Wayne Gretzky

Wayne Gretzky (born January 26,1961), nicknamed the "Great One", was a professional hockey player for four different teams in the 1980s and 1990s. Gretzky played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL). He led the Edmonton Oilers to four Stanley Cup Championships. He holds the NHL records for points (200) and goals (92) in a single season, among many other records. Wayne Gretzyky, in what was one of the most highly publicized professional sports trades, was acquired by the Los Angeles Kings on Aug. 9, 1988 to help further his wife's career in acting, Janet Jones who worked in Hollywood. Gretzky being married to a St. Louis girl, actress Janet Jones, has extended family in the Gateway city and was traded to the St. Louis Blues on Feb. 27, 1996.

On April 18, 1999 Wayne Gretzky played his last ever NHL game as a member of the New York Rangers that same year on November 22, 1999 Gretzky was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. A hero to Canadians, Gretzky was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2004

Gretzky is widely considered to be the greatest player who ever played the game and the NHL has recognized his achievements by retiring his jersey number (#99) league-wide upon his retirement from the game.^[1] He is the only NHL player to be given that honor, and one of only two professional sports players to receive it (the other being Jackie Robinson).

Coaching and ownership[edit]

In 2000, Gretzky became part-owner of the Phoenix Coyotes, and following the 2004–05 NHL lock-out, he became the team's head coach. Gretzky coached the Coyotes from 2005-2009, finishing with a 143-161-24 record, and the team missed the playoffs in all four seasons under Gretzky.

In September 2009, following the Phoenix Coyotes' bankruptcy, Gretzky resigned as head coach and relinquished his ownership share. The NHL took ownership of the Phoenix Coyotes franchise in late 2009.

Quotes[edit]

National Hockey League players Brett Hull and Wayne Gretzky converge with Shayne Corson of the St. Louis Blues to celebrate a goal against Owen Nolan of the San Jose Sharks at the San Jose Arena on March 15, 1996 in San Jose, California

• "You'll always miss 100% of the shots you don't take" ^[2]
• "I skate where the puck is going to be, not where it has been."
• "Procrastination is one of the most common and deadliest of diseases and its toll on success and happiness is heavy."

Further reading[edit]

• Dryden, Steve, ed. Total Gretzky: The Magic, The Legend, The Numbers, (1999)
• Gretzky, Wayne, with Rick Reilly. Gretzky: An Autobiography,' '(1990),

References[edit]

1. ↑ http://www.azhockey.com/shirts/shirtsRetired.html
2. ↑ How to Sell to an Idiot: 12 Steps to Selling Anything to Anyone‎ - Page 89 by by John Hoover, Bill Sparkman