'Wayne Douglas Gretzky',
OC (born
26 January 1961 in
Brantford,
Ontario) is a retired
Canadian professional
ice hockey player who is currently
part-owner and
head coach of the
Phoenix Coyotes.
Nicknamed "'The Great One'," ''Total Hockey: The Official Encyclopedia of the NHL'' calls Gretzky "the greatest player of all time."
[1] He is generally regarded as the best player in history and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,
[2][3][4] players,
[5] and coaches. He set 40 regular-season records, 15 playoff records, 6
All-Star records, won four
Stanley Cups with the
Edmonton Oilers, and won 9
MVP awards and 10
scoring titles. He is the only player ever to total over 200
points in a season (a feat that he accomplished four times in his career). In addition, he tallied over 100 points a season for 15 NHL seasons, 13 of them consecutively. He is the only player to have his number, 99, officially retired by the
National Hockey League.
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.
Early years and the WHA
Making the cover of The Hockey News in 1978
Gretzky's paternal grandparents were
ethnic Polish immigrants who came to
Canada at the beginning of the 20th century from the town of
Mogilev in the
Russian Empire (now
Belarus).
[6] Wayne and his brothers
Keith,
Brent, Glenn were taught hockey by their father
Walter in the Gretzky's backyard, which Walter turned into a "pond" by leaving a water sprinkler running all winter. In an unusually-frank 1990 interview with the ''
Los Angeles Times'', Gretzky related how Walter would build him up one minute then tear him down the next, reminding him that he could never have an "average" game. Wayne was a classic
prodigy whose extraordinary skills made him the target of jealous parents.
[7]
Gretzky always played at a level far above his peers.
[8]
At age 6 he was skating with 10-year-olds. By the age of ten he scored 378
goals and 139 assists in just 85 games with the Nadrofsky Steelers and the first story on him was published in the
Toronto Telegram. At 14, partly to further Wayne's career, and partly to remove him from the uncomfortable pressure he faced in his hometown, the Gretzkys challenged the Canadian amateur hockey rules to win Wayne the right to play elsewhere, something which was disallowed at the time. The Gretzkys won, and Wayne moved to Toronto to play Junior B hockey with the
Toronto Nationals. He earned Rookie of the year honours in the
Metro Junior B Hockey League in 1975–76, with 60 points in 28 games. The following year, as a 15 year old, he had 72 points in 32 games with the same team, then known as the Seneca Nationals. In addition, he signed with his first agent, Bob Behnke.
Despite his celebrity, Gretzky was bypassed by two teams in the 1977 OHA Midget Draft. Oshawa picked Tom McCarthy, and Niagara Falls picked Steve Peters second overall. With the third pick, the Greyhounds selected Gretzky. The Greyhounds took him, even though Walter Gretzky had written the team to advise that Wayne would not move to
Sault Ste. Marie, a city with a
northern Ontario location that inflicts a heavy traveling schedule on its junior team. He played a season in the
Ontario Hockey League at the age of 16 with the 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 old hero
Gordie Howe — but it was already being worn by another teammate, Brian Gualazzi. At coach
Muzz MacPherson's suggestion, Gretzky settled on 99.
[9]
He became the youngest player to compete in the
World Junior Championships when he participated in
Montreal in 1978 at age 16.
[10] 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.
[11]
That year (
1978-79) he signed with the
Indianapolis Racers of the
World Hockey Association (WHA) as an underage 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 an eight-year personal services contract worth between $1.12- and $1.75-million US over one to two years. Skalbania knew that the WHA was fading and that the Racers could not hope to be included among any teams taken in by the NHL. He hoped to keep the Racers alive long enough to collect compensation from the surviving teams when the WHA dissolved, as well as any funds earned from selling the young star.
However, 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 26,
1979, Pocklington signed him to a 20-year personal services contract (the longest in hockey history) worth $4-5 million US. Gretzky went 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. The Oilers reached the
Avco World Trophy finals before losing to the
Winnipeg Jets. It was Gretzky's only year in the WHA, as the league folded following the season.
NHL career
After the
World Hockey Association folded in 1979, the
Edmonton Oilers and three other teams
[12] joined the NHL. Gretzky's success in the WHA carried over into the NHL, despite some critics suggesting he would flounder in what was considered the bigger, tougher, and more talented league.
[13]
Edmonton Oilers (1979-1988)
In 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. Although Gretzky played 79 games to Dionne's 80, Dionne was awarded the
Art Ross Trophy since he scored more goals (53 vs. 51). 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. Instead,
Boston Bruins' defenseman
Ray Bourque won it. The rule was later changed.
In his second season, Gretzky won the Art Ross (the first of seven consecutive) with a then-record 164 points, breaking both
Bobby Orr's record for assists in a season (102) and
Phil Esposito's record for points in a season (152). He won his second straight Hart Trophy.
During the
1981-82 season, he surpassed a record that had stood for 35 years:
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 the
Philadelphia Flyers 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 three goals to help beat the
Buffalo Sabres, 6-3. He ended the 1981-82 season with records of 92
goals, 120
assists, and 212
points in 80 games, becoming the first and only 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 saw Gretzky break his own assists record three more times (125
1982-83, 135
1984-85, and 163
1985-86; he also bettered that mark (120 assists) in
1986-87 with 121 and
1990-91 with 122) 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 four seasons, the Oilers were competing for the
Stanley Cup. The Oilers were a young, strong team featuring forwards
Mark Messier, Gretzky,
Glenn Anderson and
Jari Kurri,
defenceman Paul Coffey, and
goaltender Grant Fuhr. Gretzky was its
captain (from 1983–88). 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; and without him in
1990.
"The Trade" - Los Angeles Kings (1988-1996)
The press conference announcing 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,
[14] upset Canadians to the extent that
New Democratic Party House Leader Nelson Riis demanded the government to block it,
[15] and Pocklington was burned in effigy.
[16] 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.
[17] Others believe it was Pocklington who instigated the trade, seeking to benefit personally from the transaction.
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. He also became team's captain from 1989–96. The Kings, who then played their home games at the
Great Western Forum, boasted numerous sellouts on their way to reaching the
1989 playoffs. Despite being
underdogs against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Oilers in the
Smythe Division semifinals, Gretzky led the Kings to a shocking upset of his old squad, spearheading the Kings' return from a 3-1 series deficit to win the series 4-3. For only the second time in his NHL career, 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.
[18] In
1990, the
Associated Press named him Male Athlete of the Decade.
He was sidelined for much of
the 1992-93 regular season with an upper back injury, the only year in which he did not lead his team in scoring. However, Gretzky had a successful playoffs, most memorably when he scored a
hat trick in Game 7 of the
1993 Campbell Conference Finals against the
Toronto Maple Leafs, propelling the Kings into the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history. After winning the first game of the series by a score of 4–1, the team lost the next three games in overtime to the
Montreal Canadiens, and they fell 1–4 in the deciding fifth game where Gretzky failed to get a shot on net. The next season, he broke
Gordie Howe's goal scoring record and won the scoring title, but the team began a long slide, and despite numerous player and coaching moves, they failed to qualify for the playoffs again until
1998. Long before then, 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.
St. Louis Blues (1996)
On
February 27,
1996 he joined the
St. Louis Blues in a trade for
Patrice Tardif,
Roman Vopat,
Craig Johnson, and draft picks. He scored 37 points in 31 games for the team in both the regular season and the playoffs, and the Blues came within one overtime game of the Conference finals. He also served as the team's captain in his short tenure with the Blues. However, he never clicked with the team or with his new right-winger,
“The Golden Brett” Hull, on the
ice as well as many had expected. On
July 12, he signed with the
New York Rangers as a
free agent, rejoining longtime Oilers teammate
Mark Messier.
New York Rangers (1996-1999)
Gretzky ended his professional career with the Rangers. He played his final three seasons there and helped the team reach the Eastern Conference Finals in
1997. The Rangers were defeated in the conference finals by the
Philadelphia Flyers. For the first time in his NHL career, Gretzky did not wear the team's captaincy during his Rangers stint (Gretzky briefly wore the captain's 'C' when Captain
Mark Messier and alternate captain
Brian Leetch were injured and out of the lineup at the same time).
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.
He participated in the
1998 Winter Olympics in
Nagano, Japan. However, Gretzky,
Steve Yzerman, and
Ray Bourque were passed over for the captaincy in favour of the younger
Eric Lindros. 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. There was some additional controversy when Gretzky was not selected by coach
Marc Crawford for the decisive shootout. Team Canada then lost the bronze medal game 3-2 to Finland, but Gretzky was said to have encouraged all of his teammates to attend the closing ceremony afterwards.
His last NHL game in Canada was on
April 16,
1999, in a 2-2 tie with the
Ottawa Senators, and his final game was a 2-1 overtime loss to the
Pittsburgh Penguins on
April 18. 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".
[19] 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. Only
Maurice Richard has had such an honour, when during the
Stanley Cup Playoffs on
March 23, 1944, he scored five dominating goals against the
Toronto Maple Leafs. His
Montreal Canadiens won 5-1.
At the time of his retirement, Gretzky was the second-to-last WHA player still active in professional hockey,
Mark Messier being the last.
Skills
Gretzky's dominance throughout his career was attributed to the amount of time he practiced (by his own account, 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,"; he had a good shot, moved the puck very well, never quit, and played "both ways" (defence as well as offence). He was described as a player that any team could build their hockey club around, which is perhaps exemplified by the immediate impact he had on the Los Angeles Kings upon joining them.
In terms of basic athletic abilities, Gretzky was not impressive. Gretzky was 6 feet tall, weighing only 160 pounds as an eighteen year old NHL rookie in 1979 and ending his career in 1999 at 185 pounds. At the beginning of Gretzky's NHL career, many critics at the time opined that Gretzky was "too small, too wiry, and too slow to be a force in the (NHL)"
[20]. On the other hand, he had no rival in his intelligence and reading of the game, being able to anticipate where the puck was going to be and execute the right move at the right time.
[2]. It was said that he "seems to have eyes in the back of his head" and had a knack of "rolling with a check."
[21]
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 Kurri or jumping out quickly for a wrap-around goal. In honour of that, for his last game there were two large "99s" painted on the
ice behind the goal
[22] No less an expert than
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."
[23]
Post-retirement
Gretzky 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. He was inducted into the
IIHF Hall of Fame in 2000. In addition Gretzky's #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.
[24] Despite previous denials however, on
August 8 2005 Gretzky agreed to become the new coach of the 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. Hull, who was briefly Gretzky's right winger, only lasted five games and only scored one assist before retiring. Ironically, "The Golden Brett" would have had the record for the most goals over any given three seasons — he scored 228 goals between
1989-90 and
1991-92 — if it weren't for The Great One. From
1981-82 to
1983-84, Gretzky scored 254 goals.
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. His mother lost 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. Coyotes' CEO Jeff Shumway announced on
June 5,
2006 that Gretzky has agreed to a new five-year contract to remain as head coach.
Additionally, since Gretzky's retirement, a statue has been erected outside
Staples Center, home of his former
Los Angeles Kings, in his honor, as well as another statue outside
Rexall Place home of his
Edmonton Oilers.
Winter Olympics
Gretzky 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 went on to win the gold medal.
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.
The Heritage Classic
Main articles: Heritage Classic
Although Gretzky previously stated he would not participate in any old-timers exhibition games, on
November 22, 2003, he took to the
ice one last time to help celebrate the Edmonton Oilers' 25th anniversary as an NHL team. The
Heritage Classic, held at
Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, was the first NHL game to be played outdoors. It was preceded by the Mega Stars game, which featured Gretzky and many of his
Oiler Dynasty teammates against a group of retired
Montreal Canadiens players including
Claude Lemieux and
Guy Lafleur. Despite frigid temperatures, the crowd numbered 57,167 (an NHL record), with an additional several million watching the game on
television.
[25]
The Edmonton alumni won the Megastars game 2-0, while Montreal went on to win the regular season game held later that day, 4-3. The game was subsequently released on DVD entitled ''Heritage Classic: A November to Remember''.
==Off the
ice==
Gretzky met American actress
Janet Jones in
1984 when he was a judge on ''
Dance Fever'' and she was a dancer on the show. They ran into each other at a
Los Angeles Lakers game in 1987.
[26]; on
Howard Stern's
22 October 1996 show, Gretzky revealed that he and Janet consummated their relationship that night (Stern remarked: "That's why they call you 'The Great One'".)
Janet was four months pregnant with
Paulina when they married on
July 17,
1988.
[27] "The Royal Wedding" was broadcast live throughout Canada from Edmonton's St. Joseph's Basilica, although neither Gretzky nor Jones is
Roman Catholic. Members of the Fire Department acted as guards at the church steps. The event reportedly cost Gretzky over
US$1 million. 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). Gretzky obtained
American citizenship after the wedding . Ty plays for
Shattuck-Saint Mary's Midget AA hockey team, the same school that produced
Sidney Crosby.
[28]
In
1991 Gretzky purchased the
Toronto Argonauts of the
CFL with
Bruce McNall and
John Candy. He and McNall later bought one of the
Honus Wagner T206 cigarette cards. Gretzky hosted ''
Saturday Night Live'' in 1989.
Once Wayne retired, one of Edmonton's busiest inner city highway's that passes by the Oilers arena, Capilano Drive, was renamed after Wayne to "Wayne Gretzky Drive" in October of 1999.
He has endorsed a wide variety of products, including
denim jeans, his own line of
wallpaper, pillow cases,
cereal,
chocolate bars,
clocks,
lunch boxes and a
Mattel doll.
[29] Other endorsements include
Koho, Titan, and Easton
hockey sticks,
Thrifty Rent A Car, Peak Antifreeze,
Ford-Canada,
Coca-Cola,
Esso,
McDonald's,
Domino's Pizza,
Campbell's Soup, the Official All-Star Café,
Primestar TV,
Upper Deck,
Nike,
Ultra Wheels,
Hallmark Cards,
Zürich Insurance,
7 Up,
Tylenol,
Canadian Imperial Bank, and Power Automotive Group. He and Ty did commercials for the
Sharp Viewcam.
[30] Gretzky also lent his likeness (along with
Michael Jordan and
Bo Jackson) to a 1992 cartoon show, ''
ProStars'',
[31] and
video games in 1991,
1996, 2004, and 2006.
Forbes estimates that Gretzky earned US$93.8 million from 1990-98. In 1998, Gretzky launched a line of menswear,
[32] and signed a licensing agreement with a
phone card company. The model of helmet that Gretzky wore, the Jofa VM, is known as the "Gretzky helmet". Gretzky is featured in several lines of
McFarlane NHL Sports Picks figures created by
Edmonton Oilers co-owner
Todd McFarlane.
[33]
Gambling controversy
On
February 7,
2006, Coyotes assistant coach
Rick Tocchet was implicated in a
New Jersey-based
gambling ring. Bets were allegedly taken from NHL players, Janet Jones and Coyotes GM Michael Barnett, who 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."
[34] Reports by the ''
Newark Star-Ledger'' stated that the
New Jersey State Police possessed
wiretaps with Gretzky speaking to Tocchet. Sources told the paper there is no evidence Gretzky made any bets, but police were attempting to learn if he placed any through his wife.
[35] Another source later confirmed that the wiretap occurred after police went to Gretzky's house to question Jones.
[36] It was announced on
February 16,
2006 that Gretzky would not be charged nor would it be likely his wife would be charged.
[37]
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, Tocchet and Jones filed separate notices that they intend to sue the State of New Jersey for $50 million each for
defamation, claiming the investigation damaged their reputations and cost them business opportunities.
[38] On
August 3, former New Jersey state trooper James Harney pleaded guilty to conspiracy, promoting gambling and official misconduct, and promised to help authorities with their case against Tocchet.
[39]
Transactions
★ June 12, 1978 - Signed as a free agent with the
Indianapolis Racers
★ November 2, 1978 - Traded by the Indianapolis Racers, along with
Eddie Mio and
Peter Driscoll, to the
Edmonton Oilers in exchange for $700,000 and future considerations.
★ August 9, 1988 - Traded by the Edmonton Oilers, along with
Mike Krushelnyski and
Marty McSorley. to the
Los Angeles Kings in exchange for
Jimmy Carson,
Martin Gelinas, Los Angeles' 1989, 1991 and 1993 1st round draft choices and cash.
★ February 27, 1996 - Traded by the Los Angeles Kings to the
St. Louis Blues in exchange for Roman Vopat, Craig Johnson, Patrice Tardif, St. Louis' 1996 5th round
draft choice and St. Louis' 1997 1st round draft choice.
★ July 21, 1996 - Signed as a free agent with the New York Rangers.
Career Statistics
International play
Played for
Canada in:
★ 1978
World Junior Ice Hockey Championships (bronze medal)
★
1981 Canada Cup (silver medal)
★ 1982
World Championships (bronze medal)
★
1984 Canada Cup (gold medal)
★
1987 Canada Cup (gold medal)
★
1991 Canada Cup (gold medal)
★
1996 World Cup of Hockey (silver medal)
★
1998 Winter Olympics (failed to medal)
'International statistics'
| Year | Team | Event | | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
|---|
| 1978 | Canada | WJC | 6 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 2 |
| 1981 | Canada | CC | 7 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 2 |
| 1982 | Canada | WCh | 10 | 6 | 8 | 14 | 0 |
| 1984 | Canada | CC | 8 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 2 |
| 1987 | NHL All-Stars | RV-87 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| 1987 | Canada | CC | 9 | 3 | 18 | 21 | 2 |
| 1991 | Canada | CC | 7 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 2 |
| 1996 | Canada | WCp | 8 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 2 |
| 1998 | Canada | OG | 6 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 |
| Int'l Totals | 63 | 34 | 69 | 103 | 14 |
|---|
See also
★
List of career achievements by Wayne Gretzky
Notes
1. NHL.com, Wayne Gretzky: Greatness Ascendant, accessed January 24, 2007
2. Steve Dryden, The Top 100 NHL Players of All-Time, 1998
3. Mike Lupica, Gretzky faces Great gamble, February 10, 2006
4. Jim Huber, The Greatest?, April 17, 1999
5. Tom Maloney, Gretzky's Awkward Arrival, Time Magazine, February 15 2006
6. ESPN.com, The Great One an American? Almost, accessed January 25, 2007
7. CBC.ca, Top Ten Greatest Canadians - Wayne Gretzky, accessed February 19, 2007
8.
9. NHL.com, 99 Reasons Why Wayne Gretzky is "The Great One"
10. IMPACT!, The Crucible, December 2002
11. NHL.com, Gretzky's International Career, accessed April 15, 2006
12. The other three teams to join the NHL were: New England Whalers, Quebec Nordiques, and Jets
13. Kenneth Shouler, Lord of the Rink, ''Cigar Aficionado'', 1997
14. oilersheritage.com, After the Trade, OilersHeritage.com, Accessed July 13, 2006
15. Scott Morrison, Wayne Gretzky traded... ...California here he comes, ''Toronto Sun'', August 10, 1988
16. Julia Necheff, Edmontonians thank Gretzky for putting city on the map, ''Canadian Press'', April 16, 1999
17. Terry Jones, Telling it like it is, ''Edmonton Sun'', August 12, 1988
18. Kevin Roderick, The Big Chill, accessed February 7, 2006; originally published in ''Los Angeles Magazine'', December 2001
19. Erik Brady, He loved 'every part of the game', ''USA Today'', April 19, 1999
20. Oilers Heritage, [1],accessed April 2, 2007
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25. On frozen pond Kara Yario
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38. David Vest, Tocchet, Gretzky's wife start suits, ''The Arizona Republic'', May 26, 2006
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References
★ Wayne Gretzky with
Rick Reilly (1990). ''Gretzky: An Autobiography.'' An Edward Burlingame Book. ISBN 0-06-016339-9
★ Wayne Gretzky, John Davidson, and Dan Diamond. ''99: My Life in Pictures''. ISBN 0-920445-67-5
★
SLAM! Presents Wayne Gretzky, ''Canadian Online Explorer: SLAM! Sports.''
★
Wayne Gretzky Fansite, ''Wayne Gretzky Stats, Biography, Career Milestones and Quotes''
★
Wayne Gretzky on
NHL.com
External links
★
Wayne Gretzky - The Official Homepage
★
NHL.com Wayne Gretzky section
★
The Greatest Canadians
★
Armstrong Draws Inspiration from Gretzky
★
Order of Canada Citation
★
United Athletes Magazine Gretzky's physical qualities and abilities.
★
★
Gretzky's profile at LegendsOfHockey.net
★
CBC Digital Archives – The Great Wayne Gretzky
★
Gretzky, Candy to get names etched on Grey Cup
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