Biography
Wayne Gretzky was born January 26, 1961 to Walter and Phyllis Gretzky.  Little did they know that for 20 years their son would be the most dominant force the game of hockey had ever seen.  But it didn't just start that easily...

Wayne started playing peewee hockey when he was six years old.  He wondered if he was even good enough to play in a league of ten-year-olds.  That season Wayne would only score one goal throughout the entire season.  He would cry because he was the only boy who didn't win a trophy that year.

Wayne was very discouraged, but was determined to succeed.  He would practice constantly on the backyard rink that his father made with a lawn sprinkler.  "All I wanted to do in the winters was to be on the ice" recalls Gretzky.  He would practice all day because he loved it.

Wayne would develop into a scoring machine by the time he was eight years old.  However, by the time he was ten, the scrawny little kid named Gretzky would score an amazing 378 goals in 82 games!  There were still some people doubting that Wayne could make the NHL.  They thought he was too small.

Wayne would fly through Canada's junior leagues and by the age of 17 was playing with the Indianapolis Racers of the World Hockey Association.  But after only 6 points in 8 games, he was sold to Peter Pocklington of the Edmonton Oilers for $850 000.  (The Oilers would later become an NHL team).

Gretzky, in his rookie season with the Edmonton Oilers, would become the youngest player ever to score 50 goals.  He would win the Hart Trophy that year as the Leagues MVP.  He finished tied with Marcel Dionne for the league lead in points with 137.  Dionne would win the Art Ross Trophy because he had more goals then Gretzky (53-51).  The Great One would later say "I was always taught that an assist is equal to a goal."  He would also win the Lady Byng Trophy.

The following season of '80-'81 Wayne would increase his point total to 164, setting the new NHL record for points in a single season.  The Great One also won the Hart and Art Ross Trophy.  But that was just a sign of things to come. 

In '81-'82, Wayne would shatter Phil Esposito's record of 76 goals in a season, and setting the standard with 92 lamp-lighters.  He would also register a new standard for points in a season with 212.  He added another Hart and Art Ross trophy and his fist Lester B. Pearson Award. 

In '82-'83, the Great Gretz would register 196 points and captured yet another Hart, Art Ross and Lester B. Pearson Award. 

The following season of '83-'84 would be his best yet.  Number 99 scored 205 points, winning again the Hart, Art Ross and Lester B. Pearson Award, but the greatest award was sipping from Lord Stanley's glorious Cup.

After registering 208 points in '84-'85 and winning, yes that’s right, the Hart, Art Ross and Lester B. Pearson Award he would hoist Lord Stanley's Cup yet again.  He was also awarded with his first of two Conn Symthe Trophy for registering 47 points in 18 games.

The Great One would have his best statistical season in '85-'86, registering an inredible 215 points (the mark that still stands today).  Oh yeah, he won another Hart and Art Ross Trophy.

Gretzky would have a down season for his standards, only 183 points (note the sarcasm) in '86-'87.  For his troubles, the Great Gretz would win the Hart, Art Ross ,Lester B. Pearson Award and Stanley Cup.

The following year of '87-'88 would play only 64 games, but still managed to record 149 points.  He didn't win the Art Ross, Hart or Lester B. Pearson Award.  But he would win the Stanley Cup and Conn Symthe Trophy.  For his services, the Oilers traded him to Los Angeles in an emotional and one of the most questionable trades of NHL history.  The Great Gretz was traded with Marty McSorley and Mike Krushelnyski for 2 players Jimmy Carson and Martin Gelinas, 3 first-round draft picks and $15 million dollars in cash.

Many people say that Gretzky brought hockey to the West-Coast, and the US.  That wasn't more evident then in 1988-89.  He tallied 168 points, to win the Hart Trophy.  That would be the 9th and final time the Great One would win the Hart Trophy. 

In only his sixth game of the '89-'90 season, Wayne Gretzky became the all-time leading scorer in NHL history, with 1851 points.  It was quite magical because the Great Gretz (then a King) scored against the Edmonton Oilers.  He finished the game with 1852, after scoring to win the game in OT.  This was all remarkably done in only 780 games- an incredible 2.3 Points/Game ratio.

Wayne's numbers dropped in '89-'90 from the last year by 26 points, but managed to win the Art Ross as the League's leading scorer.  That would mark the 6th time that he had won the award, and there was still some juice left in the tank.

The next year, the Great Gretz was at it again, scoring 41 times, and adding 122 assists to again lead the League in scoring.  That year was also the second time that was awarded the Lady Byng, for the most gentlemanly player.

Gretzky's point production dropped in '91-'92, by 42 points.  He was awarded, however, the Lady Byng again for the most gentlemanly player.

Many people say that Gretzky brought hockey to the West-Coast, and the US.  That wasn't more evident then in 1988-89.  He tallied 168 points, to win the Hart Trophy.  That would be the 9th and final time the Great One would win the Hart Trophy.
In only his sixth game of the '89-'90 season, Wayne Gretzky became the all-time leading scorer in NHL history, with 1851 points.  It was quite magical because the Great Gretz (then a King) scored against the Edmonton Oilers.  He finished the game with 1852, after scoring to win the game in OT.  This was all remarkably done in only 780 games- an incredible 2.3 Points/Game ratio.

Wayne's numbers dropped in '89-'90 from the last year by 26 points, but managed to win the Art Ross as the League's leading scorer.  That would mark the 6th time that he had won the award, and there was still some juice left in the tank.

The next year, the Great Gretz was at it again, scoring 41 times, and adding 122 assists to again lead the League in scoring.  That year was also the second time that was awarded the Lady Byng, for the most gentlemanly player.

Gretzky's point production dropped in '91-'92, by 42 points.  He was awarded, however, the Lady Byng again for the most gentlemanly player.  Little did many people know that this was, arguably, the peek of the Great Gretz's career.

The following season of '92-'93 brought new challenges to Wayne.  For the first time in his career, he was badly hurt.  Gary Suter cross-checked Gretzky from behind, which limited him to only 45 games.  Gretz would never really, fully recover.  Some say that it was the darkest day in his career.  The Kings that year would reach the Cup Finals after a thrilling 7-game series with the Leafs.  Unfortunately for the Great Gretz, it would be his last trip to the big dance, even though the didn't win.

After a full recovery from his back injury, Gretzky bounced back with an amazing 130 points in 81 games.  Looking back at the earlier years, in which he could score 92 goals in a year or hit 50 with ease, it was hard to imagine that his 38 markers that year, would be the most he would score for the remainder of his career.  For his troubles, he did win the Art Ross as the League's top scorer for the 9th and final time.  He also won the Lady Byng trophy.

Strike!  The NHL shuts down for a part of the '94-'95 season.  The League decides for each team to play 48 games.  The Great One played in all 48 games, recording 48 points, the fewest in his career. 

Entering into his free-agent year in '95-'96, Wayne Gretzky played 62 games with the Kings before being traded to the St. Louis Blues.  That year, the Great Gretz was making $6.5 million, and the Kings didn't want to risk losing him for nothing.  Wayne was happy to be moving on, and thanked LA for treating him so well over the years.  Many thought that Wayne's future was with St. Louis, but in the summer to come, it would prove to be a mere stop along the way for the Great Gretz.  It was also his last 100-point season.

In the summer of '96, the Great won signed with the New York Rangers.  Gretzky had contemplated signing with his child-hood favorite team- Toronto Maple Leafs, but in the end, went to the Big Apple.  During the '96-'97' campaign, Gretzky recorded 97 points, which included 72 assists.

The next season, '97-'98 would prove to be a good one for the Great One.  He recorded 90 points (23, 67), and in the All-Star Game became the All-Time Leading Scorer in the All-Star Game history, with 2 assists.  It was played in Vancouver.  Later on in the year, in February, Gretzky played in the Nagano Winter Olympics for Team Canada.  In the semi-final game against the Czech Republic, the Great Gretz didn't shoot in the shoot-out, a questionable move that many at the time were debating.  Canada would finish 4th, after losing in the Bronze Medal game.  Gretzky in 4 years would help Canada, but not as a player.

The '98-'99 campaign would be the Great Gretz's last.  It wasn't his most productive season with only 62 points (9, 53), but it was something magical.  He was named the All-Star game MVP with 3 points (1,2), and kept the car for the first time in a long time.  His last game against a Canadian hockey team was against the Ottawa Senators.  His final game in the NHL came on April 18th, 1999 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.  After the game, Gretz seamed to skate around for hours waving to the crowd, his dad, his wife, but before you knew it, it was over.  The Great One had played his last game, and it was time to hang up the skates.  It was a magical career, that nobody will ever forget.

Since he retired, Wayne has gotten an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from the University of Alberta (June 5, 2000).  He also became a member of Phoenix Coyotes, from a managerial standpoint.

Another huge accomplishment, of the Great Gretz was being the Executive director of Team Canada's Men's Hockey Team for the 2002 Olympics.  He got to pick the players that would represent the Red and White.  Of the players, Team Captain was Mario Lemieux.  Other players included:  Eric Lindros, Steve Yzerman, Joe Sakic, Paul Kariya and Martin Brodeur.  After Canada stumbled out of the gates going 1-1-1, Gretzky took all the pressure onto himself, with a motivating speech to the Media, saying that the World wants to see Canada lose, except for Canada.  Canada would go on to win their first Olympic Gold Medal in 50 years, with a thrilling 5-2 win over host US.  Nobody was happier than the Great Gretz.

Wayne also led team Canada to win the World Cup in 2004.  Unfortunately, after that win, the NHL season locked out, putting a hold on hockey.

Wayne continues to support hockey in his retirement, and can be found making appearances at different hockey events around Canada and the US.  He is a man of class, elegance and the best ambassador to hockey, and for Canada.
Gretz with the hardware (Hart Trophy) in 1989.  Check out more e-paintings.  Click here.