Wayne Gretzky biography
Wayne Gretzky, in full Wayne Douglas Gretzky, byname the Great One, (born January 26, 1961, Brantford, Ontario, Canada), Canadian ice-hockey participant who was thought of by many to be the best participant within the historical past of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Gretzky started skating at age two and a half and was first taught hockey by his father. By age 6 he was enjoying as an all-star in novice hockey with boys 10 and 11 years outdated. He progressed by way of organized age-group hockey, and in 1977 on the Junior World Cup competitors, he was the youngest participant and the main scorer. Gretzky turned skilled for the 1978–79 season, enjoying for the Indianapolis Racers within the World Hockey Association (WHA). His contract quickly was offered to the Edmonton Oilers, who joined the NHL firstly of the 1979–80 season. As centre and crew captain, Gretzky led the Oilers to 4 Stanley Cup victories (within the 1983–84, 1984–85, 1986–87, and 1987–88 seasons). Following the 1987–88 season, he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings.
Early within the 1989–90 season Gretzky broke Gordie Howe’s NHL all-time scoring file of 1,850 factors (the entire variety of targets and assists), and late within the 1993–94 season he broke Howe’s file for profession targets (801). In 1996 Gretzky was traded by the Kings to the St. Louis Blues. Later that 12 months he signed with the New York Rangers. With his 1,851st help, scored in a 1997 recreation in opposition to the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, Gretzky broke one more file, scoring extra assists than any participant had scored factors in an NHL profession.
Gretzky retired from skilled play after the 1998–99 season and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1999. His profession totals embrace 2,857 factors and 894 targets. The NHL retired his jersey quantity (99) after his last recreation. Gretzky grew to become a minority proprietor of the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes in 2000, and he was named the Coyotes’ head coach in 2005. The Coyotes struggled throughout Gretzky’s tenure, and he resigned as head coach in 2009, which was the identical 12 months through which he misplaced his possession stake when the crew filed for chapter and was subsequently bought by the NHL. In 2016 he returned to the Oilers franchise as a companion and vice chairman.