Wayne gretzgy biography

He scored one goal, the lowest yearly total of his career. Already Gretzky had mastered a unique skating stride. His dad's advice to "skate to where the puck's going to be" helped him score goals in seventy-six games at the age of nine. Gretzky's father pushed his son to succeed and told him that the years of hard work would pay off when he became a successful hockey player.

As a sixteen-year-old in the Junior "A" league, Gretzky continued his high scoring and packed the arenas with fans eager to witness his skills. He wore number 99, because number 9 was still being worn by his idol, Gordie Howe. His slight build led one junior coach to suggest he pick an offensive position, where he could avoid body contact.

This was the beginning of Gretzky's trademark spot: behind the opponent's net. In Gretzky moved to Toronto to play for the Young Nats, where he won the league's rookie of the year award. Two years later the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds drafted him, and he again won rookie of the year honors. Gretzky had gone to school in Brantford and continued high school classes in Sault Ste.

Marie but left before graduating. Less than two months later the Edmonton Oilers of the same league purchased his contract, signing Gretzky to a twenty-one-year contract. He won his first Hart Trophy for most valuable player, and he won the Lady Byng Trophy for his sportsmanship and skating ability. Taking the public by storm, Gretzky's polite charm was the perfect foil to the traditional rough-edged hockey player.

He went on to become the first player to win the Hart Trophy for eight years in a row, from the — 80 wayne gretzgy biography through the — 87 season. Despite Gretzky's talents, the struggling Oilers remained at the bottom of the league. In his second year he led the league in assists and points, made the first All-Star team, and won his second most valuable player trophy award, but the Oilers lost in the quarter-finals to the New York Islanders.

During the — 82 season he continued to break records, including some of his own. He scored fifty goals in thirty-eight games, breaking Maurice Richard 's — record. And on February 24,he broke Phil Esposito 's — single season scoring record. But the Oilers had not yet made it past the first round of the playoffs. In the — 84 season, however, the Oilers won their first Stanley Cup.

The two subsequent seasons ended with the Oilers taking the Stanley. In the summer of Gretzky was traded to the Los Angeles Kings. He quickly turned that weak team into one of the best. Gretzky, a left-handed shooting center, developed a style that was as distinctive as it was exciting to watch. Listed in the program as 6 feet and pounds, he always stayed away from fights, preferring to drift and glide around the ice.

Some fans believed that he viewed the rink as a chessboard and that he had the ability to sense where the puck was going to end up, thus skating to that position. Others believed that his greatest asset was his ability to move sideways across the ice at full speed. But it was his assists that made him especially valuable to his team. In becoming the leading scorer in NHL wayne gretzgy biography he set a new record for assists more than thirteen hundred in just twelve seasons.

In he passed his idol Gordie Howe's all-time point record of 1, Such achievement brought Gretzky numerous commercial endorsements for companies as different from one another as General Mills and Nike. Consumers found his personality appealing, and he only endorsed products he used. Advertising Age Magazine called him "an ideal athlete to endorse products.

Gretzky continued breaking records and winning awards in the s. Late in the — 94 season he broke another Howe record of career goals, accomplishing this in fewer games than Howe played. Gretzky began to get frustrated with the unsuccessful attempts of the Kings, and he wanted to be traded. Gretzky was traded to the St. Louis Blues in the — 96 season.

Gretzky's career with the Blues was brief. He had not yet officially signed with the team when they lost the first two games in the playoff series. The coach and wayne gretzgy biography manager of the Blues blamed Gretzky for the losses, but Gretzky had already decided not to sign with St. Instead, he signed with the New York Rangers for the — 97 season.

Gretzky retired from hockey in New York in April He left the game after twenty years as a professional in the sport, with sixty-one NHL records held or shared. His number 99 jersey was permanently retired at ceremonies during Gretzky's final game with the Rangers. Gretzky was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in November The crowning achievement in Gretzky's hockey career came at the Winter Olympics of as executive director of Canada's hockey team.

A Canadian ice worker embedded a lucky "loony," Canada's one-dollar coin, in the hockey arena's ice. Perhaps that's why the Canadian team won over the United States5 to 2. It was the most watched game in the history of hockey, with thirty-eight million homes tuned in. The final goal was scored with the sound of "O Canada," Canada's national anthemin the background.

Currently Gretzky is part owner of the Phoenix Coyotes. He lives with his wife and four children in the United States. Podnieks, Andrew. Toronto, Ontario: Doubleday Canada, Rosenthal, Bert. Wayne Gretzky: The Great Gretzky. Chicago : Children's Press, Wayne Gretzky bornknown by hockey fans simply as "The Great One," showed great talent even in the junior leagues in Canada.

He went on to become the first player to win the Hart Trophy for eight consecutive years and beat hockey legend Gordie Howe 's all-time point record of 1, His father, Walter, had hoped himself to become a hockey player but was discouraged because of his size. Wayne displayed an early interest in skating and received his first pair of skates when he was three years old.

He learned to skate on the Ninth River near his grandfather's farm in Canning, Ontario, and at public rinks on weekends. But it was the rink built for him by his father behind the little house on Varadi Avenue in Brantford that received the acclaim of being the birthplace of his skating skills. He was only six years old when he saw his first year in organized hockey, scoring one goal, the lowest yearly total of his career.

As a nine-year-old in he scored goals in 76 games, with assists. ISBN Retrieved Ballantine Books. Further reading [ change change source ]. Brunt, Stephen Vintage Canada. Doeden, Matt Wayne Gretzky. Twenty-First Century Books. Other websites [ change change source ]. Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wayne Gretzky. Hidden categories: Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia Commons category link from Wikidata.

Toggle the table of contents. Hockey Hall of Fame Wayne Gretzky, Louis Blues New York Rangers. He eventually relinquished his ownership of the team. Gretzky, who's become involved in both the restaurant business and the wine business over the years, lives with his family in California. We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us!

Cristiano Ronaldo. Bill Belichick. Aaron Judge. Rafael Nadal. Lindsey Vonn. Mike Tyson. Trade to Los Angeles However, in the summer ofthe unthinkable happened when the Oilers traded Gretzky to Los Angeles for a slew of players, draft picks and cash. Louis Blues and the New York Rangers during his long career. Fact Check We strive for accuracy and fairness.

Watch Next. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below. Gretzky's time in Edmonton laid the foundation for his legacy, solidifying his reputation as "The Great One. He holds an astounding 61 records, including the most career goals atthe most assists at 1, and the most points at 2, His remarkable ability to score and facilitate plays set a standard in hockey that arguably has yet to be matched.

Notably, Gretzky is the only player to score over points in a single season, achieving this milestone in with 92 goals and assists, a feat that remains unparalleled.

Wayne gretzgy biography

During his tenure with the Edmonton Oilers, Gretzky transformed the franchise into a powerhouse, leading the team to four Stanley Cup championships between and His success wasn't limited to just team accolades; he also captured the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's most valuable player on multiple occasions. Gretzky's combination of scoring prowess, vision, and intelligence on the ice earned him recognition not only as a statistical leader but also as a respected ambassador for the sport, elevating hockey's profile across North America and beyond.

The blockbuster deal sent shockwaves through the hockey community, as the Oilers traded their superstar in exchange for multiple players, draft picks, and cash. Speculation surrounding the trade fueled conversations, with many believing that Gretzky's desire to relocate had much to do with his then-wife, actress Janet Jones, seeking opportunities in Los Angeles.

Others theorized that the NHL orchestrated the trade to boost hockey's presence in a non-traditional market, fearing that Gretzky's immense talent was wasted in a smaller Canadian city. Once the trade was finalized, Gretzky donned the Kings jersey and continued to perform at a high level, albeit with slightly less dominance than during his earlier years.

His presence elevated the franchise and brought unprecedented attention to hockey in Southern California. Under his leadership, the Kings reached the Stanley Cup finals inshowcasing Gretzky's ability to transform a team into a competitive force. Although they fell to the Montreal Canadiens in five games, Gretzky's impact on the franchise and the sport in the region fostered a new era of hockey that resonated beyond traditional markets.

Wayne Gretzky's final years with the New York Rangers were a culmination of his remarkable hockey career. After joining the Rangers inGretzky continued to showcase his legendary skills, although he was no longer the dominant player of his early years.