Jaromír Jágr
Born	(1972-02-15) February 15, 1972 (age 40) Kladno, Czechoslovakia
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight	240 lb (109 kg; 17 st 2 lb)
Position	Right Wing
Shoots	Left
NHL team Former teams	Philadelphia Flyers NHL Pittsburgh Penguins Washington Capitals New York Rangers Cze-1 HC Kladno RSL/KHL Avangard Omsk
National team	Czech Republic   Czechoslovakia
NHL Draft	5th overall, 1990 Pittsburgh Penguins
Playing career	1988–present

Jaromír Jágr (on right) with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Sokolniki Arena, Moscow, 2001

Jaromír Jágr (Czech pronunciation: [ˈjaromiːr ˈjaːɡr̩] ( listen); born February 15, 1972) is a Czech professional ice hockey right winger and co-owner of the HC Kladno of the Czech Extraliga. He plays for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL) and he formerly played with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, and New York Rangers, serving as captain of the Penguins and the Rangers. After leaving the Rangers, Jágr played for three seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League with Avangard Omsk before returning to the NHL with the Flyers.

Jágr was the fifth overall selection in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft. He won two consecutive Stanley Cups in the 1991 and 1992 seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He has won the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading point scorer five times, received the Lester B. Pearson Award as voted by the NHL Players' Association three times, and won a Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player. He has been named to seven NHL First All-Star Teams. Jágr is currently in the top 15 NHL players in career goals, assists and points (as of the end of the 2010–11 NHL season), and is the all-time leader among European trained players in all three categories,^[2] as well as the leading point scorer among active NHL players.^[3] Jágr was the Czech Republic's flag bearer for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.

He is one of a small group of hockey players to have won the Stanley Cup (1991, 1992), the Ice Hockey World Championships (2005, 2010), and the Olympic gold medal in ice hockey (1998). This is known as the Triple Gold Club, and Jagr is one of only two Czech players (the other being Jiří Šlégr) in the Triple Gold club, the 15th player to complete it out of 25 total, as of June 2010.^[4]

Career overview[link]

Jágr began skating at the age of three, and he immediately showed exceptional abilities. At the age of 16, he was playing at the highest level of competition in Czechoslovakia for HC Kladno.

Pittsburgh Penguins[link]

Jágr was the first Czechoslovakian player to be drafted by the NHL without first having to defect to the West; his selection in the NHL draft came as the Iron Curtain was falling.^[5] Because of this, after Jágr was taken by the Pittsburgh Penguins with the fifth overall pick in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft, he was able to come immediately to North America from Czechoslovakia. He was a supporting player with the powerhouse Penguins that won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1991 and 1992. He was one of the youngest players in NHL history, at 20 years of age, to score a goal in the Stanley Cup finals.

Before he had a clean grasp on the English language, he could be heard reading the daily weather forecast on Pittsburgh radio station WDVE in his broken, thickly accented English. He and teammate (and fellow countryman) Jiří Hrdina were promoted as the "Czechmates", a play on the term "checkmate" from chess. He would also play Scrabble in an attempt to increase his English vocabulary. Some Penguins fans realized that the letters in his first name could be scrambled to form the anagram "Mario Jr.", a reference to teammate Mario Lemieux.

In the 1994–95 NHL season Jágr won his first Art Ross Trophy as the scoring champion of the NHL. He tied Eric Lindros with 70 points but won based on his 32 goals to Lindros' 29. The next year, Jágr set a record for most points, 149, by a European-born player. Both his 62 goals and 87 assists from that season still stand as career-highs. His 1995–96 totals for assists and points stand as the records for right-wingers in those categories. After the 1997–98 season, Ron Francis signed with the Carolina Hurricanes, leaving Jágr the Penguins' captaincy. From 1997–98 to 2000–01, Jágr would win four straight NHL scoring titles. In 1999, Jágr would win the Hart Memorial Trophy, as the NHL's Most Valuable Player as well as the Lester B. Pearson Award. In 1998, he led the Czech Republic's team to a gold medal at the Nagano Olympics.

On December 30, 1999, Jagr scored 3 goals and 4 assists for a career high 7-point night against the New York Islanders. He would match this feat on January 11, 2003, by once again scoring 3 goals and adding 4 assists for a total of 7 points in a game against the Florida Panthers while playing for Washington.

In 2000–01, Jágr was struggling to find his scoring touch and faced criticisms about his relationship with coach Ivan Hlinka.^[6] With the return of Mario Lemieux from retirement, the Penguins had two superstars but friction developed between the two; Jágr held the captaincy but many fans regarded Lemieux as the talisman of the team. Also, the struggling, small-market Penguins could, with Lemieux back, no longer hope to afford Jágr's massive salary. Thus on July 11, 2001, they traded him (along with František Kučera) to the Washington Capitals for Kris Beech, Michal Sivek and Ross Lupaschuk.

In 806 games in Pittsburgh, Jágr became only the second Penguins player, after Lemieux, to score 1,000 points in a Penguins sweater. Jágr currently sits second behind Lemieux in all offensive categories in franchise history, except points per game, where he is third (behind Sidney Crosby and Lemieux).

Washington Capitals[link]

Later that year the Capitals signed Jágr to the largest contract ever in NHL history (at that time)—$77 million over 7 years at an average salary of $11 million per year, with an option for an eighth year. However, Jágr did not live up to expectations, as the Capitals failed to defend their division title and missed the playoffs in 2002. Even when the Capitals reunited him with linemate Robert Lang during summer 2002, Jágr failed to finish among the league's top scorers or make the postseason All-Star Team during his time with the Capitals. In 2002–03 Washington managed to finish 6th overall in the Eastern Conference, but lost to the upstart Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the playoffs despite winning the first two games.

This prompted the Caps to unload much of their high-priced talent in order to save money—not just a cost-cutting spree, but also an acknowledgement that their attempt to build a contender with high-priced veteran talent had failed. Disgruntled, the Washington ownership spent much of 2003 trying to trade Jágr, but a year before a new Collective Bargaining Agreement was to be signed, few teams were willing to risk $11 million on Jágr.

On January 23, 2004, he was traded to the New York Rangers for Anson Carter and an agreement that Washington would pay approximately $4 million per year of Jágr's salary. Jágr also agreed to defer (with interest) $1 million per year for the remainder of his contract to allow the trade to go ahead.^[7]

New York Rangers[link]

However, due to the new collective bargaining agreement signed before the start of the 2005–06 season, Jágr's salary was subsequently reduced to $7.8 million, the maximum allowed under the terms of the new salary cap.

Jagr with the Rangers during the 2008 playoffs in Pittsburgh.

During the NHL labor dispute in 2004–05, he played for HC Kladno in the Czech Republic, and afterward for the Avangard ice-hockey team at Omsk in Russia.

Jaromír led the Czech Republic to gold at the 2005 World Hockey Championships in Austria; and was elected a tournament all-star in the process. He also became a member of hockey's prestigious Triple Gold Club, players who have won a Stanley Cup, a World Hockey Championship, and an Olympic gold medal.

Prior to the 2005–06 season, the Rangers had missed the playoffs for seven consecutive seasons. Following the fire sale of the high-priced underachieving veterans that made up the team's roster, as well as the retirement of long-time captain Mark Messier, many experts picked the Rangers to be the worst team in the NHL. Jágr disagreed and promised the team would surprise a lot of people and make the Stanley Cup playoffs. He started strong during the beginning of the 2005 season and the return from the lockout of the NHL. He became only the fourth player in NHL history to score 10 or more goals in less than 10 games at the start of a season. His return to dominance helped the Rangers return to the Stanley Cup playoffs, but injuries to Jágr and others contributed to a quick Ranger exit in a first round sweep of the Broadway Blueshirts by the archnemesis New Jersey Devils.

Jágr scored his 1,400th point on a power play goal against the Philadelphia Flyers on March 2, 2006, pushing him past Jari Kurri into second place all-time among European-born players. He later passed Stan Mikita to become the all-time leader.

On March 18, 2006, against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Jágr became only the sixth Rangers player in team history to break the 100-point barrier, and became the only Ranger right winger to score 100 points in a season.

On March 27, 2006, against the Buffalo Sabres, Jágr had a goal and an assist, which tied both the Rangers' single-season goal record of 52 (Adam Graves, 1993–94) and the Rangers' single season points record of 109 (Jean Ratelle, 1971–72). Two nights later, on March 29, 2006, Jágr passed Ratelle when he assisted on Petr Průcha's first-period goal against the New York Islanders' Rick DiPietro. On April 8, against the Boston Bruins, Jágr scored his league-leading 53rd goal of the season, breaking the Rangers' single-season goals record.

Jagr at the 2006 NHL Awards Show

After leading the league in points and goals for most of 2005–06, Jágr was passed by the San Jose Sharks' duo of Joe Thornton (125 points) and Jonathan Cheechoo (56 goals), losing both the Art Ross and Maurice Richard trophies in the final week of the season. Jágr finished with 123 points, 54 goals, and 24 power-play goals, second in the league in all three categories. He finished third in the league in both assists, with 69, and +/-, at +34. Despite being inched out by Thornton for the Art Ross Trophy and Hart Trophy (league MVP), Jágr won his third Lester B. Pearson Award as the league's outstanding player. However, just as in Washington, playoff success was not to be for Jágr, whose Rangers were swept in four games by the New Jersey Devils. Jágr suffered a dislocated shoulder in the third period of the first game of the series, which kept him from playing at his top form for the rest of the series. Jágr had surgery on the shoulder after the Rangers were eliminated from the playoffs.^[8]

On October 5, 2006, before the first game of the 2006–07 NHL season against the Washington Capitals, Jágr was named as the 24th captain in the history of the New York Rangers, replacing Mark Messier, who retired before the 2005–06 season. Jágr then proceeded to score a goal on his very first shift in the game, just under 30 seconds into the new season.

On November 19, 2006, he scored his 600th career NHL goal on Tampa Bay goalie Johan Holmqvist, making him the 16th player in NHL history to do so. Power play linemate Brendan Shanahan had scored his 600th goal almost three weeks earlier, making them the first teammates in NHL history to score their 600th goal in the same season.

On February 10, 2007, against the Washington Capitals, Jágr earned an assist on a goal by Michal Rozsíval to record his 1,500th career point. He is only the 12th NHLer to reach this mark. He is the fourth fastest player to score 1,500 points after Marcel Dionne, Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky.

On April 5, 2007, against the Montreal Canadiens, Jágr scored his 30th goal of the 2006–07 NHL season to record 15 consecutive seasons of 30 or more goals. This tied the NHL record of consecutive 30-goal seasons held by Mike Gartner.

After a regular season slowed by a weak shoulder, he led the New York Rangers to a sweep of the Atlanta Thrashers in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. The Rangers would fall to the Buffalo Sabres in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

On November 14, 2007, against the New Jersey Devils, Jágr scored his 4th goal of the 2007–08 NHL season at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, making him the first player to score a goal in 53 different NHL arenas.

Avangard Omsk[link]

On July 3, 2008, Jágr, a free agent for the first time in his career, was informed by Rangers GM Glen Sather that the club was moving on without him. Sather admitted that the two sides never engaged in detailed negotiations for a new contract, and that after many months of speculation, Jágr was "seriously considering" going to Russia to finish his career, despite offers from other NHL teams.^[9] A day later, these reports came true, when Jágr agreed to a two-year deal with Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League; the deal was reported to pay Jágr the equivalent US$5 million annually.^[10] Jágr was named Avangard's captain on January 30, 2009.

Jágr has also expressed desires to finish out his career at his father's club, HC Kladno.^[11]

Jágr was sitting next to Alexei Cherepanov when Cherepanov, a first-round pick of the Rangers, died. They were discussing the past shift when Cherepanov collapsed right into Jágr on the bench at the Ice Hockey Center 2004 arena.

In April 2009, Jágr publicly stated an interest in returning to the NHL, stating that he really just needed a break from the pressures of an 82-game NHL schedule. Jágr, who claimed to have lost 15 pounds since his last NHL season, and who was "practicing a lot harder than [he] ever did in [his] life" stated he would be interested in joining the Edmonton Oilers because of the interest they showed in July 2008. However, following the expiration of his original contract with Avangard, Jagr re-signed with Avangard for the 2010-11 KHL season.^[12][13]

Jagr with the Flyers in 2011.

Philadelphia Flyers[link]

On July 1, 2011, Jágr returned to North America, signing a one-year, $3.3 million contract with the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL.^[3] Jágr scored his 1600th point during his debut game with the Flyers, assisting on a Claude Giroux goal as the Flyers won their season opener 2−1 over the Boston Bruins on October 6, 2011. Usually playing on a top line with Giroux and Scott Hartnell, Jágr was among the top scorers during the start of the 2011–12 season. Jágr scored his first and second goals as a Philadelphia Flyer on October 24, 2011, against the Toronto Maple Leafs.^[14] On October 29, 2011, he scored his 650th and 651st NHL goals against the Carolina Hurricanes.^[15]

Off-ice incidents[link]

Although he has repeatedly denied that he has a gambling problem, he admitted in 2003 that he settled debts totaling US$950,000 with two internet gambling sites between 1998 and 2002. The first of these incidents centered on Belize-based website CaribSports and its owner, William Caesar, to which Jágr owed $500,000. Sports Illustrated reported that Jágr agreed to make monthly payments to Caesar to settle the debt, and Caesar leaked the story to the press when Jágr stopped making payments.^[16] In 2003, the Internal Revenue Service filed a $3.27 million lien against him for unpaid taxes for the 2001 tax year. Only a few months before, Jágr had settled a $350,000 claim for taxes dating to 1999.^[16] In the summer of 2006, Jágr sued his former accountant over a tax form that was supposed to have been filed in 2003, claiming that the form would have saved him $6 million had it been filed in a timely fashion.^[17]

Personal life[link]

Jágr resides in the Czech Republic during the off-season. His father, also named Jaromír Jágr, owns a chain of hotels and serves as president of HC Kladno.^[18]

Jágr wears the number 68, which he has worn through his entire career, in honor of the Prague Spring rebellion that occurred in Czechoslovakia in 1968 and his grandfather, who died while in prison that same year. His grandfather had been jailed by Soviet forces invading Czechoslovakia in 1968 as a response to the Prague Spring for having refused to work on his farm for free.

Jágr has been a long-time supporter of the liberal conservative Civic Democratic Party, stating in 2004 that he "had always" voted for the party. In previous election he has appeared at the party's billboards and was among its generous sponsors.^[19]

On May 26, 2010, he announced he was backing the Civic Democrats and its leader Petr Nečas. At the press conference he said: "I realise that there will be elections in two to three days. I would like their outcome to be good."^[20]

He also urged the party not to forget about sports when distributing money. "We all know what would happen if the young did not practice any sport. If children practice some sport, they do not have time for other things such as alcohol."^[20]

Jágr is an Orthodox Christian; he was baptized in 2001 by Prague's metropolitan.^[21]

Awards[link]

NHL

• Stanley Cup Winner – 1991, 1992 (Pittsburgh)
• Hart Trophy (MVP) – 1999
  • Finalist: 1995, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2006
• Art Ross Trophy (Leading point scorer) – 1995, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001
• Lester B. Pearson Award (Players' MVP) – 1999, 2000, 2006
• NHL First Team All-Star – 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2006
• NHL Second Team All-Star – 1997
• NHL All-Rookie Team – 1991

Other

• Flagbearer for the Czech Olympic Team Flagbearer for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.^[22]
• Olympic gold medal winner for the Czech Republic in the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano
• Olympic bronze medal for the Czech Republic in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin
• IIHF World Champion – 2005, 2010
• IIHF European Club Champion – 2005
• IOC “Sport, inspiring young people” Trophy – 2011^[23]
• Golden Stick Award (1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011) holder, which is the highest trophy an ice hockey player can get in the Czech Republic. When he won his 6th Golden Stick in 2005, he surpassed Dominik Hašek for the most such awards in Czech and Czechoslovak history; and in 2011, he won his 10th.
• Czech Sportsman of the Year 2005, a trophy awarded by journalists in the Czech Republic
• IIHF World Championship All-Star Team – 2004, 2005 and 2011
• IIHF World Championship directorate award winner (best forward) – 2011
• In 1998 he was ranked number 37 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players. This made him the highest-ranked player to have been trained outside Canada. Jagr, who was only 26 at the time, was additionally the second-youngest player on the list, older only than 25-year-old, No. 54-ranked Eric Lindros.^[24]

NHL records[link]

These records are as of the end of the 2011–12 season.

• Most assists by a rookie in Stanley Cup Finals (1991) - 5^[25]
• Most regular season points by a right wing (1995–96) - 149
• Most regular season assists by a right wing (1995–96) - 87
• Most regular season points by a European born and trained player (1995–96) - 149
• Most regular season points by a player born outside of Canada (1995–96) - 149
• Most all-time regular season points by a European born and trained player - 1653
• Most all-time regular season goals by a European born and trained player - 665
• Most all-time overtime goals - 16
• Most consecutive 30-goal seasons (1991–2007) - 15 (Shared with Mike Gartner, including the shortened 1994–95 NHL season, 48 games)
• Most consecutive 70-or-more point seasons (15) (including the shortened 1994–95 NHL season, 48 games)

New York Rangers records[link]

• Most regular season goals by a Rangers player (2005–06) - 54
• Most regular season points by a Rangers player (2005–06) - 123
• Most regular season power play goals by a Rangers player (2005–06) - 24
• Most regular season shots on goal by a Rangers player (2005–06) - 368
• Most regular season game-winning goals by a Rangers player (2005–06) - 9 (tied with Mark Messier 1996–97 and Don Murdoch 1980–81)
• Most regular season goals by a Rangers right wing (2005–06) - 54
• Most regular season assists by a Rangers right wing (2005–06) - 69
• Most regular season points by a Rangers right wing (2005–06) - 123

Career statistics[link]

International play[link]

Medal record
Jagr during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver
Men's ice hockey
Olympic Games
Gold	1998 Nagano	Team
Bronze	2006 Turin	Team
World Championships
Bronze	1990 Bern	Ice hockey
Gold	2005 Vienna	Ice hockey
Gold	2010 Cologne	Ice hockey
Bronze	2011 Bratislava	Ice hockey
World Junior Championship
Bronze	1990 Finland	Ice hockey

Jágr has represented his country many times, but his international statistics are considerably lower than those he posted in the National Hockey League. In 1994 he and Martin Straka arrived in the middle of the World Championships. The fans' expectations were high as Jágr was an NHL star, but before they were able to integrate into the team Czechs lost their quarterfinal game and were out of the tournament. Jágr was also hurt in numerous other games.

The 1996 World Cup of Hockey also did not see Jágr at his best. His performance was hampered by the flu and it only underscored the poor play of the whole team. After losing 7-3 to Finland, 3-0 to Sweden and 7-1 even to relatively weak Germany, the team did not qualify for the playoffs.

All this was forgotten in 1998 when the Czech Republic won the gold medal in the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano. It was only the third gold medal for Czech or Czechoslovak sportsmen from the Winter Olympics and it is still fondly remembered.

Jágr did not play in the 1996, 1999, 2000 or 2001 World Championships, where the Czech Republic won the gold medals. He was a member of the team on the 2004 World Championships in Prague, Czech Republic, where the expectations were high, especially after the team won all the games in the group, but they lost in the quarterfinals game.

It was the 2005 World Championships that finally brought a gold medal to Jágr. Although he broke his finger in an early game against Germany, he played with it bandaged during the rest of the tournament and led his team to victory.

More injuries struck Jágr in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. He was injured after a hit from Jarkko Ruutu in the game against Finland; he required stitches to his eyebrow. However, the injury was not as serious as it first seemed, and Jágr was able to play in the following games. He was unable to finish the bronze medal game due to muscle injury. Despite this trouble Jágr won the second Olympic medal in his life — bronze this time. Jagr was the flag bearer of the 2010 Winter Olympics for the Czech Republic.

International statistics[link]

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Cazeneuve, Brian (October 24, 2011). "The Jagr Hockey School: After an off-season overhaul diminished their attack, the Flyers brought Jaromir Jagr back from Siberia (literally), but the 39-year-old winger has provided much more than an instant offensive boost". Sports Illustrated. SI.com. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1191413/index.htm. Retrieved 2011-10-31. 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jaromír Jágr

• Jaromir Jagr's blog
• Jaromir Jagr's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database
• Jaromír Jágr's career stats at Eliteprospects.com
• Jaromír Jágr at Hockey-Reference.com
• Jaromir Jagr – player profile and career stats at European Hockey.Net
• Jaromir Jagr's KHL player profile
• Jaromír Jágr's NHL player profile
• Jaromir Jagr at TSN.ca
• Jaromir Jagr's player profile at eurohockey.com

Jágr is a surname and may refer to:

• Jaromír Jágr, a Czech ice hockey player
• Martin Jágr, a Czech rugby player

This page or section lists people with the surname Jágr. If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name(s) to the link.

Milan Nový
Born	(1951-09-23) September 23, 1951 (age 60) Kladno, TCH
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight	196 lb (89 kg; 14 st 0 lb)
Position	Forward
Played for	HC Kladno HC Jihlava Washington Capitals Zurcher SC Wiener EV
National team	Czechoslovakia
NHL Draft	58th overall, 1982 Washington Capitals
Playing career	1975–1989

Medal record
Competitor for Czechoslovakia
Men's ice hockey
Olympic Games
Silver	1976 Innsbruck	Ice hockey
World Championships
Gold	1976 Poland	Ice hockey
Gold	1977 Austria	Ice hockey
Silver	1975 West Germany	Ice hockey
Silver	1978 Czechoslovakia	Ice hockey
Silver	1979 Soviet Union	Ice hockey
Silver	1982 Finland	Ice hockey
Bronze	1981 Sweden	Ice hockey
Canada Cup
Silver	1976 Canada Cup	Ice hockey
Bronze	1981 Canada Cup	Ice hockey

Milan Nový (born September 23, 1951 in Kladno, Czechoslovakia) is a retired Czech ice hockey center. He played 16 seasons in the Czechoslovak Elite League, winning six league championships between 1974 and 1980.

Nový played for Kladno in the Czechoslovak junior league from 1963 to 1968. He played in the elite league with Kladno from 1968 to 1972, Jihlava from 1972 to 1974, and Kladno again from 1974 to 1982 and 1987 to 1989. He was named the top player in the league three times, and was first in scoring six times. His 90 points (59 goals and 31 assists) in 44 games in 1976–77 is the league record. Nový scored 474 goals in 633 league games, as well as 120 goals in 211 games with the national team [1]. He holds the Czech "iron man" record, playing eight seasons without missing a game [2].

Nový won a silver medal on the 1976 Czechoslovak Olympic team and played in the 1980 Olympics, leading all scorers with 15 points. He appeared in seven consecutive IIHF World Championships from 1975 to 1982, and was named to the all-star team in 1976 [3]. He led all players in Moscow's Izvestia Cup with 14 goals in 1974 [4].

Nový was named to the 1976 Canada Cup all-star team, tied for the most goals, and was the top scorer and MVP on his team. He scored the only goal in a 1–0 Czechoslovak victory over Canada, in a game Bobby Orr said was the best he ever played in [5]. He also played in the 1981 Canada Cup.

He played with the Washington Capitals in 1982–83. Though he began with a goal and two assists in his first game and points in his first four games, he had difficulty adjusting to North American culture and the physical play of the North American game [6], finishing the season with 48 points in 73 games. He played with Zurcher SC in Switzerland from 1983 to 1985 and with EV Wien in Austria in 1985–86 [7]. Nový returned to Kladno in 1986, to help his old team get out of the second division, back into the elite league. They succeeded, and he played in the elite league for two more years before retiring in 1989 [8].

Nový was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2011.[9]

Czechoslovak Elite League awards[link]

• Golden Hockey Stick (Top player): 1977, 1981, 1982
• Scoring title: 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1981, 1982
• Top goal scorer: 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977
• On championship team: 1974 (Jihlava); 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980 (Kladno)

External links[link]

• Milan Nový's biography at Legends of Hockey
• Milan Nový's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database
• Milan Nový – player profile and career stats at European Hockey.Net

Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky in 2001
Born	(1961-01-26) January 26, 1961 (age 51) Brantford, ON, CAN
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight	189 lb (86 kg; 13 st 7 lb)
Position	Centre
Shot	Left
Played for	WHA  Indianapolis Racers  Edmonton Oilers NHL  Edmonton Oilers  Los Angeles Kings  St. Louis Blues  New York Rangers
National team	Canada
Playing career	1978–1999
Hall of Fame, 1999
Website	http://www.gretzky.com/

Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC (/ˈɡrɛtski/; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "The Great One", he has been called "the greatest hockey player ever"^[1] by many sportswriters, players, and the NHL itself. He is the leading point-scorer in NHL history, with more assists than any other player has points, and is the only NHL player to total over 200 points in one season – a feat he accomplished four times. In addition, he tallied over 100 points in 16 professional seasons, 14 of them consecutive. At the time of his retirement in 1999, he held 40 regular-season records, 15 playoff records, and six All-Star records. In addition to being its greatest scorer, Gretzky was the most gentlemanly superstar in the modern history of the NHL. He won the Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship and performance five times,^[2] and he often spoke out against fighting in hockey.^[3][1]

Born and raised in Brantford, Ontario, Gretzky honed his skills at a backyard rink and regularly played minor hockey at a level far above his peers.^[4] Despite his unimpressive stature, strength and speed, Gretzky's intelligence and reading of the game were unrivaled. He was adept at dodging checks from opposing players, and he could consistently anticipate where the puck was going to be and execute the right move at the right time. Gretzky also became known for setting up behind his opponent's net, an area that was nicknamed "Gretzky's office" because of his adept skills in that area.^[5]

In 1978, he signed with the Indianapolis Racers of the World Hockey Association (WHA), where he briefly played before being traded to the Edmonton Oilers. When the WHA folded, the Oilers joined the NHL, where he established many scoring records and led his team to four Stanley Cup championships. His trade to the Los Angeles Kings on August 9, 1988, had an immediate impact on the team's performance, eventually leading them to the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals, and he is credited with popularizing hockey in California.^[6] Gretzky played briefly for the St. Louis Blues before finishing his career with the New York Rangers. Gretzky captured nine Hart Trophies as the most valuable player, ten Art Ross Trophies for most points in a season, five Lady Byng Trophies, five Lester B. Pearson Awards, and two Conn Smythe Trophies as playoff MVP.

After his retirement in 1999, he was immediately inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, making him the most recent player to have the waiting period waived. The NHL retired his jersey number 99 league-wide, making him the only player to receive this honor. He was one of six players voted to the International Ice Hockey Federation's (IIHF) Centennial All-Star Team. Gretzky became executive director for the Canadian national men's hockey team during the 2002 Winter Olympics, in which the team won a gold medal. In 2000, he became part owner of the Phoenix Coyotes, and following the 2004–05 NHL lockout he became the team's head coach. In September 2009, following the franchise's bankruptcy, Gretzky resigned as coach and relinquished his ownership share.

Early years[link]

Prior to World War I, Gretzky's paternal grandfather Anton (Tony) Gretzky immigrated along with his family to Canada via the United States from the Russian Empire (what is now Grodno, Belarus).^[7] Following the war, Anton would marry his wife, Mary, who immigrated from Pidhaitsi, interwar Poland (now Ukraine).^[8] Tony and Mary owned a 25-acre (10 ha) cucumber farm in Canning, Ontario^[9] where Walter Gretzky was born and raised and where he met Wayne's mother, Phyllis Hockin.^[10] They married in 1960, and lived in an apartment in Brantford, Ontario, where Walter worked for Bell Telephone Canada.^[8] The family moved into a house on Varadi Avenue in Brantford seven months after Wayne was born, chosen partly because it was flat enough to make an ice rink on every winter.^[11] Wayne was joined by a sister, Kim (b. 1963), and brothers Keith, Glen and Brent. The family would regularly visit Tony and Mary's farm and watch Hockey Night in Canada together. By age two, Wayne was trying to score goals against Mary using a souvenir stick.^[12] The farm was where Wayne skated on ice for the first time, aged two years, 10 months.^[12]

Gretzky's ancestry is typically described as English on his mother's side and either Belarusian, Ukrainian, or Polish on his father's side.^[13] In a 1999 Hockey Hall of Fame Inductee press conference, Gretzky stated "Thank God I'm Polish" when another inductee made a joke about his Scottish kilt.^[14] In interviews, Gretzky's father Walter has stated that his parents' ethnicity was Belarusian,^[15] while on other occasions he has mentioned his family's Polish ancestry.^[16] Anton Gretzky has been described as having "been born in Russia with Ukrainian forebears", while "the only Slavic language spoken in the Gretzky family [was] Ukrainian".^[17] Gretzky's mother Phyllis is of English descent^[17] and she is related to British General Sir Isaac Brock, a hero of the War of 1812.^[10]

Gretzky's first pair of skates, worn when he was three years old.

Walter taught Wayne, Keith, Brent, Glen and their friends hockey on a rink he made in the back yard of the family home, nicknamed the "Wally Coliseum".^[18] Drills included skating around Javex bleach bottles and tin cans, and flipping pucks over scattered hockey sticks to be able to pick up the puck again in full flight.^[19] Additionally, Walter gave the advice to "skate where the puck's going, not where it's been".^[19] Wayne was a classic prodigy whose extraordinary skills made him the target of jealous parents.^[20]

Gretzky's first team, at age six, was a team of ten-year-olds, starting a pattern where Gretzky always played at a level far above his peers through his minor hockey years.^[21] His first coach, Dick Martin, remarked that he handled the puck better than the ten-year-olds.^[22] According to Martin, "Wayne was so good that you could have a boy of your own who was a tremendous hockey player, and he'd get overlooked because of what the Gretzky kid was doing."^[23] The sweaters for ten-year-olds were far too large for Gretzky, who coped by tucking the sweater into his pants on the right side. Gretzky continued doing this throughout his NHL career.^[24]

By the age of ten, Gretzky had scored 378 goals and 139 assists in just one season with the Brantford Nadrofsky Steelers.^[25] His play now attracted media attention beyond his hometown of Brantford, including a profile by John Iaboni in the Toronto Telegram in October 1971.^[26] By age 13, he had scored over 1,000 goals.^[27] His play attracted considerable negative attention from other players' parents, including those of his teammates, and he was often booed.^[28] According to Walter, the "capper" was being booed on "Brantford Day" at Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens in February 1975.^[27]

When Gretzky was 14, his family arranged for him to move to and play hockey in Toronto, partly to further his career, and partly to remove him from the uncomfortable pressure he faced in his hometown. The Gretzkys had to legally challenge the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association to win Wayne the right to play elsewhere, which was disallowed at the time.^[29] The Gretzkys won, and Wayne played 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.^[30] That year, he also played three games with the Peterborough Petes in the Ontario Hockey Association as an emergency call-up, and even then the Great One impressed scouts with his abilities despite his small stature and youth. In addition, he signed with his first agent, Bob Behnke.

Despite his offensive statistics, two teams bypassed him in the 1977 OMJHL Midget Draft of 16-year-olds. The Oshawa Generals picked Tom McCarthy, and the Niagara Falls Flyers picked Steve Peters second overall. With the third pick, the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds selected Gretzky, even though Walter Gretzky had told the team that Wayne would not move to Sault Ste. Marie, a northern Ontario city that inflicts a heavy traveling schedule on its junior team. The Gretzkys made an arrangement with a local family they knew and Wayne played a season in the Ontario Hockey League at the age of 16 with the Greyhounds.^[31] It was with the Greyhounds that Wayne first wore the number 99 on his jersey. He originally wanted to wear number 9—for his hockey hero Gordie Howe—but it was already being worn by teammate Brian Gualazzi. At coach Muzz MacPherson's suggestion, Gretzky settled on 99.^[32]

At 16, in his single year at the major junior level, Gretzky surpassed the OMJHL single-season scoring record, winning the OMJHL Rookie of the Year and Most Sportsmanlike awards.

World Hockey Association[link]

In 1978, the World Hockey Association (WHA) league was in competition with the established NHL. The NHL did not allow the signing of players under the age of 20, but the WHA had no rules regarding such signings. Several WHA teams courted Gretzky, notably the Indianapolis Racers and the Birmingham Bulls. Birmingham Bulls owner John F. Bassett wanted to confront the NHL by signing as many young and promising superstars as possible and saw Gretzky as the most promising young prospect,^[33] but it was Racers owner Nelson Skalbania who signed 17-year-old Gretzky to a seven-year personal services contract worth $1.75 million US.^[34] Gretzky scored his first professional goal against Dave Dryden of the Edmonton Oilers^[35] in his fifth game, and his second goal four seconds later.^[36] Skalbania opted to have Gretzky sign a personal-services contract rather than a standard player contract in part because he knew a deal to take some WHA teams into the NHL was in the works. He also knew that the Racers could not hope to be included among those teams, and 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.^[37]

Gretzky only played eight games for Indianapolis. The Racers were losing $40,000 per game. Skalbania told Gretzky he would be moved, offering him a choice between Edmonton and Winnipeg. On the advice of his agent, Gretzky picked Edmonton, but the move was not that simple. Gretzky, goaltender Eddie Mio and forward Peter Driscoll were put on a private plane, not knowing where they would land and what team they would be joining. While in the air, Skalbania worked on the deal. Skalbania offered to play a game of backgammon with Winnipeg owner Michael Gobuty, the stakes being if Gobuty won, he would get Gretzky and if he lost, he had to give Skalbania a share of the Jets. Gobuty turned down the proposal and the players landed in Edmonton.^[38] Skalbania sold Gretzky, Mio and Driscoll to his former partner, and then-owner of the Edmonton Oilers, Peter Pocklington. Although the announced price was $850,000, Pocklington actually paid $700,000.^[35] Mio paid the $4,000 bill for the flight with his credit card.^[39] The money was not enough to keep the Racers alive; they folded that December.^[37]

One of the highlights of Gretzky's season was his appearance in the 1979 WHA All-Star Game. The format was a three-game series between the WHA All-Stars against Dynamo Moscow. The WHA All-Stars were coached by Jacques Demers, who put Gretzky on a line with his boyhood idol Gordie Howe and his son, Mark Howe.^[40] In game one, the line scored seven points, and the WHA All-Stars won by a score of 4–2.^[40] In game two, Gretzky and Mark Howe each scored a goal and Gordie Howe picked up an assist as the WHA won 4–2.^[40] The line did not score in the final game, but the WHA won by a score of 4–3.^[41]

On Gretzky's 18th birthday, January 26, 1979, Pocklington signed him to a 10-year personal services contract (the longest in hockey history at the time) worth C$3 million, with options for 10 more years.^[42] Gretzky finished third in the league in scoring at 110 points, behind Robbie Ftorek and Réal Cloutier.^[43] Gretzky captured the Lou Kaplan Trophy as rookie of the year,^[35] and helped the Oilers to first overall in the league.^[44] The Oilers reached the Avco World Trophy finals, where they lost to the Winnipeg Jets in six games.^[45] It was Gretzky's only year in the WHA, as the league folded following the season.^[46]

NHL career[link]

After the World Hockey Association folded in 1979, the Edmonton Oilers and three other teams joined the NHL.^[47] 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.^[48] The Oilers, like the other surviving WHA teams, were allowed to protect two goaltenders and two skaters from being reclaimed by the established NHL teams. Under normal circumstances, Gretzky would have been removed from the Oilers and placed in the pool for the 1979 NHL Entry Draft, but his personal services contract prevented this.^[49]

Edmonton Oilers (1979–1988)[link]

A statue, located outside Rexall Place in Edmonton, of Gretzky hoisting the Stanley Cup, which the Oilers won four times with him.

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.^[50][51] Although Gretzky played 79 games to Dionne's 80, Dionne was awarded the Art Ross Trophy since he scored more goals (53 vs. 51).^[52] The season still stands as the highest point total by a first year player in NHL history. 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 WHA experience.^[53] The Calder was awarded to Boston Bruins defenceman Ray Bourque.^[54]

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).^[32] He won his second straight Hart Trophy.^[50] In the first game of the 1981 playoffs versus the Montreal Canadiens, Gretzky had five assists. This was a single game playoff record.^[55]

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.^[56] 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.^[57] 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 two hundred–point mark.^[58] That year, Gretzky became the first hockey player and first Canadian to be named Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year.^[59] He was also named 1982 "Sportsman of the Year" by Sports Illustrated.^[60] The Canadian Press also named Gretzky Newsmaker of the Year in 1982.

The following seasons saw Gretzky break his own assists record three more times (125 in 1982–83, 135 in 1984–85, and 163 in 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, in 1985–86).^[61][62] 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 first overall in their last WHA 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.^[63] The Oilers were a young, strong team featuring, in addition to Gretzky, future Hall of Famers including forwards Mark Messier, 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 Final, only to be swept by the three-time defending champion New York Islanders.^[64] The following season, the Oilers met the Islanders in the Final again, this time winning the Stanley Cup, their first of five in seven years.^[65] 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 and 7 months—and two Governors General—before he could accept the honour.^[66] He was promoted to Companion of the Order of Canada in 2009 "for his continued contributions to the world of hockey, notably as one of the best players of all time, as well as for his social engagement as a philanthropist, volunteer and role model for countless young people".^[67] The Oilers also won the Cup with Gretzky in 1985, 1987 and 1988.^[68]

The Gretzky Rule[link]

In June of 1985 the NHL Board of Governors as part of a five rule change package to be implemented for the 1985-1986 season made a decision to ban four-on-four play when penalties are assessed by the referee at the same time. The rule change was made due to the dominance of the Edmonton Oilers during four-on-four play in which they thrived in the wide open style of play and would almost assuredly get a goal. Gretzky held a press conference just one day after being awarded the Hart Trophy condemning the NHL for punishing teams and players who previously benefited. The rule change became known as the Gretzky rule.^[69]

"The Trade"[link]

Two hours after the Oilers won the Stanley Cup in 1988, Gretzky learned from his father that the Oilers were planning to deal him to another team.^[70] Walter had known for months, but kept it from Gretzky so as not to upset him. According to Walter, Gretzky was being "shopped" to Los Angeles, Detroit, New York and Vancouver. According to Gretzky, Pocklington needed money as his other business ventures were not doing well (a similar reason to the cause of Babe Ruth being sold to the New York Yankees), and had gone "sour" on Gretzky and wanted to move him.^[71] At first, Gretzky did not want to leave Edmonton, but he later received a call from Los Angeles Kings owner Bruce McNall while on his honeymoon asking permission to meet and discuss the deal. Gretzky informed McNall that his prerequisites for a deal to take place were that Marty McSorley and Mike Krushelnyski join him as teammates in Los Angeles. After the details of the trade were finalized by McNall and Pocklington, one final condition had to be met: Gretzky had to call Pocklington and request a trade.^[72] When Pocklington revealed his plans to trade Gretzky to Oilers general manager and head coach Glen Sather, Sather went to work trying to stop the trade, but, when he found out Gretzky played a part in it, he changed his attitude to GM as he requested Luc Robitaille in exchange. The Kings refused, instead offering Jimmy Carson.^[73]

On August 9, 1988, in a move that heralded significant change in the NHL, the Oilers traded Gretzky, along with McSorley and Krushelnyski, to the Kings for Carson, Martin Gelinas, $15 million in cash, and the Kings' first-round draft picks in 1989 (later traded to the New Jersey Devils – New Jersey selected Jason Miller), 1991 (Martin Rucinsky), and 1993 (Nick Stajduhar).^[62] "The Trade", as it came to be known,^[74] upset Canadians to the extent that New Democratic Party House Leader Nelson Riis demanded that the government block it,^[75] and Pocklington was burned in effigy outside the Northlands Coliseum.^[20] Gretzky himself was considered a "traitor" by some Canadians for turning his back on his adopted hometown, and his home country; his motivation was widely rumoured to be the furtherance of his wife's acting career.^[76]

In Gretzky's first appearance in Edmonton after the trade—a game that was nationally televised in Canada—he received a four-minute standing ovation.^[77] The arena was sold out, and the attendance of 17,503 was the Oilers' biggest crowd ever to that date.^[77] Large cheers erupted for his first shift, his first touch of the puck, his two assists, and for Mark Messier's body check of Gretzky into the boards.^[77] After the game, Gretzky took the opportunity to confirm his patriotism: "I'm still proud to be a Canadian. I didn't desert my country. I moved because I was traded and that's where my job is. But I'm Canadian to the core. I hope Canadians understand that."^[77] After the 1988–89 season, a life-sized bronze statue of Gretzky was erected outside the Northlands Coliseum, holding the Stanley Cup over his head (picture shown above, to the right).^[78]

Los Angeles Kings (1988–1996)[link]

The Kings named Gretzky their alternate captain. He made an immediate impact on the ice, scoring on his first shot on goal in the first regular-season game.^[79] The Kings got off to their best start ever, winning four straight on their way to qualifying for the playoffs. Despite being underdogs against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Edmonton 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. He was nervous that Edmonton would greet him with boos, but they were eagerly waiting for him.^[80] For only the second time in his NHL career, Gretzky finished second in scoring, but narrowly beat out Pittsburgh's Mario Lemieux (who scored 199 points) for the Hart Trophy as MVP.^[81] In 1990, the Associated Press named him Male Athlete of the Decade.^[82]

Gretzky's first season in Los Angeles saw a marked increase in attendance and fan interest in a city not previously known for following hockey. The Kings now boasted of numerous sellouts.^[83] 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 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.^[84]

Gretzky 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.^[85] However, he performed very well in the playoffs, notably when he scored a hat trick in game seven of the Campbell Conference Finals against the Toronto Maple Leafs.^[32] This victory propelled the Kings into the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history, where they faced the Montreal Canadiens. After winning the first game of the series by a score of 4–1, the team lost the next three games in overtime, and then fell 4–1 in the deciding fifth game where Gretzky failed to get a shot on net.^[86]

The next season, Gretzky broke Gordie Howe's career goal-scoring record and won the scoring title,^[32] but the team began a long slide, and despite numerous player and coaching moves, they failed to qualify for the playoffs again until 1998.^[87] 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.

During the 1994–95 NHL lockout, Gretzky and some friends (including Mark Messier, Marty McSorley, Brett Hull, and Steve Yzerman) formed the Ninety Nine All Stars Tour and played some exhibition games in various countries.

St. Louis Blues (1996)[link]

On February 27, 1996, Gretzky joined the St. Louis Blues in a trade for Patrice Tardif, Roman Vopat, Craig Johnson, and two draft picks.^[62] He partially orchestrated the trade after reports surfaced that he was unhappy in Los Angeles.^[88] At the time of the trade, the Blues and New York Rangers emerged as front-runners, but the Blues met his salary demands.^[89] Gretzky was immediately named the team's captain. He scored 37 points in 31 games for the team in the regular season and the playoffs,^[61] and the Blues came within one game of the Conference Finals.^[90] However, the chemistry that everyone expected with winger Brett Hull never developed, and coach Mike Keenan publicly criticized him.^[91] Gretzky rejected a three-year deal worth $15 million with the Blues, and on July 22, he signed with the New York Rangers as a free agent, rejoining longtime Oilers teammate Mark Messier for a two-year $8 million (plus incentives) contract.^[92]

New York Rangers (1996–1999)[link]

Gretzky in a New York Rangers uniform in 1997

Gretzky ended his professional playing career with the New York Rangers, where he played his final three seasons and helped the team reach the Eastern Conference Finals in 1997.^[93] The Rangers were defeated in the Conference Finals in five games by the Philadelphia Flyers, despite Gretzky leading the Rangers in the playoffs with 10 goals and 10 assists.^[61] For the first time in his NHL career, Gretzky was not named captain,^[94] although he briefly wore the captain's 'C' in 1998 when captain Brian Leetch was injured and out of the lineup.^[95] After the 1996–97 season, Mark Messier signed a free agent contract with the Vancouver Canucks, ending the brief reunion of Messier and Gretzky after just one season.^[96] The Rangers did not return to the playoffs during the remainder of Gretzky's career.^[97]

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.^[25]

Gretzky in 1997 with New York Rangers

The 1998–99 season was his last season. He reached one milestone in this last season, breaking the professional total (regular season and playoffs) goal-scoring record of 1,071, which had been held by Gordie Howe. Gretzky was having difficulty scoring this season and finished with only nine goals, contributing to this being the only season in which he failed to average at least a point per game, but his last goal brought his scoring total for his combined NHL/WHA career to 1,072, one more than Howe.^[98] As the season wound down, there was media speculation that Gretzky would retire, but he refused to announce his retirement. His last NHL game in Canada was on April 15, 1999, a 2–2 tie with the Ottawa Senators, the Rangers' second-to-last game of the season.^[99] Following the contest, instead of the usual three stars announcement, Gretzky was named as all three stars.^[100] It was only after this game, after returning to New York that Gretzky announced his retirement, before the Rangers' last game of the season.^[101]

The final game of Gretzky's career was a 2–1 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on April 18, 1999, in Madison Square Garden. The national anthems in that game were adjusted to accommodate Gretzky's departure. In place of the lyrics "O Canada, we stand on guard for thee", Bryan Adams ad-libbed, "We're going to miss you, Wayne Gretzky".^[102] The Star-Spangled Banner, as sung by John Amirante, was altered to include the words "in the land of Wayne Gretzky".^[103] Gretzky ended his career with a final point, assisting on the lone New York goal scored by Brian Leetch.^[102] At the time of his retirement, Gretzky was the second-to-last WHA player still active in professional hockey, Mark Messier, who himself attended the game along with other representatives of the Edmonton dynasty, being the last.^[104]

Gretzky told Scott Morrison that the final game of his career was his greatest day.^[105] He recounted:

Madison Square Garden photographer George Kalinsky's image of Gretzky waving to the crowd at the Garden, like his image of Messier after the Rangers won game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals five years earlier, would become an iconic image to the Rangers and their fans, documenting one of the greatest moments at the Garden,^{[106][107][108]} and even to hockey fans.

International play[link]

Medal record
Competitor for  Canada
Ice hockey
World Cup
Silver	1996 Canada
Canada Cup
Gold	1991 Canada
Gold	1987 Canada
Gold	1984 Canada
Silver	1981 Canada
World Championships
Bronze	1982 Finland
World Junior Championships
Bronze	1978 Canada

Gretzky made his first international appearance as a member of the Canadian national junior team at the 1978 World Junior Championships in Montreal, Quebec. He was the youngest player to compete in the tournament at the age of 16. He went on to lead the tournament in scoring with 17 points to earn All-Star Team and Best Forward honours. Canada finished with the bronze medal.^[109][110]

Gretzky debuted with the Team Canada's men's team at the 1981 Canada Cup. He led the tournament in scoring with 12 points en route to a second-place finish to the Soviet Union,^[109] losing 8–1 in the final. Seven months later, Gretzky joined Team Canada for the 1982 World Championships in Finland. He notched 14 points in 10 games, including a two-goal, two-assist effort in Canada's final game against Sweden to earn the bronze.^[109] Gretzky did not win his first international competition until the 1984 Canada Cup, when Canada defeated Sweden in a best-of-three finals. He led the tournament in scoring for the second consecutive time and was named to the All-Star Team.^[109]

Gretzky's international career highlight arguably came three years later at the 1987 Canada Cup. Gretzky has called the tournament the best hockey he had played in his life.^[111] Playing on a line with Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Mario Lemieux, he recorded a tournament-best 21 points in nine games. After losing the first game of a best-of-three final series against the Soviets, Gretzky propelled Canada with a five-assist performance in the second game, including the game-winning pass to Lemieux in overtime, to extend the tournament.^[111] In the deciding game three, Gretzky and Lemieux once again combined for the game-winner. With the score tied 5–5 and 1:26 minutes to go in regulation, Lemieux one-timed a pass from Gretzky on a 3–on–1 with defenceman Larry Murphy. Lemieux scored to win the tournament for Canada; the play is widely regarded as one of the most memorable plays in Canadian international competition.^[112]

The 1991 Canada Cup marked the last time the tournament was played under the "Canada Cup" moniker. Gretzky led the tournament for the fourth and final time with 12 points in seven games. He did not, however, compete in the final against the United States due to a back injury.^[109] Canada nevertheless won in two games by scores of 4–1 and 4–2. Five years later, the tournament was revived and renamed the World Cup in 1996. It marked the first time Gretzky did not finish as the tournament's leading scorer with seven points in eight games for fourth overall.^[109] The 1996 World Cup also ended Canada's winning streak at the tournament (including the Canada Cups), losing in three games of a best-of-three final.

Leading up to the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, it was announced that NHL players would be eligible to play for the first time. Gretzky was named to the club on November 29, 1997.^[109] However, Gretzky, was passed over for the captaincy, along with several other Canadian veterans including Steve Yzerman and Ray Bourque in favour of the younger Eric Lindros.^[113] Expectations were high for the Canadian team, but the team lost to the Czech Republic in the semi-finals.^[114] The game went to a shootout with a 1–1 tie after overtime, but Gretzky was controversially not selected by coach Marc Crawford as one of the five shooters.^[115] Team Canada then lost the bronze medal game 3–2 to Finland to finish without a medal.^[116] The Olympics marked Gretzky's eighth and final international appearance, finishing with four assists in six games. He retired from international play holding the records for most goals (20), most assists (28), and most overall points (48) in Best-on-best hockey.^[117]

Influences and skills[link]

Gretzky's size, strength, and basic athletic abilities were not considered impressive. As an 18-year-old NHL rookie in 1979, he was conspicuously underweight at just 160 pounds (73 kg). Many critics opined at that time that Gretzky was "too small, too wiry, and too slow to be a force in the NHL".^[118] Although he managed to increase his weight to 185 pounds (84 kg) by the end of his career in 1999, that was still much less than the NHL average. During his years with the Oilers, the team conducted individual strength and stamina tests twice per year. According to Gretzky himself, he always finished dead last in peripheral vision, flexibility and strength, and could only bench press 140 pounds (64 kg).^[119] On the other hand, his intelligence and reading of the game was unrivaled, and he could consistently anticipate where the puck was going to be and execute the right move at the right time.^[31] Hall of Fame defenceman Bobby Orr said of Gretzky, "He passes better than anybody I've ever seen. And he thinks so far ahead."^[120]

He was considered one of the most creative players in hockey. "You never knew what he was going to do," said hockey Hall of Famer Igor Larionov. "He was improvising all the time. Every time he took the ice, there was some spontaneous decision he would make. That’s what made him such a phenomenal player."^[121] Gretzky’s ability to improvise came into the spotlight at the 1998 Olympics in Japan. Then an older player in the sunset of his career, he had been passed over for the captaincy of the team. But as the series continued, his unique skills made him the team’s real leader.

"The Canadians had trouble with the big ice. They had trouble with the European patterns and the lateral play and the endless, inventive cycling. . . . . Slowly, as game after game went by and the concern continued to rise, Wayne Gretzky began climbing through the lineup. He, almost alone among the Canadians, seemed to take to the larger ice surface as if it offered more opportunity instead of obligation . . . . His playing time soared, as he was being sent on not just for power plays but double shifts and even penalty kills. By the final round . . . it was Wayne Gretzky who assumed the leadership both on and off the ice.^[122]

Gretzky had such an uncanny ability to judge the position of the other players on the ice that many suspected he enjoyed some kind of extrasensory perception. Sports commentators said that he played like he had "eyes in the back of his head."^[123] Gretzky said he sensed other players more than he actually saw them. "I get a feeling about where a teammate is going to be," he said. "A lot of times, I can turn and pass without even looking."^[4] One author said, "He could envision the whole rink in his mind and how players were moving within it." Because of this "vision," Gretzky was sometimes called the "Einstein of Hockey."^[124]

Veteran Canadian journalist Peter Gzowski says that Gretzky also seemed to be able to, in effect, slow down time. Gzowski explains that the most elite athletes have "more room in the flow of time" than ordinary athletes.^[125] Of Gretzky he said, "There is an unhurried grace to everything Gretzky does on the ice. Winding up for the slapshot, he will stop for an almost imperceptible moment at the top of his arc, like a golfer with a rhythmic swing." "Gretzky uses this room to insert an extra beat into his actions. In front of the net, eyeball to eyeball with the goaltender . . . he will . . . hold the puck one . . . extra instant, upsetting the anticipated rhythm of the game, extending the moment. . . He distorts time, and not only by slowing it down. Sometimes he will release the puck before he appears to be ready, threading the pass through a maze of players precisely to the blade of a teammate’s stick, or finding a chink in a goaltender’s armour and slipping the puck into it . . . before the goaltender is ready to react."^[126]

However, Gretzky denied that he had any exotic innate abilities. He said that many of his advantages were a result of his father's brilliant coaching.

Some say I have a 'sixth sense' . . . Baloney. I've just learned to guess what's going to happen next. its anticipation. It's not God-given, its Wally-given. He used to stand on the blue line and say to me, 'Watch, this is how everybody else does it.' Then he'd shoot a puck along the boards and into the corner and then go chasing after it. Then he'd come back and say, 'Now, this is how the smart player does it.' He'd shoot it into the corner again, only this time he cut across to the other side and picked it up over there. Who says anticipation can't be taught?^[119]

Gretzky learned his skills from his father on a backyard rink at his home. Walter Gretzky had played Junior B hockey, but was slowed by chicken pox and failed in a tryout for the Junior A Toronto Marlboros, ending his playing career.^[127] Walter cultivated a love of hockey in his sons and provided them with a backyard rink and drills to enhance their skills.^[19] On the backyard rink, nicknamed the "Wally Coliseum", winter was total hockey immersion with Walter as mentor-teacher as well as teammate. According to Brent Gretzky, "It was definitely pressed on us, but we loved the game. Without the direction of the father, I don't know where I'd be."^[128]

The rink itself was built so that Walter could keep an eye on his boys from the warmth of his kitchen, instead of watching them outdoors on a neighbourhood rink, as Wayne put in long hours on skates.^[129] Walter's drills were his own invention, but were ahead of their time in Canada. Gretzky would later remark that the Soviet National Team's practice drills, which impressed Canada in 1972, had nothing to offer him: "I'd been doing these drills since I was three. My Dad was very smart."^[130]

In his autobiography, Gretzky describes how at practices, his Dad would drill him on the fundamentals of smart hockey:

Him: ‘Where's the last place a guy looks before he passes it?’

Me: ‘The guy he's passing to.’

Him: ‘Which means...’

Me: ‘Get over there and intercept it.’

Him: ‘Where do you skate?’

Me: ‘To where the puck is going, not where it's been.’

Him: ‘If you get cut off, what are you gonna do?’

Me: ‘Peel.’

Him: ‘Which way?’

Me: ‘Away from the guy, not towards him.’ ^[131]

Much has been written about Gretzky’s highly developed hockey instincts, but he once explained that what appeared to be instinct was, in large part, the effect of his relentless study of the game. As a result, he developed a deep understanding of its shifting patterns and dynamics. Peter Gzowski says that elite athletes in all sports understand the game so well, and in such detail, that they can instantly recognize and capitalize upon emerging patterns of play. Analyzing Gretzky’s hockey skills, he says, "What we take to be creative genius is in fact a reaction to a situation that he has stored in his brain as deeply and firmly as his own phone number." Gzowski presented this theory to Gretzky, and he fully agreed. "Absolutely," Gretzky said. "That’s a hundred percent right. It’s all practice. I got it from my Dad. Nine out of ten people think it’s instinct, and it isn’t. Nobody would ever say a doctor had learned his profession by instinct; yet in my own way I’ve put in almost as much time studying hockey as a medical student puts in studying medicine."^[132]

But Gretzky’s skill as an athlete was not all mental. Like Gordie Howe, he possessed "an exceptional capacity to renew his energy resources quickly." In 1980, an exercise physiologist tested all of the Edmonton Oilers, and when he saw the results of Gretzky’s test of recuperative abilities, he said "he thought the machine had broken." ^[133] He was, in fact, an exceptional all-around athlete. Growing up, he was a competitive runner and also batted .492 for the Junior Intercounty Baseball League's Brantford CKCP Braves in the summer of 1980. As a result, he was offered a contract by the Toronto Blue Jays.^[133] History repeated itself in June 2011, when Gretzky’s 17-year-old son, Trevor, was drafted by the Chicago Cubs. Trevor signed with the Cubs the next month.^[134]

Where Gretzky differed from others in his development was in the extraordinary commitment of time on the ice. In his autobiography, he wrote:

All I wanted to do in the winters was be on the ice. I'd get up in the morning, skate from 7:00 to 8:30, go to school, come home at 3:30, stay on the ice until my mom insisted I come in for dinner, eat in my skates, then go back out until 9:00. On Saturdays and Sundays we'd have huge games, but nighttime became my time. It was a sort of unwritten rule around the neighbourhood that I was to be out there myself or with my dad.^[135]

Gretzky would prod next-door neighbour Brian Rizzetto to play in goal after sundown in order to practice his backhand.^[130] He not only enthusiastically practised long hours every day, but he also started working on his skills at an extraordinarily young age. When asked how he managed, at age ten, to score 378 goals in a single season, Gretzky explained,

See, kids usually don’t start playing hockey until they’re six or seven. Ice isn’t grass. It’s a whole new surface and everybody starts from ground zero. . . . By the time I was ten, I had eight years on skates instead of four, and a few seasons’ worth of ice time against ten-year-olds. So I had a long head start on everyone else.^[136]

Gretzky also excelled at baseball and box lacrosse, which he played during the summer. At age ten, after scoring 196 goals in his hockey league, he scored 158 goals in lacrosse.^[137] According to him, lacrosse was where he learned to protect himself from hard checks: "In those days you could be hit from behind in lacrosse, as well as cross-checked, so you had to learn how to roll body checks for self-protection."^[138] Gretzky, who weighed far less than the NHL average, adroitly applied this technique as a professional player, avoiding checks with such skill that a rumour circulated that there was an unwritten rule not to hit him.^[139] But Gretzky himself dispelled the rumor at the end of one grueling season with the Edmonton Oilers, in which he had suffered a mild concussion as a result of what writer Michael Benson called a "cheap shot" from Winnipeg Jets star centre Dale Hawerchuk. "People say there is an unwritten rule that you can’t hit Gretzky," he said, "but that is not true."^[140]

Still, Gretzky was a most elusive target. Fellow Hockey Hall of Famer Denis Potvin compared attempting to hit Gretzky to "wrapping your arms around fog. You saw him but when you reached out to grab him your hands felt nothing, maybe just a chill." The 205-pound (93 kg) Potvin, a three-time winner of the Norris Trophy for best defenseman, added that part of the problem in hitting Gretzky hard was that he was "a tough guy to dislike... what was there to hate about Gretzky? It was like running Gandhi into a corner."^[141]

Gretzky became known for setting up with the puck behind the net, an area that was nicknamed "Gretzky's Office" because of his great prowess there.^[5] He could pass to an open teammate, jump out for his own shot on a wraparound, or even try to shoot the puck over the goal to bounce it off the goaltender's back and into the net. Gretzky became accustomed to the position after watching and studying Bobby Clarke play in that zone.^[142] In honour of his abilities, a large "99" was painted on the ice behind the goal at each end of the rink for his final game.^[143]

Post-retirement[link]

Gretzky was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on November 22, 1999, becoming the tenth player to bypass the three-year waiting period.^[144] The Hall of Fame then announced that he would be the last player to do so.^[145] He was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2000.^[146] In addition, Gretzky's jersey number 99 was retired league-wide at the 2000 NHL All-Star Game. Gretzky's jersey number 99 is only the second number ever to be retired league-wide by a major North American sports league, the other being Jackie Robinson's number 42, which was retired by Major League Baseball in 1997.^[147] Edmonton honoured Gretzky by renaming the freeway that passes by the Oilers arena, Capilano Drive, one of Edmonton's busiest, to "Wayne Gretzky Drive" in October 1999.^[148] Also in Edmonton, the local transit authority assigned a rush-hour bus route numbered No. 99 which also runs on Wayne Gretzky Drive for its commute.^[149] In 2002, the Kings held a jersey retirement ceremony and erected a life-sized statue of Gretzky outside the Staples Center; the ceremony was delayed until then so that Bruce McNall, who had recently finished a prison sentence, could attend.^[150] His hometown of Brantford, Ontario, renamed Park Road North to "Wayne Gretzky Parkway" as well as renaming the North Park Recreation Centre to The Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre. Brantford further inducted Gretzky in to its "Walk of Fame" in 2004.^[151]

Phoenix Coyotes[link]

Almost immediately after retirement, several NHL teams approached him about an ownership role.^[152] In May 2000, he agreed to buy a 10% stake in the Phoenix Coyotes in a partnership with majority owner Steve Ellman, taking on the roles of alternate governor, managing partner and head of hockey operations.^[153] The Coyotes were in the process of being sold and Ellman convinced Gretzky to come on board, averting a potential move to Portland, Oregon.^[153] The sale was not completed until the following year, on February 15, 2001, after two missed deadlines while securing financing and partners before Ellman and Gretzky could take over. The sale completed with the addition to the partnership of Jerry Moyes.^[154] Gretzky convinced his long-time agent Michael Barnett to join the team as its General Manager.^[155]

In 2005, rumors began regarding Gretzky becoming the head coach of the team, but were denied by Gretzky and the Coyotes.^[156] He agreed to become head coach on August 8, 2005.^[157] Gretzky made his coaching debut on October 5,^[158] and won his first game on October 8 against the Minnesota Wild.^[159] He took an indefinite leave of absence on December 17 to be with his ill mother. Phyllis Gretzky died of lung cancer on December 19.^[160] Gretzky resumed his head-coaching duties on December 28.^[161]

In 2006, Moyes became majority owner of the team, and Ellman majority owner of the Glendale Arena and Westgate development.^[162] There was uncertainty about Gretzky's role^[163] until it was announced on May 31, 2006 that he had agreed to a five-year contract to remain head coach.^[164]

On May 5, 2009, the Coyotes' holding company, Dewey Ranch Hockey LLC, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. An ownership dispute involving Research in Motion's Jim Balsillie (with the intention of relocating the team) and the NHL itself arose, which eventually ended up in Court. Gretzky did not attend the Coyotes' training camp, leaving associate head coach Ulf Samuelsson in charge, due to an uncertain contractual status with the club, whose bankruptcy hearings were continuing. Bidders for the club had indicated that Gretzky would no longer be associated with the team after it emerged from bankruptcy, and on September 24, 2009, Gretzky stepped down as head coach and head of hockey operations of the Coyotes.^[165]

Winter Olympics[link]

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 media and fan comments regarding his team's uninspiring 1–1–1 start.^[166] His temper boiled over after Canada's 3–3 draw versus 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.^[166] 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. Gretzky addressed those comments by saying he spoke out to protect the Canadian players, and the tirade was not "staged".^[167] The Canadian team won the gold medal, its first in 50 years.^[168]

Gretzky again acted as Executive Director of Canada's men's hockey team at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, though not with the success of 2002; the team was eliminated in the quarterfinals and failed to win a medal.^[169] He was asked to manage Canada's team at the 2005 Ice Hockey World Championships, but declined due to his mother's poor health.^[170]

Gretzky, Steve Nash, Nancy Greene and Catriona LeMay Doan participate in the lighting of the Olympic cauldron.

Gretzky also served as an ambassador and contributor in Vancouver winning the bidding process to host the 2010 Winter Olympics. He went to Prague, Czech Republic and was part of the presentation team.^[171]

Gretzky was the final Olympic torchbearer at the 2010 Winter Olympics. He was one of four who lit the cauldron at BC Place Stadium during the opening ceremony (although one was unable to due to technical difficulties with one of the cauldron's "arms" which failed to raise) and then jogged out of the stadium, where he was then driven by police escorts through the streets of downtown Vancouver to light a second, outdoor cauldron near the Vancouver Convention Centre located in the city's downtown waterfront district.^[172] Under IOC rules, the lighting of the Olympic cauldron must be witnessed by those attending the opening ceremony, implying that it must be lit at the location where the ceremony is taking place. Although another IOC rule states that the cauldron should be witnessed outside by the entire residents of the entire host city, this was not possible since the ceremony took place indoors. However, VANOC secretly built a second outdoor cauldron next to the West Building of the Vancouver Convention Centre, and Gretzky was secretly chosen to light this permanent cauldron.^[173] Quickly word spread through the downtown Vancouver area that Gretzky was indeed the final torchbearer, and very soon a crush of people came running after the police escort to cheer Gretzky on and hopefully catch a glimpse of him carrying the torch to the outdoor cauldron.^[174]

For the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, he was named Special Advisor to the Canada men's national ice hockey team.^[175]

Heritage Classic[link]

Although Gretzky had previously stated he would not participate in any "old-timers exhibition games",^[176] 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.^[177] 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 (whose likes included Claude Lemieux, Guy Lafleur and others). Despite frigid temperatures, the crowd numbered 57,167, with an additional several million watching the game on television.^[178] The Edmonton alumni won the Megastars game 2–0,^[179] while Montreal went on to win the regular season game held later that day, 4–3.^[177]

Off the ice[link]

Gretzky has made several TV appearances, including a Dance Fever celebrity judge, and an 'unforgettable appearance', acting in a dramatic role along side with Victor Newman in The Young and The Restless in 1981.^[180] In 1984, he travelled to the Soviet Union to film a television program on Russian goaltender Vladislav Tretiak.^[181] Gretzky hosted the Saturday Night Live comedy program in 1989.^[182] A fictional crime-fighting version of him served as one of the main characters in the cartoon ProStars in 1991.^[183][184] Gretzky has made over 60 movies, network television and video appearances as himself, according to IMDB, as of February 2012.^[185]

Family[link]

While serving as a celebrity judge on Dance Fever, Gretzky met his future wife, American actress Janet Jones.^[186] According to Wayne, Janet does not recall him being on the show.^[186] They met regularly after that, but did not become a couple until 1987 when they ran into each other at a Los Angeles Lakers game that Wayne and Alan Thicke were attending.^[187] Wayne proposed in January 1988,^[188] and they were married on July 17, 1988 in a lavish ceremony the Canadian press dubbed "The Royal Wedding".^[189] Broadcast live throughout Canada from Edmonton's St. Joseph's Basilica, members of the Fire Department acted as guards at the church steps. The event reportedly cost Gretzky over US$1 million.^[190]

The couple have five children: Paulina, Ty, Trevor, Tristan, and Emma. Ty played hockey at Shattuck-Saint Mary's,^[191] but quit, and returned home. He now attends Arizona State University. Trevor graduated from Oaks Christian High School, where he played baseball and varsity football, in 2011. He signed a letter of intent to play baseball at San Diego State University, currently coached by Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn,^[192] and was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 2011 MLB draft. His teammates on the football team included wide receiver Trey Smith, son of Will Smith, and quarterback Nick Montana, son of former NFL quarterback Joe Montana.^[193][194] Gwynn told the Toronto Sun that Trevor had signed with the Cubs, a signing that was not immediately announced by the team, and thus would not play for him at San Diego State.^[192]

Business ventures[link]

Gretzky has owned or partnered in the ownership of two sports teams before becoming a partner in the Phoenix Coyotes. In 1985, Gretzky bought the Hull Olympiques of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for $175,000 CA.^[195] During his ownership, the team's colours were changed to silver and black, presaging the change in team jersey colours when he played for the Los Angeles Kings. For the first season that Gretzky played in Los Angeles, the Kings had their training camp at the Olympiques' arena.^[196] Gretzky eventually sold the team in 1992 for $550,000 CA.^[197]

In 1991, Gretzky purchased the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League with Bruce McNall and John Candy. The club won the Grey Cup championship in the first year of the partnership but struggled in the two following seasons, and the partnership sold the team before the 1994 season. Only McNall's name was engraved on the Grey Cup as team owner, but in November 2007, the CFL corrected the oversight, adding Gretzky's and Candy's names.^[198] In 1992, Gretzky and McNall partnered in an investment to buy a rare Honus Wagner T206 cigarette card for $451,000 US, later selling the card. It most recently sold for $2.8 million US.^[199]

As of May 2008, Gretzky's current business ventures include the "Wayne Gretzky's" restaurant in Toronto near the Rogers Centre in downtown Toronto, opened in partnership with John Bitove in 1993.^[200] Gretzky is also a partner in First Team Sports, a maker of sports equipment and Worldwide Roller Hockey, Inc., an operator of roller hockey rinks.^[201] He has endorsed and launched a wide variety of products, from pillow cases to insurance.^[202][203] Forbes estimates that Gretzky earned US$93.8 million from 1990–98.^[4]

Transactions[link]

• 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's 1989, 1991 and 1993 first round draft choices, and $15,000,000.
• 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's 1996 fifth round draft choice, and 1997 first round draft choice.
• July 21, 1996 – Signed as a free agent with the New York Rangers.

Source: "Wayne Gretzky: Notes". NHL. http://www.nhl.com/ice/player.htm?id=8447400&view=notes. Retrieved December 9, 2010. 

Career statistics[link]

Playing career[link]

Figures in boldface italics are NHL records.

GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes; +/– = Plus/minus; PP = Powerplay goals; SH = Shorthanded goals; GW = Game-winning goals

International performance[link]

Coaching record[link]

Source: "hockeydb.com: Wayne Gretzky's profile". hockeydb.com. http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php3?pid=2035. Retrieved May 5, 2008. 

See also[link]

	ice hockey portal
	Canada portal

• List of career achievements by Wayne Gretzky
• List of NHL players with 100-point seasons
• List of NHL players with 500 goals
• List of NHL players with 1000 games played
• List of NHL players with 1000 points
• List of NHL statistical leaders
• NHL Slapshot

Notes[link]