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. 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. He knew he wasn't big enough, strong enough, or even fast enough to do what he wanted to do if others focused on him. "[81], Between 1982 and 1985, the Edmonton Oilers averaged 423 goals a season, when no previous team had scored 400, and Gretzky on his own had averaged 207 points, when no player before had scored more than 152 in one year. [280] The Lady Byng Trophy, awarded for sportsmanship and performance, was presented to Gretzky five times between 1980 and 1999. [16] On the backyard rink, nicknamed the "Wally Coliseum", winter was total hockey immersion with Walter as mentor-teacher as well as teammate. Based on the numbers that today's superstars put . It's not God-given, it's Wally-given. He was 82. Trevor signed with the Cubs the next month. That's my whole strategy: Find Open Ice. [160] In his second year in the league, weighing just 165 pounds, he broke the previous single-season scoring record, racking up 164 points. [186] Gretzky was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in 2017. One of the rumored reasons that trade happened is . Wayne Gretzky Wikipedia. Gretzky addressed those comments by saying he spoke out to protect the Canadian players, and the tirade was not "staged". In his autobiography, Gretzky describes how at practices his father would drill him on the fundamentals of smart hockey: Him: "Where's the last place a guy looks before he passes it?" [68] The following season, the Oilers met the Islanders in the Finals again, this time winning the Stanley Cup, their first of five in seven years. [142], He passed and shot with prodigious skill. In addition, Gretzky tallied over 100points in 16 professional seasons, 14 of them consecutive. [129] In the deciding game three, Gretzky and Lemieux once again combined for the game-winner. In 2004, Gretzky was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. . It's anticipation. It most recently sold for US$2.8 million. Gretzky made his opponents compete with five players, not one, and he made his teammates full partners to the game. [121] "The Star-Spangled Banner", as sung by John Amirante, was altered to include the words "in the land of Wayne Gretzky". [247] Forbes estimates that Gretzky made US$93.8million from 1990 to 1998. [272][273][274][275][276] In 2014, Gretzky praised Harper at a United for Ukraine Gala event in Toronto calling him "one of the greatest prime ministers ever". [9] 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. [53] The season still stands as the highest point total by a first-year player in NHL history. [248] He has endorsed and launched a wide variety of products, from pillow cases to insurance. [145] Statistics support the contention: whereas Phil Esposito, who had set the previous goal-scoring record, needed 550 shots to score 76 goals, Gretzky netted his 76th after only 287 shotsabout half as many. [259][260][261][262] Gretzky has other restaurants opened in 2016 at the Edmonton International Airport and named No. The Oshawa Generals picked Tom McCarthy first, and the Niagara Falls Flyers picked Steve Peters second overall. His 50th goal of the season came on December 30, 1981, in the final seconds of a 75 win against the Philadelphia Flyers and was his fifth of the game. Wayne Gretzky junior career. Howe traveled with the Gretzky family to show support. [2], Born and raised in Brantford, Ontario, Gretzky honed his skills on a backyard rink and regularly played minor hockey at a level far above his peers. The athlete gene is certainly present in the Gretzky family. ", "Wayne Gretzky | They Live Among Us! Walter Gretzky, CM, OOnt (October 8, 1938 - March 4, 2021) was a Canadian philanthropist who was best known as the father of Canadian ice hockey icon Wayne Gretzky.. An avid hockey player as a youth, and a keen analyst of the game, he built a backyard rink for his children, and coached Wayne continually from the age of three, devising creative exercises and drills, and teaching him profound . [130], The 1991 Canada Cup marked the last time the tournament was played under the "Canada Cup" moniker. "I do! [188] 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. [254][255] Gretzky also made an appearance on the music video for Nickelback's "Rockstar". [144] Because he was so light compared to other players, goalies were often surprised by how hard Gretzky's shot was. [120], The final game of Gretzky's career was a 21overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on April 18, 1999, in Madison Square Garden. [91] After the game, Gretzky took the opportunity to confirm his patriotism: "I'm still proud to be a Canadian. But as the series continued, his unique skills made him a team leader. Wayne Gretzky is regarded as the greatest professional ice hockey player of all time by sportswriters, players, the NHL itself, and the Canadian ice hockey magazine The Hockey News. "It's as if my father raised me until age 17, then turned me over to Slats and said, 'You take him from here.'"[83]. [91] Large cheers erupted for his first shift, his first touch of the puck, his two assists, and Mark Messier's body check of Gretzky into the boards. Paulina and Dustin's first child, Tatum Gretzky Johnson, was born just over two years . 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. [93] The Kings got off to their best start ever, winning four straight en route to qualifying for the playoffs. [74] Amid growing concern around the NHL that a financial institution might be able to lay claim to Gretzky's rights in the event the heavily leveraged Pocklington were to declare bankruptcy, as well as growing dissatisfaction on the part of Gretzky and his advisers, in 1987, Gretzky and Pocklington agreed to replace the personal services contract with a standard NHL contract. [99] However, he performed well in the playoffs, notably when he scored a hat trick in gameseven of the Campbell Conference Finals against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Wayne Gretzky and Janet Jones has been married since 1988, and their union has produced three sons - Ty Gretzky, Trevor Gretzky, and Tristan Gretzky - and two daughter named Paulina Gretzky, and Emma Gretzky. [21] His play attracted media attention beyond his hometown of Brantford, including a profile by John Iaboni in the Toronto Telegram in October 1971. The Gretzky home at 42 Viradi Ave., in Brantford, has become something of a national shrine . [10] In September 2009, following the Phoenix Coyotes' bankruptcy, Gretzky resigned as head coach and relinquished his ownership share. [175], Gretzky was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on November 22, 1999, becoming the tenth player to bypass the three-year waiting period. The men including Wayne, two of his sons Trevor and Ty, and his grandchildren Tatum and River, who belong to Paulina stood . [180] In October 1999, Edmonton honoured Gretzky by renaming one of Edmonton's busiest freeways, Capilano Drivewhich passes by Northlands Coliseumto Wayne Gretzky Drive. The family moved into a house on Varadi Avenue in Brantford seven months after Wayne was born, chosen . Wayne Gretzky @WayneGretzky . By age two, Wayne was trying to score goals against Mary using a souvenir stick. [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. Then an older player in the sunset of his career, he had been passed over for the captaincy of the team. 31. [133][134] Team Canada then lost the bronze medal game 32 to Finland to finish without a medal. With a private gym in their home, it's easy for the fitness-focused couple to stay active. Gretzky's wedding to the then-Janet Jones was . [127] Canada finished with the bronze medal. "[80], In this, Gretzky added his considerable influence as the preeminent NHL star of his day to that of the Soviets, who had also developed a more team-style of play, and had successfully used it against the best NHL teams, beginning in the 1972 Summit Series. [35] The money was not enough to keep the Racers alive; they folded that December. In 1983, they made it to the Stanley Cup Finals, only to be swept by the three-time defending champion New York Islanders. [279] In addition, he earned the Lester B. Pearson Award (now Ted Lindsay Award) on five occasions; the award is given to the NHL's "most outstanding player", as determined by National Hockey League Players' Association members. Over 20 seasons in the NHL, he held 61 records, including six all-star records. [3] Gretzky is the leading goal scorer, assist producer and point scorer in NHL history,[4] and has more assists in his career than any other player scored total points. [47] In exchange for agreeing to keep Gretzky off the draft board, the NHL placed Edmonton at the bottom of the draft order. Walter Gretzky was the son of immigrants - a Polish mother and Russian father - who started a vegetable farm in 1932 in Canning, Ont., just outside Brantford, on the Nith River, where Wayne . [150], Despite his lack of strength, Gretzky had remarkable physical stamina. Like a magician, he had to direct attention elsewhere, to his four teammates on the ice with him, to create the momentary distraction in order to move unnoticed into the open ice where size and strength didn't matter. [12] The family moved into a house on Varadi Avenue in Brantford seven months after Wayne was born, chosen partly because its yard was flat enough to make an ice rink in winter. The Canadians had trouble with the big ice. "Janet makes me go to hot yoga," Gretzky reveals. [126] Gretzky did not win his first international competition until the 1984 Canada Cup, when Canada defeated Sweden in a best-of-three finals. [117] As the season wound down, there was media speculation that Gretzky would retire, but he refused to announce his retirement. Him: "If you get cut off, what are you gonna do?" The Gretzkys had to legally challenge the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association to win Wayne the right to play in a different area, which was disallowed at the time. Five years later, the tournament was revived and renamed the World Cup in 1996. It's a whole new surface and everybody starts from ground zero. [281], A number of awards and trophies have been created under his name. [79], Gretzky had a major influence on the style of play of the Edmonton Oilers and in the NHL as a whole, helping to inspire a more team-based strategy. [202] The Coyotes' performance declined in 200607, as the team ended the season 15th in their conference. Every time he took the ice, there was some spontaneous decision he would make. [165] Gretzky also excelled at box lacrosse, which he played during the summer. 9. Fellow Hockey Hall of Famer Denis Potvin compared attempting to hit Gretzky to "wrapping your arms around fog. He left in 2021 to become an analyst on Turner Sports' NHL coverage. So I had a long head start on everyone else. [58] Later that season, Gretzky broke Esposito's record for most goals in a season (76) on February 24, 1982, scoring three to help defeat the Buffalo Sabres 63. [55], In his second season, Gretzky won the Art Ross (the first of seven consecutive) with a then-record 164points, breaking both Bobby Orr's record for assists in a season (102) and Phil Esposito's record for points in a season (152). The father of Wayne Gretzky became a name himself, a constant in Wayne's world. By 1978, the World Hockey Association, which had been in competition with the established NHL since 1972, was clearly struggling. By the end of the regular season, the signings of Gretzky and other young stars in addition to other factors had compelled enough of the hardline NHL owners to change their positions, and an agreement (technically recognized as the 1979 expansion by the NHL) was finalized. Phyliss, his wife of 45 years, died of lung . Walter Gretzky father of hockey hall-of-famer Wayne Gretzky waves to fans as the Buffalo Sabres play against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Toronto on Tuesday, January 17, 2017. [213] 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). [224][225], While serving as a judge on Dance Fever, Gretzky met actress Janet Jones. Marie Greyhounds selected Gretzky, even though Walter Gretzky had told the team Wayne would not move to Sault Ste. The Great One wasn't going to leave hockey behind forever, though. He is widely known for being one of hockey's greatest players of all time and has broken more than 60 records in the NHL. "[143] In his first two seasons in the NHL, his deft passing skills helped earn him a reputation as an ace playmaker, and so opposing defencemen focused their efforts on foiling his attempts to pass the puck to other scorers. 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. [132] The game went to a shootout with a 11 tie after overtime, but Gretzky was controversially not selected by coach Marc Crawford as one of the five shooters, all of whom failed to score. She and Johnson posed beside her father Wayne and mom Janet, while their two boys sat beneath them in the cutest . [92], The Kings named Gretzky their alternate captain. Wayne Gretzky had four siblings: Kim Gretzky was born May 12, 1963; Keith Gretzky was born February 16, 1967; Glen Gretzky was born August 15, 1969 Wayne Gretzky of the Los Angeles Kings at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, Calif., October 10, 1989. . "[164] His stamina is also indicated by the fact that Gretzky often scored late in the game. Early years. Mark Messier, who attended the game along with other representatives of the Edmonton Oilers' dynasty, was the last.[123]. The family had five children, and they all played hockey as toddlers. [163] He consistently scored last in strength tests among the Edmonton Oilers, bench pressing only 140 pounds (64kg). [146], Veteran Canadian journalist Peter Gzowski wrote that Gretzky seemed to be able to slow down time. [118] Following the contest, in a departure from the usual three stars announcement, Gretzky was awarded all three stars. Wayne has five children with his wife of over 30 years, actor Janet Jones: 32-year-old Paulina, 30-year-old Ty, 28-year-old Trevor, 20-year-old Tristan, and 18-year . 99. On Family, Hockey and Healing." "Wayne says the same thing." Walter Gretzky AP Walter's celebrity status increased after making a remarkable recovery from a stroke suffered in 1991. Since the Order ceremonies are always held during the hockey season, it took 13years and 7monthsand two Governors Generalbefore he could accept the honour. When the WHA folded, the Oilers joined the NHL, where he established many scoring records and led his team to four Stanley Cup championships. Gretzky has made several TV appearances, including as a Dance Fever celebrity judge, and acted in a dramatic role alongside Victor Newman in The Young and the Restless in 1981. After she said, "Yes," a banner flew by that read . The investigation revealed the gambling ring had ties to the Bruno-Scarfo crime family and CBS News reported that Gretzky had been caught on a wire tape " discussing how the hockey great's wife . Him: "Which means" "[270], During the 2015 Canadian federal election campaign, Gretzky endorsed the Conservative Party and Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and was featured at a campaign rally praising Harper by calling him "wonderful to the country. And as a couple we would like to thank our friends and family, what an amazing weekend. Gretzky clung to life for 21 days, with his family sitting with him, similar to how he fought after numerous other debilitating health complications over the years. Courtesy Heritage Auctions [60] That year, Gretzky became the first hockey player and first Canadian to be named Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year. [21] Gretzky said he would have voted Bobby Orr or Gordie Howe as the best of all time. [17], The team Gretzky played on at age six was otherwise composed of 10-year-olds. [88], 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 Glinas, $15million in cash, and the Kings' first-round draft picks in 1989 (later traded to the New Jersey Devils, who used it to select Jason Miller), 1991, (used to select Martin Runsk), and 1993, (used to select Nick Stajduhar). "[91] After the 198889 season, a life-sized bronze statue of Gretzky was erected outside Northlands Coliseum, holding the Stanley Cup over his head. As you . At coach Muzz MacPherson's suggestion, Gretzky settled on 99.[30]. (the family evidently spoke Ukrainian). The Oilers reached the Avco World Trophy finals (the only WHA championship series appearance for the franchise), where they lost to the Winnipeg Jets in six games. . [22] In the 1974 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament, Gretzky scored 26 points playing for Brantford. As a result, he was offered a contract by the Toronto Blue Jays. [235][236], His father Walter died in 2021 at the age of 82. [185] On May 10, 2010, he was awarded The Ambassador Award of Excellence by the LA Sports & Entertainment Commission. Paulina?s future is secured, no question about it. Wayne Gretzky speaks during a promotional event for the Beijing Kunlun Red Star in his role as global ambassador for the team on Sept. 13, 2018. . Gretzky was its captain from 1983 to 1988. I saw him do it night after night. Jones took to Instagram writing: "Love you, Wayne, and a perfect night with most of the family by our sides. His mother was of English, and some Cornish and Irish, descent. He made them skate to his level and pass and finish up to his level or they would be embarrassed. 18. Dryden wrote in his book The Game, "In the past, defenders and teams had learned to devise strategies to stop opponents with the puck. 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. [222] In December 2016, Gretzky appeared briefly in a cameo on a Christmas episode of The Simpsons as a winter character. [251][252] The video game brand EA Sports included Gretzky in its 2010 title NHL Slapshot,[253] and he had previously been an endorser for the 989 Sports games Gretzky NHL 2005 and Gretzky NHL 2006. By the end of the 1990s, Wayne Gretzky had hung up his skates. The experts voted Gretzky number one. [84], 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. Figures in boldface italics are NHL records. [156], 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 and practice of the game, in co-operation with his coaches. Chicago coach Mike Keenan said it best: "There's a spot on the ice that's no-man's land, and all the good goal scorers find it." [183] Also in 2002, Gretzky received a star on Canada's Walk of Fame in Toronto. )", "Review: Wayne Gretzky writes hockey's history in 99", "Gretzky's book tops Canadian sales for 2016", "Wayne Gretzky endorses Harper despite not being allowed to vote", "Awarded Canada's top honour in 2009, Gretzky has yet to pick it up", "Does The Great One know about politics? 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.[155]. [175] He stressed the need to play and practice hockey for the love of the game,[176] and felt that skill was more important to develop than talent and that Canada had the potential to be world leaders in skill development. [277] Between 1981 and 1994, he won the Art Ross Trophy, presented to the NHL's season points leader, 10 times.