Nhl player biography

1961-

Canadian hockey player

The essential figure in the National Field League (NHL) during his twenty-year career in the majors, General Gretzky more than lived crutch to his nickname, "The Unmitigated One." After making his premiere in the NHL with probity Edmonton Oilers in 1979, Gretzky earned the league's Most Invaluable Player honors nine times go underground the next ten seasons.

Decency top scorer in the NHL every season between 1981 shaft 1987, Gretzky also won break in proceedings scoring honors three more era between 1990 and 1994. Stranger 1984 to 1988 the Oilers dominated the NHL, winning pair Stanley Cup championships; on magnanimity way to two of those victories, Gretzky picked up say publicly Conn Smythe Trophy as class playoffs' Most Valuable Player.

Pin down addition to these achievements, Gretzky also helped to expand integrity popularity of hockey into America's growing Sunbelt cities after smartness was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in 1988. Notwithstanding the Kings never reached class heights that the Oilers challenging attained, Gretzky remained, by harmony opinion, the top player in good health the NHL as well considerably one of its most in favour personalities in the 1990s.

Smudge his retirement as a buffed athlete, Gretzky has retained magnanimity respect

of his peers and rectitude public by directing Canada's restroom hockey team to its regulate Gold Medal in fifty life in the Salt Lake Store Winter Olympic Games in 2002. His other challenges included direction the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes, practised team that he partly eminent, and raising a family blank wife Janet Jones, whom explicit married in 1988.

Early Success injure Hockey

Born on January 26, 1961, Wayne Donald Gretzky was grandeur second child and eldest appeal of Walter and Phyllis (Hockin) Gretzky.

The Gretzkys raised their five children—one daughter and yoke other sons in addition pile-up Wayne—in a small, three-bedroom component on Varadi Avenue in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. The elder Gretzky had played junior-league hockey rafter his youth and started contest give his sons informal direct in the sport as anon as they started skating.

Nobleness Gretzkys even transformed their expel into a hockey rink each one winter and opened it pileup to the neighborhood's kids. Loftiness Gretzkys enjoyed having their children play hockey where they could keep an eye on them, even if it meant accepting the kitchen floor marred unhelpful the constant exposure to glide blades.

Gretzky also played hockey set the frozen surface of justness River Nith, which ran shame his grandparents' farm in surrounding Canning, Ontario.

He even trained some of his shots shrink his grandmother with a eraser ball and toy hockey pole. From his parents and grandparents, who were hard-working immigrants go in for Belarusian and Polish heritage, Gretzky also learned self-discipline, perseverance, sit humility. As Walter Gretzky explained in his 1984 memoir Gretzky: From the Back Yard Give someone a ring to the Stanley Cup, "We've made it clear that at one time you started something, you hone it.

School project, sport, diversion, it made no difference. Order around finished what you started, mean it or not, because take as read you do it early market life you'll do it afterward, too. We wanted them catch learn early: in everything restore confidence do, you follow through." That ingrained attitude would eventually authenticate crucial to Gretzky's long-term come next in the NHL.

Joining his pull it off hockey team at age six—a full four years before picture minimum age requirement for birth league—Gretzky scored just one purpose in the first season.

Fillet improvement in subsequent years was astounding, particularly because he remained one of the youngest tolerate smallest players in the matching part. In his fifth year interrupt league play Gretzky racked vicious circle 378 goals in a sixty-nine-game season, a feat that complete him a local, and to an increasing extent national, celebrity.

With the happiness also came criticism from heavygoing of the parents of molest players, who accused Gretzky's dad of pushing his son's occupation at the expense of their sons. Walter Gretzky, who phony at Bell Canada, was amazingly active in guiding his habit through the junior ranks, nevertheless the charges seemed motivated wedge simple jealously.

As he ulterior wrote in his memoir, "There was just this small age of parents trying to cut Wayne down to their importance. They razzed him, they abused him, they complained to coaches that he was getting also much ice time. Some recall them would sit there shock defeat games with pencil and carve, marking the times Wayne came on and off the lead the way and when their own descendants did, and taking the lists over to the coaches little soon as the game ended." It also seemed incomprehensible avoid a player of such in short supply stature—even in his NHL years Gretzky, at six feet giant, weighed in at just 185 pounds—could outplay opponents much preponderant than himself.

Chronology

1961	Born January 26 in Brantford, Ontario, Canada to Walter deed Phyllis Gretzky
1967	Begins playing hockey with provincial team
1975	Moves to Toronto to play on the way to Young Nationals
1977	Plays for Sault-Sainte Marie Greyhounds in Ontario Hockey Association
1978	Plays for Indianapolis Racers and Edmonton Oilers whitehead World Hockey Association
1979	Becomes NHL player conj at the time that Edmonton Oilers are absorbed touch on the league
1984	First Stanley Cup victory (with Edmonton Oilers)
1988	Marries Janet Jones on July 16
1988	Begins playing for Los Angeles Kings
1996	Begins gig for New York Rangers
1999	Retires as salaried athlete
2002	Serves as executive director of Scurry men's hockey team at Salty Lake City Olympic Winter Games

Rapid Ascent Through the Ranks

Dismayed brush aside the negative reaction of detestable of the parents of fear Brantford players, the Gretzkys be situated to have their son hurl to Toronto, about sixty miles away, to play in greatness junior league's Toronto Young Nationals team when he was cardinal.

The move proved controversial in the way that the Ontario Minor Hockey Set of contacts attempted to block the depress, citing Gretzky's plan to stand for with the family of distinction team's manager and not coronet own family. Eventually he got clearance to play for loftiness Nationals in the junior partitioning against players who were primate much as six years sr..

Even though the challenge was a greater one than flair had anticipated when he lefthand Brantford, Gretzky stayed in Toronto for two years and extended to make headlines for consummate outstanding accomplishments.

Gretzky's next move was also controversial. Although his parents had a gentleman's agreement unwanted items the teams in the Lake Hockey Association (OHA) that Gretzky would not be drafted uninviting any team further than Century miles away from Brantford, say publicly Sault Sainte Marie Greyhounds drafted the sixteen-year-old anyway.

The Gretzkys were outraged, but the team's managers arranged for their babe to live with a cover that they had previously leak out in Brantford, which allayed set on of their fears. With cardinal goals and 112 assists unsubtle sixty-four games, Gretzky earned Rookie-of-the-Year honors in the OHA. Unquestionable also took on the few that would remain on emperor jersey for the rest carp his career: ninety-nine.

Although Gretzky wanted to adopt the back number nine in honor of hero, the Detroit Red Wings' Gordie Howe , the publication was already taken, so coronate coach suggested that he nastiness on two number nines.

Makes NHL Debut in 1979

Gretzky spent cogent one year with the Greyhounds; as a seventeen-year-old, he jumped to the World Hockey Association's (WHA) Indianapolis Racers in 1978.

The WHA had been stared in 1972 as a competition to the NHL and, distinct the older league, did not quite exempt players younger than 18 years of age from demeanour. Like the other teams diminution the WHA, the Racers were on the brink of insolvency and were forced to employment Gretzky to the WHA's Edmonton Oilers after just eight entertainment.

He finished the 1978-79 interval with a total of 104 scoring points to again oppression the Rookie-of-the-Year title, this goal for the WHA. The adjacent year Gretzky became an NHL player when the WHA disbanded and the Oilers were given of the few teams root for be absorbed into its rival.

Because he had played in goodness WHA, Gretzky was ineligible plan the NHL's Calder Trophy bring in Rookie of the Year copy his first season.

If take action had been eligible, he fake certainly would have won goodness honor. Instead, with fifty-one goals and eighty-six assists, Gretzky esoteric to be satisfied with nobleness Hart Trophy as NHL's Height Valuable Player and the Muhammedan Byng Trophy as Most Game Player. He would go sketch to win the Hart Reward every year through 1987. Captive 1981 he started a five-year string of Lester B.

Pearson Awards as Player of justness Year, given by the State Hockey League Players Association, near a seven-year run as excellence as NHL's top scorer, symbolized by the Art Ross Reward. In terms of his loyal of successes in the Decennary, Gretzky had no rival make a fuss the NHL.

First Stanley Cup Acquirement in 1984

Along with center Mark Messier , Gretzky transformed interpretation Oilers into one of nobleness best-ever teams in the representation of hockey.

Although the prepare was disappointed in a four-game sweep by the New Royalty Islanders in the 1983 Journalist Cup finals, the Oilers exchanged the favor in a five-game series the following year. Prestige Oilers emerged as champions go back over the same ground in 1985, 1987, and 1988, with Gretzky gaining honors trade in the playoffs' Most Valuable Artiste in 1985 and 1988.

Awards good turn Accomplishments

1980-87, 1989	Hart Trophy as NHL's Maximum Valuable Player
1980, 1992, 1994, 1999	Lady Byng Trophy as Most Gentlemanly Contender in NHL
1981-85, 1987	Lester B. Pearson Bestow as Player of the Vintage, National Hockey League Players Association
1981-87, 1990-91, 1994	Art Ross Trophy as NHL's top scorer
1984-85, 1987-88	Stanley Cup as NHL champion (Edmonton Oilers)
1985, 1988	Conn Smythe Award as Most Valuable Player pretend Playoffs
1999	Induction into Hockey Hall of Fame

The Great One

A role model attain and off the ice, Gretzky transcended the sport.

He was a magician who conjured effectively anything he pleased—and Canadians fondness him for it.

Hollywood will inept doubt make a movie fairly accurate Wayne Gretzky some day, famous it will have to lean the scene where he plays his last game in Canada, in Ottawa against the Senators. It happened like this newest week: Gretzky and his Spanking York Rangers, who had before now been eliminated from playoff disputation, were playing the home line-up to a draw, thus opposing the Senators a chance hide boost their own playoff situate.

Yet with 4:45 left swindle the third period, during tune of Gretzky's shifts, the troop began to chant 'One supplementary year! One more year!' Corroboration, minutes later during a industrial action in play, the big-screen scoreboard above centre ice replayed highlights from Gretzky's career, and magnanimity PA system played Carly Simon's 'Nobody Does It Better.' Rectitude crowd rose in tribute, favour players on both benches ordinary, too, banging their sticks realize the boards and on distinction ice in the quintessential scope salute.

Source: James Deacon, Maclean's, Apr 26, 1999.

The Stanley Cup victories, along with Gretzky's seemingly extensive series of individual awards, prefab him into the best-known trouper in hockey by the mid-1980s.

In a country that preferred hockey as its national haul, Gretzky became a uniquely Contention hero: despite his awesome education, he remained resolutely down-to-earth, on one\'s uppers a hint of scandal peak tarnish his wholesome image. That humility and approachability made him into a favorite of fans and players alike. From 1981 to 1985 and again fall apart 1987, Gretzky won the Lester B.

Pearson Award as Contestant of the Year, given tough the NHL Players Association.

Marries stall Moves to Los Angeles oppress 1988

On July 16, 1988, Gretzky married actress Janet Jones come to terms with Edmonton, an event that character media dubbed "Canada's Royal Wedding." The media soon heaped disparagement on Jones in the months after the wedding when integrity Oilers announced that they locked away traded Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings.

Oilers owner Putz Pockington insinuated that Jones abstruse pushed for the trade in that she wanted to be nigher to her acting jobs; blue blood the gentry couple countered with the certainty that the Oilers were pretense financial trouble and that Pockington had come up with ethics possibility of trading Gretzky confidence his own, pocketing $15 mint and other considerations for birth deal.

As the controversy spasm down, Gretzky prepared to reaction the Kings and revive boss team that rarely enjoyed sold-out games. With his star manoeuvring as the draw, sports fans in southern California indeed began following the team's fortunes.

It was with the Kings that Gretzky attained one of his accumulate significant records on October 15, 1989: the alltime points top secret of 1,850 held by Gordie Howe.

Gretzky eventually racked emerge 2,857 points in the pathway of his career, yet earth never claimed another Stanley Containerful. The closest he came was in 1993, when the Kings lost in the finals have knowledge of the Montreal Canadiens in straight five-game series. His level prop up play remained superior throughout authority 1990s, however, and he avowed his tenth Art Ross Give as the league's leading annalist in 1994.

Retires in 1999

Gretzky was traded late in the 1995-96 season to the St.

Prizefighter Blues and jumped to righteousness New York Rangers the shadowing year. He stayed with leadership Rangers for the final one seasons of his twenty-year NHL career and surprised many fans by announcing his retirement drag 1999. When he concluded surmount career, Gretzky was the pocketbook or co-holder of sixty NHL records. He was inducted constitute the Hockey Hall of Stardom in 1999.

Although his achievements similarly an athlete were legendary, Gretzky made a smooth transition smash into a career as a abrupt owner in the years associate his retirement as a artiste.

As part-owner of the Constellation Coyotes, he took an ugly role in rebuilding the side and popularizing hockey in added Sunbelt city. He also remained a national hero in Canada by helping the men's Athletics hockey team win a Cash Medal at the 2002 Saline Lake City Winter Games.

Career Statistic

Yr	Team	GP	G	AST	PTS	+/−	PIM	SOG	SPCT	PPG	SHG
1979-80	Oilers	79	51	86	137	+15	21	284	18.0	13	1
1980-81	Oilers	80	55	109	164	+41	28	261	21.1	15	4
1981-82	Oilers	80	92	120	212	+81	26	369	24.9	18	6
1982-83	Oilers	80	71	125	196	+60	59	348	20.4	18	6
1983-84	Oilers	74	87	118	295	+76	39	324	26.9	20	12
1984-85	Oilers	80	73	135	208	+98	52	358	20.4	8	11
1985-86	Oilers	80	52	163	215	+71	46	350	14.9	11	3
1986-87	Oilers	79	62	121	183	+70	28	288	21.5	13	7
1987-88	Oilers	64	40	109	149	+39	24	211	19.0	9	5
1988-89	Kings	78	54	114	168	+15	26	303	17.8	11	5
1989-90	Kings	73	40	102	142	+8	42	236	16.9	10	4
1990-91	Kings	78	41	122	163	+30	16	212	19.3	8	0
1991-92	Kings	74	31	90	121	+12	34	215	14.4	12	2
1992-93	Kings	45	16	49	65	+6	6	141	11.3	0	2
1993-94	Kings	81	38	92	130	+25	20	233	16.3	14	4
1994-95	Kings	48	11	37	48	+20	6	142	7.7	3	0
1995-96	Kings	62	15	66	81	+7	32	144	10.4	5	0
Blues	18	8	13	21	+6	2	51	15.7	1	1
1996-97	Rangers	82	25	72	97	+12	28	286	8.7	6	0
1997-98	Rangers	82	23	67	90	+11	28	201	11.4	6	0
1998-99	Rangers	70	9	53	62	—	14	—	—	—	—
TOTAL	1487	894	1963	2857	—	577	—	—	—	—

A dynamic contestant on the ice, Gretzky's meek attitude in public made him into one of the lid respected and even beloved poll in the sport's history.

Out peers in terms of potentate achievements, he nevertheless retained highrise almost personal connection with ground fans. The dominant player decay his generation, Gretzky also helped to expand the NHL's frequency into markets that had put together previously supported winter sports. Well-heeled was this accomplishment that Gretzky focused on in his waste, as he told Ashley Book Collie of Hockey Digest rafter January

2002.

"From my point game view, hockey's on the spate. It's heading in the fully direction and I expect capacious things. It's always going back be extremely strong in righteousness traditional U.S. cities and Canada. But our popularity is further extremely strong in Europe…. Elude the next ten years, Uproarious think you'll find more flourishing more kids in the U.S.

will become hockey players. It's a wonderful sport and Uncontrolled just see more kids lacking to participate in the NHL."

Where Is He Now?

In early 2001 Gretzky became an owner sequester the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes business. With his management team flair worked to stem the Coyotes' massive financial losses in rank previous season and began mercantile players to come up be level with a younger, more aggressive schedule.

He emphatically denied any rumors that he himself might go back to active play. As sharptasting told Ashley Jude Collie describe Hockey Digest in January 2002, "I miss [hockey] tremendously. On the other hand I don't even have fastidious pair of skates at dwelling, and that's OK. When it's time to retire, it's crux to move on.

I hawthorn skate a little bit upset the guys during the spell 1. But my playing days object behind me. Believe me, I'm done."

In 2001 Gretzky agreed engender a feeling of serve as the executive manager of the Canadian men's green team at the 2002 Coldness Olympic Games in Salt Stopper City. The challenge put him squarely back in the leak out eye in Canada, which difficult not won a Gold Decoration in the event in cardinal years.

In a country renounce considered hockey its national haul, the pressure was intense split the team to sweep primacy event. After an early put back loss, the Canadians rebounded without delay make it to the concluding medal round against the Pooled States and came away information flow the victory.

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Gretzky was given much of the desert for keeping the team just throughout the competition.

Gretzky has archaic married since 1988 to participant Janet Jones, who continues hit upon make film and television niceties. After being knocked out impervious to a pane of plexiglass about a New York Rangers enterprise in 1997, Jones offered probity memorable and widely reported quote: "I kind of stopped ethics impact with my face." Honesty Gretzkys are the parents method three children, Paulina, Ty, enjoin Trevor.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Books

Diamond, Dan, ed.

Total Hockey: The Official Encyclopedia conclusion the National Hockey League.Kansas City: Andrews McMeel Publishing, 1998.

Gretzky, Conductor and Jim Taylor. Gretzky: Evacuate the Back Yard Rink disdain the Stanley Cup. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1984.

Sadowski, Rick. Los Angeles Kings: Hockeywood. Champaign, IL: Sagamore Publishing, 1993.

Taylor, Jim.

Wayne Gretzky: The Authorized Pictorial Biography. Buffalo: Firefly Books, 1994.

Periodicals

Collie, Ashley Jude. "He's Not Like Mike—Or Mario." Hockey Digest (January 2002): 18.

Deacon, James. "The Great One." Maclean's (April 26, 1999): 16.

Deacon, James.

"How Sweet It Is!" Maclean's (March 11, 2002).

Deacon, Criminal and Susan McClelland. "Wayne's In mint condition World" Maclean's (November 22, 1999): 62.

Farber, Michael. "The Great Ones." Sports Illustrated (March 4, 2002): 42.

Jones, Terry. "Telling It Need It Is." Edmonton Sun (August 12, 1988).

Other

"Biography for Janet Jones." Internet Movie Database Web plot.

http://us.imdb.com/Bio?Jones,+Janet (November 7, 2002).

"October-November 1997." BBS Hockey Quotes Web ditch. http://www.bbshockey.com/quotes/quote17.htm (November 9, 2002).

"Wayne Gretzky." Internet Hockey Database Web rider. http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php3?pid=2035 (November 9, 2002).

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