It was October 10, 1979. A young star was featured in the Edmonton Oilers’ lineup to face the Chicago Blackhawks. He was none other than the legendary Wayne Gretzky, who went on to become one of the greatest, if not the greatest hockey player of all time. Just 18 at the time, Gretzky had an assist in an otherwise disappointing outing for the Oilers as they eventually lost the game 4-2.
Nonetheless, it was the start of something special as the Great One went on to lift the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league’s most valuable player in his very first season in the NHL. But despite having such a stellar NHL career, Gretzky wasn’t actually at the top of the list when it came to the number of seasons played in the NHL.
Gretzky’s NHL career spanned across four teams. While he made his debut with the Oilers, he joined the Los Angeles Kings in 1988 after enjoying much success with the Oilers. Subsequently, he had a brief stint with the St. Louis Blues in 1996, following which he ended his NHL career with the New York Rangers. The Great One called time on his illustrious career in 1999 in what was an emotional ending for hockey fans across the globe. Gretzky went on to play 20 seasons in the NHL but fell behind the likes of Chris Chelios and Gordie Howe, who played in the NHL for 26 seasons each.
Wayne Gretzky’s time on the ice
The 64-year-old had his most successful NHL stint with the Oilers during the early years of his career. Gretzky went on to win four Stanley Cups in his career, and all of those Cup wins came with the Oilers. The first of his four victories came in 1984, which was a special year for the Great One. Apart from the Stanley Cup, Gretzky also won his first international trophy at the 1984 Canada Cup. However, one of the highlights of his career was in 1987 when he won both the Stanley Cup for a third time and the Canada Cup. In fact, Gretzky called the Canada Cup the best hockey that he had played in his entire life.
06 April 2016: Former Edmonton Oiler Wayne Gretzky 99 takes part in the final ceremony celebrations closing out the final game at Rexall Place. The Farewell Rexall ceremony took place after the Vancouver Canucks game versus the Edmonton Oilers at the last ever NHL Eishockey Herren USA hockey game at Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alberta. Photo by Curtis Comeau/Icon Sportswire NHL: APR 06 Canucks at Oilers PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxRUSxSWExNORxONLY Icon16040614
In the middle of these cup wins was, of course, another Stanley Cup win in 1985. But in 1988, Gretzky bid farewell to the Oilers in a manner that left the fanbase betrayed by his decision. Although he led the team to his fourth Stanley Cup title, the whole of Edmonton was left shell shocked when his departure was announced. The matter was for the most part, out of his hands, decided by the Oilers front office. But in the minds of fans, it was Gretzky who had forced the trade and betrayed the city and fans who had supported him for so long.
He never won the Stanley Cup again, though all in all, Gretzky reached the finals on six occasions. The Great One scored 18 goals and had 35 assists in the 31 games that he played in the Stanley Cup Finals.
“There’s nothing like winning the Stanley Cup. It’s the ultimate achievement in hockey, and it’s what every player dreams of from the moment they lace up their skates,” Wayne Gretzky once said, noting his love and dedication to the sport. While Gretzky may have won four Stanley Cup titles, he also earned numerous records in the 20 seasons that he played in the NHL.
Records held by Wayne Gretzky
When Wayne Gretzky retired on 18 April 1999, he was credited by the NHL Record Book for the many records that he possessed. At the time of his retirement, Gretzky held or shared as many as 61 records in the NHL, with many of them being jaw-dropping stats that would be near impossible to break in the future. More than 24 seasons after his retirement, Gretzky still holds or shares 57 of those records, clearly indicating what a dominant force he was on the ice.
In the 1487 games that Gretzky played during the course of his NHL career, he scored 894 goals—a truly gargantuan number that no player since has ever quite come close to, with the exception of one Alexander Ovechkin in 2025, of course. Additionally, he also has the most number of assists in the NHL at 1963 assists, a number that looks truly insurmountable. The next active NHL player on that list is Sidney Crosby, who has a long way to go with 1,046 and is also 37 years old. Furthermore, Gretzky also had the most 100-or-more point seasons, with 15 such seasons.
The crowd of spectators, players and team mates applaud as Wayne Gretzky of the New York Rangers waves in salute on his retirement after the National Hockey League (NHL) game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on 18 April 1999 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
His individual records are only supplemented by the many, many trophies he earned over the course of an illustrious career—most of which he earned multiple times. These include the Conn Smythe Trophy (won in 1985 and 1988), the Hart Trophy (won in 1980–87 and 1989), and the Art Ross Trophy (won in 1981–87, 1990, 1991, and 1994). Wayne Gretzky was the complete package: he smashed through records and won the Stanley Cup multiple times, all while steadily collecting personal honors. He was hockey’s first and arguably its last superstar, as no other player has quite reached his level of fame since.
Now although Gretzky may possess numerous records to his name, the Great One never played for records or stats. During an interview, he stated, “I never played and thought about the records themselves. I was lucky enough to play on some great teams and in some great cities. I always tell people it was an honor and a privilege to play in the National Hockey League. I think our game is stronger, bigger, and better today than it’s ever been.”
Wayne Gretzky’s Retirement
When Wayne Gretzky announced his retirement on April 16th, 1999, with a press conference at the MSG, the entire hockey world was shocked and saddened to see the Great One go. ”It’s tough, it’s hard, it’s going to be a big change for me, but a challenge and change that I look forward to in the future. I said this to many people many times that everything I have in my life I owe to the National Hockey League and the game of hockey. It brought me endless moments and memories and great times,” Gretzky said, thick with emotion.
Wayne Gretzky left an indelible mark on the league and on the sport of hockey as a whole, inspiring generation after generation to take up the sport. There has never been a player like him since, and even those unaware of hockey are likely to have heard his name across the world. This isn’t something that can be said of any hockey player. Additionally, he spurred people’s interest in the sport wherever he went on to play, which showed the sheer magnetism and influence he had. Indeed, he is ‘the Great One’ in the truest sense.
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