Wayne Gretzky: The Great One
Legendary athletes come to the surface in every sport over a few years; Wayne Gretzky was one of them. He is the Mohammad Ali of hockey, just on skates.
Wayne Gretzky was born just outside Toronto in a small city called Brantford. He was the eldest out of his five siblings. He grew up watching Hockey Night on television, just like any other Canadian toddler growing up. It was not long before he began playing hockey - at the age of two - at his grandparent’s farm.
Gretzky, at the tender age of six, joined his first team, consisting of players aged ten. He was always a level ahead of his teammates, even at such an early age. The young star was a little wonder from the start with his fantastic hockey skills, which naturally made him the target of envious parents.
At just the age of ten, Wayne Gretzky had scored around 378 goals and more than 120 assists in just around 85 games. His amazing play was grabbing attention for the young star ahead of his home town. He was often ‘booed’ on by parents as well as his teammates’ parents.
Gretzky’s parents moved him to Toronto to ease the tremendous pressure he was getting at his hometown. By age 14, he had more than 1000 goals, and earned the ‘Rookie of the Year’ award. Gretzky scored a record by surpassing OMJHL season at the age of 16, winning two other titles, the OMJHL Rookie of the Year and Most Sportsmanlike awards.
The young player subjugated NHL like none could do, starting from his rookie season. By his professional career, he was a foremost scorer; he won the title of League MVP nine times. Gretzky singlehandedly led Edmonton Oilers, his first NHL team, five times consecutively to the Stanley Cup, from ’84-88. In ’88, he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings. It was a blockbuster trade, and the Canadians weren’t too happy about it, as he was considered a national treasure.
Wayne Gretzky is beyond doubt a global superstar, appearing in innumerable commercials, and making it to the cover of countless magazines. He also has a freeway named after him. His unique peculiarity comes to the point that he is the only player whose number was retired by all member clubs; that is when you know how big his impact was on NHL. He also appeared as a guest star, hosting the comedy show SNL “Saturday Night Live”. The Hockey News named Wayne Gretzky as the greatest player in National Hockey League History.
Wayne's image of being extremely family-oriented image still stays clear, with not many controversies and rumours circling his personal life, as well as around his career. Wayne soon became the spokesman for big companies after his trade with the Los Angeles Kings; for products such as Ford and Bud Light. The hockey star started his own clothing line and opened up a restaurant by the Hockey Hall of Fame. Wayne Gretzky now heads all hockey operations related to Phoenix Coyotes as a managing partner.
By the end of his career, Wayne broke the all-time goal and points records made by Gordie Howe. He was the only person to make 2000 career points and hold 60 official NHL records.
The remarkable hockey player is known for his dominance around the globe. He was ranked #1 out of the 50 great players in NHL history. The list was made right before his retirement by several hockey experts consisting of present writers, coaches and former NHL players. Right beside Michael Schumacher, football’s Diego Maradona or NBA’s greatest offensive and defensive player Michael Jordon, Wayne Gretzky has touched the epitome of National Hockey League entering the Hall of fame by 1999, well deserving the title "The Great One".
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