Wayne Gretzky

Background

Wayne Douglas Gretzky CC was born on January 26, 1961, in Ontario, Canada to Walter Gretzky and Phyllis Leone. The family had five children, and they all played hockey as toddlers. By the time Gretzky turned six, he was playing hockey alongside the teenagers in his locale. In 1977, he was the third pick in the midget draft for the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League where he played for Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. His impressive performance at the World Junior Championship in 1978 propelled him toward the big league.

Despite age restrictions, Gretzky played his first official N.H.L. season in 1979. With a remarkable performance, he proved his naysayers wrong and went on to win the league’s Most Valuable Player award, scoring a magnificent 137 points. By 1986, he had become one of the best players in terms of scoring goals and points. He finished the season with a record of 52 goals and 163 assists, ranking him among the world’s finest ice hockey players. His abilities on the hockey field earned him celebrity status among his countrymen, and the Canadian government didn’t shy away from showering him with honors and awards. Gretzky was honored with the Officer of the Order of Canada, which is among the highest Canadian civilian honors. He continued performing well for the Edmonton Oilers, before being traded to Los Angeles Kings for some cash which came across as a shocker to many. There were rumors that Gretzky had persuaded the Edmonton Oilers to proceed with the trade so that he could support his wife, who was a struggling actress. During the 1988 season, Gretzky made his N.H.L. debut for the L.A. Kings. For the first season, he was appointed alternate captain. Despite his lackluster performance, he was still regarded as one of the league’s greatest players. He had to leave L.A. Kings to join St. Louis Blues in 1996. He just played one season for them. He had lost his magical touch by this point. The next year, he joined the New York Rangers, where he played for three seasons before retiring from the game. In 1997, he helped his side reach the Eastern Conference Finals, but they were defeated by the Philadelphia Flyers. In his final season, 1998-99, he shattered Goldie Howe’s goal-scoring record of 1,071 goals.

After announcing his retirement in 1999, as expected, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. In 2000, he bought a 10% stake in the Phoenix Coyotes and took on the roles of head of hockey operations and managing partner. He served as the head coach of the team from 2001 to 2009. In October 2016, he became the vice-chairman and partner of Oilers Entertainment Group. Presently, he operates his own restaurant business in Canada. Gretzky has appeared on television many times, including his stint as a judge on a show titled “Dance Fever.” On the set of the show, he met actress Janet Jones. In July 1988, the couple got married and they now have five children. He has also written many books, including “99: Stories of the Game,” which was co-authored by Kirstie McLellan Day and published in 2016.