competition. In the fall of that year, he signed a personal services agreement and turned professional by joining the Indianapolis Racers hockey team. He hadn’t reached the minimum age requirement for the National Hockey League, which was 20 years old.
Gretzky Signs with the Edmonton Oilers
The owner of the Racers sold Wayne Gretzky to the Edmonton Oilers after the team dissolved, and Gretzky joined forces with Mark Messier, Jari Kurri, Grant Fuhr, and other players to build one of the most successful hockey teams in history.
Gretzky equaled Marcel Dionne for the scoring crown in his first full season with the Oilers but came up short because Dionne scored more goals. He won the first of seven consecutive scoring championships the following year. One of the most renowned hockey players in history, Gretzky had a 20-year career.
Among Gretzky’s accomplishments:
- 3,238 points, including playoffs, is the most points in a career.
- The most goals scored, including playoffs, were 1,016,
- 2,222 total assists, including playoffs
- most seasons with 40, 50, and 60 goals
- with 15 most 100 point seasons
- longest scoring streak in a season, spanning 51 games
- highest lifetime average of assists per game
Every year he was in the League, Gretzky participated in the NHL All-Star game. Gretzky’s regular season point total is more than 1,000 points higher than the second-place point record holder, held by former colleague Mark Messier, to put some of his achievements into perspective.
Gretzky was the center for four Stanley Cup victories for the Oilers. He got married, joined the Los Angeles Kings after being traded, and contributed to the resurgence of hockey in America in 1988. However, he was never able to repeat his success with the Oilers, and at the end of the 1998–1999 season, Gretzky announced his retirement after brief spells with the St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers. For the first time history, a player won MVP awards while playing for three separate clubs.
Because the NHL so revered Gretzky, it retired his number 99, making it impossible for anybody else to use it in the future.
Becomes Head Coach Gretzky
Gretzky entered the front office after his playing days and held a number of management positions. The Canadian National Team, which defeated Team USA in the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, had him as its executive director and head coach. He also served as the Phoenix Coyotes’ head coach.
Due to sponsorship deals, he has remained one of the most well-known athletes in the world, and a foundation established in his honor is committed to helping hockey players from disadvantaged backgrounds.
