Biography:Nicknamed "The Great One", he has been called the "greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters, players, and the NHL itself. He is the leading point-scorer in NHL history, with more assists than any other player has points.
He is also the only player to total over 200 points in one season, a feat he accomplished four times. He won four Stanley Cup championships as a member of the Edmonton Oilers.
1988-07-16 Canadian NHL superstar Wayne Gretzky (27) weds American 'Police Academy 5' / 'A League of Their Own' actress Janet Jones (27) in Edmonton, Alberta
1988-07-17 NHL ice hockey star player Wayne Gretzky (27) weds actress Janet Jones (27) at St. Joseph's Basilica in Edmonton, Canada
Historical Events
1978-11-02 Wayne Gretzky is sold to the Edmonton Oilers after just 8 games with the Indianapolis Racers of the WHA (scoring 6 points); scores 104 points in 72 games (both teams combined) and is named WHA rookie of the year
1979-10-14 NHL's greatest scorer Wayne Gretzky scores his 1st NHL goal
1980-02-15 NHL Oilers Wayne Gretzky assists on NHL-record-tying 7 goals, in 8-2 victory over Washington at Northlands Coliseum, Edmonton
1980-04-02 In his first full season in the NHL, Wayne Gretzky scores for Edmonton in a 1-1 tie with Minnesota North Stars to become the youngest player to reach 50 goals at 19 years and 2 months of age
1981-02-18 20-year-old Edmonton center Wayne Gretzky becomes first player in NHL history to score 5 career hat-tricks before age 21; scores 5 goals and 2 assists in 9-2 Oilers' home win against St. Louis
1981-04-01 Edmonton center Wayne Gretzky has an assist (his 103rd) in the Oilers 4-4 tie with Colorado Rockies to break Bobby Orr's 10-year mark for most assists in a single NHL season
1981-12-27 Edmonton Oiler Wayne Gretzky becomes fastest NHLer to get 100 point in a season (his 38th game), with 4 goals and an assist in 10-3 win over visiting Los Angeles Kings
1981-12-30 Wayne Gretzky scores 5 goals and an assist in Edmonton's 7-5 win over Philadelphia; gives Gretzky 50 goals in 39 games, the fastest 50 in 50 in NHL history; also sets NHL record with 15-game assist streak
1982-02-12 Wayne Gretzky scores 153rd point of season, breaking NHL record
1982-02-24 Wayne Gretzky scores NHL-record 78th goal of season en route to 92
1982-03-25 Wayne Gretzky becomes 1st NHL to score 200 points in a season
1983-02-08 35th NHL All-Star Game, Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale: Campbell Conference beats Wales Conference, 9-3; MVP: Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers, C
1983-02-08 Wayne Gretzky sets NHL all star record of 4 goals in one period
1983-10-05 Edmonton super star Wayne Gretzky scores a goal and assist in 5-4 win over Toronto in the Oilers season opener; starts NHL record 51-game scoring streak; ends 28/1/84
1983-11-19 Edmonton Oilers beat NJ Devils, 13-4, Wayne Gretzky calls the Devils "a Mickey Mouse organization"
1983-12-17 In his 352nd NHL game, Wayne Gretzky scores a goal & 5 assists in 8-1 rout of Quebec Nordiques to record his 800th point and 500th assist; averages 2.27 points, 1.42 assists, 0.85 goals per game to start career
1984-01-28 Edmonton center Wayne Gretzky's NHL record point scoring streak ends at 51 games when Oilers beaten 4-2 by LA Kings; Gretzky totals 61-92-153 during the period
1984-02-11 Wayne Gretzky sets NHL short handed season scoring record at 11
1984-05-19 Stanley Cup Final, Northlands Coliseum, Edmonton, AL: Wayne Gretzky scores twice as Edmonton Oilers beat NY Islanders, 5-2 for a 4-1 series win; Oilers first SC title
1984-12-19 Wayne Gretzky, 23, is 18th & youngest NHL-er to score 1,000 points
1984-12-29 Wayne Gretzky scores his NHL career 32nd hat trick & adds 3 assists in Edmonton's 6-3 win over Detroit Red Wings for his 100th point in just 35 games; 2nd fastest in history - recorded 100 points in 34 games in 1983
1985-01-13 Playing in his 436th career game, Edmonton center Wayne Gretzky scores his 400th career NHL goal and adds 2 assists in a 5-4 Oilers' win over the Sabres in Buffalo
1985-01-26 Edmonton Oiler Wayne Gretzky scores 50th goal in 49th game of season
1985-03-29 Wayne Gretzky breaks own NHL season record with 126th assist
1985-04-02 Edmonton center Wayne Gretzky sets an NHL record with his 34th career hat trick as the Oilers beat the Kings 6-4 in Los Angeles
1985-04-25 For 2nd time, Wayne Gretzky, scores 7 points in a Cup game (3 goals, 4 assists)
1985-05-30 Stanley Cup Final, Northlands Coliseum, Edmonton, AL: Edmonton Oilers take back-to-back titles; beat Philadelphia Flyers, 8-3 for a 4-1 series victory; Wayne Gretzky and Jari Kurri each post a goal and 3 assists
1986-03-07 Wayne Gretzky breaks own NHL season record with 136th assist
1986-04-04 Wayne Gretzky sets NHL record with 213th point of season
1986-11-22 Edmonton Oiler Wayne Gretzky becomes the 13th NHLer to score 500 goals
1986-12-17 Edmonton's Wayne Gretzky scores 4 goals, including a natural hat trick in the 1st period and also records an assist as the Oilers win 5-3 over the visiting Quebec Nordiques; his 41st NHL career hat trick
1987-04-05 Wayne Gretzky wins 7th straight NHL scoring title
1987-04-09 For 3rd time, Wayne Gretzky, scores 7 points (1 goal, 6 assists) in a Stanley Cup game and passes Jean Béliveau as all time playoff scoring champ
1988-03-01 Edmonton's Wayne Gretzky picks up a 1st period assist in Oilers' 5-3 win over LA Kings to move ahead of Gordie Howe as NHL's all time leader in career assists; Howe 1,049 assists in 26 years, Gretzky 1,050 in 9 years
1988-08-09 Edmonton Oilers trade Wayne Gretzky to LA Kings for $15-$20 millions
1988-11-23 Wayne Gretzky scores his 600th NHL goal
1989-01-10 LA Kings center Wayne Gretzky becomes NHL’s all-time leading scorer in combined regular season & playoff points; 4 assists in 5-4 home win over Edmonton brings his total to 2,011, 1 more than Gordie Howe
1990-01-30 LA center Wayne Gretzky sets NHL record by scoring his 100th point of the season for the 11th straight season; milestone comes with an assist in a 5-2 Kings' win over visiting New Jersey Devils
1991-01-03 Wayne Gretzky becomes fastest and youngest player in NHL history to score 700 goals (886 games at age 29 years, 342 days) in LA Kings’ 6-3 win over the NY Islanders at the Nassau Veteran Memorial Coliseum
1991-02-25 Businessman Bruce McNall, hockey legend Wayne Gretzky and actor John Candy buy CFL's Toronto Argonauts
1991-04-10 LA King Wayne Gretzky scores NHL record 93rd playoff goal
1991-11-24 CFL Grey Cup, Winnipeg Stadium: Toronto Argonauts defeat Calgary Stampeders, 36-21; Argos under new ownership of LA Kings owner Bruce McNall, hockey player Wayne Gretzky and actor John Candy
1994-03-21 Wayne Gretzky ties Gordie Howe's NHL record of 801 goals
1994-03-23 Wayne Gretzky sets NHL record with 802 goals scored
1996-07-21 Wayne Gretzky signs a 2 year deal with NY Rangers
1996-12-01 Wayne Gretzky becomes first and only player in NHL history to reach 3,000-point plateau (including playoffs); records an assist in NY Rangers' 6-2 win over Montreal Canadiens at Madison Square Garden
1997-10-22 NHL superstar Wayne Gretzky's wife Janet is knocked unconscious and gets 2 stitches after plexiglass falls on her watching a game
1998-01-09 Hockey News selects Wayne Gretzky as the best NHL player ever
1999-01-24 49th NHL All-Star Game, Ice Palace, Tampa, FL: North America beats World, 8-6; MVP: Wayne Gretzky, NY Rangers, C
1999-02-15 Wayne Gretzky records 5 assists in NY Rangers' 7-4 win over the Predators; takes a 1,000 point lead over Gordie Howe in all time NHL scoring lead; Gretzky's only appearance in Nashville
1999-04-18 Wayne Gretzky plays his last game in the NHL, as his New York Rangers lose 2-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins
1999-10-01 Edmonton Oilers retire Wayne Gretzky's #99 in a pre-game ceremony before a 1-1 tie v NY Rangers, the last team for which 'The Great One' suited up in an NHL game
2005-10-05 NHL great Wayne Gretzky makes his coaching debut for the Phoenix Coyotes in 3-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena
2005-10-08 NHL great Wayne Gretzky gets his first win as a coach as the Phoenix Coyotes beat the Minnesota Wild 2-1 at Jobing.com Arena, Phoenix
Alex Ovechkin
Dino Ciccarelli
Frank Mahovlich
Henri Richard
Ken Dryden
Pat LaFontaine