| What discussion of the great game of ice hockey | | | | hockey rules. That first season, he won rookie of the |
| does not begin and end with Wayne Gretzky? You | | | | year, totaling 60 points in 28 games. |
| may or may not be a fan of the Great One, but you | | | | As many well know, over his career in the NHL, |
| can no easier deny his dominance and the impact he | | | | Gretzky had more assists (1,963) than second place |
| had on the game than you can convince Rosie | | | | on the all-time POINTS list (Mark Messier with 1,887). |
| O'Donnell that subtle is better. | | | | His record of 2,857 points will never be surpassed. |
| Growing up as a huge NBA enthusiast (my tenure as | | | | All said, Wayne Gretzky holds: |
| a fan began when I was about 8-10 years old with | | | | 40 regular season records |
| Julius Erving and ended with the retirement of Sir | | | | 15 playoff records |
| Charles Barkley), I was no Chicago Bulls fan, but once | | | | 6 All-Star records |
| Michael Jordan entered the scene, you just knew you | | | | He won 4 Stanley Cups (Oilers), garnered 9 MVP |
| were seeing something special. | | | | awards, and was the leading scorer in the NHL 10 |
| And like Gretzky (indeed perhaps the only viable | | | | different seasons. |
| similarity to Gretzky), whether you loved him or hated | | | | Not only is he the only player to ever tally more than |
| him, you certainly had to grant the man his place in | | | | 200 points in a single season, he accomplished the feat |
| sports history. | | | | four times. He scored over 100 points in a season 13 |
| Over the years, many have been tempted to | | | | consecutive times, with a total of 15. He also turned 50 |
| compare the likes of Wayne Gretzky's dominance in | | | | hat tricks. |
| the sport of ice hockey to Michael Jordan's own | | | | Arguably there has never been a player with such a |
| personal statistical stranglehold on professional | | | | natural sense of puck flow, ice position, and the ability |
| basketball. Still others are tempted to compare Tiger | | | | to create time and space. It was said the Great One |
| Wood's dominance in professional golf to the statistical | | | | had eyes in the back of his head. |
| marvel of the Great One. | | | | In one game, he scored on the drop of the face-off |
| Any such comparisons are done in vain. | | | | puck twice, against the same goalie. |
| Yes, each of the aforementioned superstars | | | | His greatest attribute, perhaps, was not exemplified by |
| dominated (or is dominating) their respective sport. But | | | | his grace with a stick and puck but rather his presence |
| no one did it with the sheer inescapable magnitude of | | | | without them. No dominant force was ever so humble. |
| Wayne Gretzky over his twenty year career in | | | | Rick Reilly, senior writer for Sports Illustrated, once |
| professional ice hockey. | | | | proclaimed the biggest challenge of interviewing |
| To put Gretzky's feats in perspective, if Michael | | | | Wayne Gretzky was getting him to say anything |
| Jordan were to match the Great One's single-season | | | | about himself. |
| scoring record---statistically speaking---he would have | | | | Whether you loved him or hated him, to deny him his |
| had to average over 70 points per game. | | | | place in history is impossible. He was an ambassador |
| Gretzky started playing Junior B hockey at 14 years | | | | for the sport, and reinforced the notion that hockey |
| old, winning a challenge to existing Canadian amateur | | | | could be (and is) a game of grace, skill, and honor. |