| Wayne Gretzky was acknowledged as one of the all | | | | one hockey trophy that year, the Hart Trophy. |
| time great hockey players by nearly everyone when | | | | The next year, 1980, began Wayne's march to claim |
| he broke several of Gordie Howe's records. He | | | | many of the hockey statistics as his own. He won his |
| became the all time leading scorer with his 802nd goal, | | | | first scoring title, and made a new assists record of |
| and likewise the all time point-getter when he got his | | | | 109, to excel Bobby Orr. The next year, he went past |
| 1852nd point. | | | | Phil Esposito's record of 76 ambitions in one season, |
| Wayne was born and raised in Ontario, Canada, and | | | | which many individuals had thought would stand |
| his father built a backyard ice rink when Wayne was | | | | forever. Gretzky scored 92 aims in one season, which |
| six years old. He practiced daily for hours, with his dad | | | | many people now deem as simply impossible to break. |
| teaching him the skills of skating, shooting, and | | | | He also registered 212 points in a season, and he is the |
| stickhandling. Even at the age of six, Wayne was | | | | only player to ever have done that. He is the only |
| playing on a team of ten year olds, far beyond the | | | | hockey player to break 200 points in a season, and he |
| typical skill range of a six year old. Twelve months he | | | | repeated that feat for four seasons. |
| got 378 aims on a peewee team, and earned the | | | | Gretzky had a few signature moves. He was known |
| nickname "The White Tornado" because of his talents | | | | for not using a man skating ahead of him, but instead |
| and his white your gloves. | | | | using the trailing man on rushes. When the team had a |
| Wayne gone after Toronto at the age of fourteen to | | | | penalty, Gretzky did not ice the puck in a defensive |
| have more opportunities in hockey, and at 16 played in | | | | role, but rather tried to surprise the other team by |
| the World Junior Championship. He was thought too | | | | scoring shorthanded. He would also skate past the |
| small and slight to even make the Canadian team, but | | | | blue line and then curl, where he would wait for a |
| here, he was named top center and was the leader in | | | | defensemen to join him and create a genuine scoring |
| scoring for the complete competition. Wayne knew | | | | prospect. "Gretzky's office" was the area behind the |
| that he sought to play professional hockey, but at 17 | | | | other team's goal, because he made lots of perfect |
| was too young for the least NHL draft age of 20, so | | | | passes for scoring opportunities from there. |
| he signed a contract with the Indianapolis Racers. That | | | | After playing with several teams, Wayne Gretzky |
| hockey team had financial troubles, and so Gretzky | | | | ended his professional hockey career with the New |
| was moved to the Edmonton Oilers, where he | | | | York Rangers in the 1998-1999 season. The National |
| became universally noticed. In his first year at | | | | Hockey League retired his number 99, a fitting tribute |
| Edmonton he attracted a lot of notice, but only won | | | | to an extraordinary player. |