Wayne Gretzky

_WAYNE-GRETZKY

‘THE GREAT ONE”

∗ Born January 26, 1961 in Brantford, Ontario, Canada

∗ Started playing ice hockey at age 2; joined his first local team at age 6; developed into a star player in Canada’s junior leagues

∗ Wore #99 since age 16; he wanted #9 to honor hockey legend Gordie Howe, but a teammate already had the number

∗ Began professional hockey career with the Indianapolis Racers of the World Hockey Association in 1978

∗ Signed with the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League in 1979, and earned the league’s Most Valuable Player award – the first of nine MVP honors over the next 10 seasons

∗ Initially considered “too small, too wiry and too slow” to star in the NHL, he compensated by playing smarter, anticipating where puck and players would be, and improvising plays

∗ Scored more points and made more assists than any player in NHL history, earning him the nickname “The Great One”

∗ Led the Oilers to four Stanley Cup championships (1984, 1985, 1987, 1988)

∗ Inspired the naming of the “Gretzky Rule” in 1985 when the NHL replaced coincidental penalties (which Gretzky condemned) with offsetting penalties

∗ Traded in 1988 by the Oilers (for financial reasons) to the Los Angeles Kings, stirring great controversy in Canada

∗ Is credited with popularizing hockey in California, leading the NHL to establish other teams in the Sun Belt – including, eventually, the Phoenix Coyotes, which relocated from Winnipeg

∗ Married American actress Janet Jones in 1988 in a ceremony that was broadcast live throughout Canada

∗ Named Male Athlete of the Decade in 1990 by the Associated Press

∗ Traded to the St Louis Blues in 1996 and played one season; rejected a three-year deal and signed with the New York Rangers as a free agent, where he played for three seasons

∗ Named the #1 player in NHL history in 1997 by the Hockey News, which formed a committee of 50 hockey experts to select and rank the 50 greatest players ever

∗ Retired in 1999, holding 40 regular season records, 15 playoff records and six All-Star records; was the league’s leading scorer in 10 seasons; is the only player ever to score more 200 points in a season, which he did four times

∗ Holds NHL records for most career goals (894), most career assists (1,963) and most career points (2,857)

∗ Earned the Lady Byng Trophy five times for sportsmanship and performance; widely respected for his humility, approachability and “good guy” reputation

∗ Inducted immediately into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1999, bypassing the usual three-year waiting period; his #99 was “retired” league-wide (a first)

∗ Became part owner (with a 10 percent stake) of the Phoenix Coyotes NHL team in 2001; named managing partner and head of hockey operations

∗ Served as executive director for the Canadian men’s hockey team in the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, guiding the team to a gold medal – its first in 50 years

∗ Bought home near 64th Street and Camelback Road in Scottsdale in 2003

∗ Served as head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes for four seasons, compiling a 143–161–24 record

∗ Resigned as Coyotes head coach and sold his ownership share when the team declared bankruptcy in 2009

∗ Was the final torch bearer at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, lighting the cauldron with three other Canadians (including Phoenix Suns star Steve Nash)

∗ Sold Scottsdale home in 2013

∗ Co-owns Wayne Gretzky’s Toronto restaurant, 99 Gretzky’s Wine & Whisky in Edmonton, and Studio 99 in Edmonton

∗ Produces Canadian wine under the label Wayne Gretzky’s Estates winery

∗ Inspired the naming of the U.S. Hockey Hall Of Fame’s Wayne Gretzky International Award; the Ontario Hockey League’s Wayne Gretzky 99 Award for most valuable player in the playoffs; and the Wayne Gretzky Trophy for the Ontario Hockey League’s playoff championship team

∗ Lives in the Los Angeles area with wife Janet; has five children — including Paulina, a well-known model and aspiring singer; and Trevor, a former minor league baseball player;  son Ty graduated from Arizona State University in 2014

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