Meet the Greatest NHL Players Of All Time - Wayne Gretzky!

Wayne Gretzky is one of the Greatest players to ever play the game, he still holds records to this day, the most goals scored in the NHL - 894 in his entire career - 1,487 games.

- Most goals in a season: 92 goals in 1981–82.
- Most goals in a season including playoffs: 100 goals in 1983–84.
- Most goals in 50 games from the start of the season: 61 goals in 1981–82 and 1983–84.
- Most goals in one period: 4 goals, tied with 10 other players, on February 18, 1981.

Wayne Douglas Gretzky - Born January 26, 1961 - is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League - NHL - for four teams from 1979 to 1999, retiring at the age of 38. Nicknamed "The Great One", he has been called the greatest ice hockey player ever by many sportswriters, players, The Hockey News, and the NHL itself, based on extensive surveys of hockey writers, ex-players, general managers and coaches.

Gretzky is the leading career goal scorer, assist producer and point scorer in NHL history, and has more career assists than any other player has total points. He is the only NHL player to total over 200 points in one season, a feat he accomplished four times. In addition, Gretzky tallied over 100 points in 15 professional seasons, 13 of them consecutively. At the time of his retirement in 1999, he held 61 NHL records: 40 regular season records, 15 playoff records, and 6 All-Star records.

Born and raised in Brantford, Ontario, Gretzky honed his skills on a backyard rink and regularly played minor hockey at a level far above his peers. Despite his unimpressive size and strength, Gretzky's intelligence, stamina, and reading of the game were unrivaled. He was adept at dodging checks from opposing players, consistently anticipated where the puck was going to be, and executed the right move at the right time. Gretzky became known for setting up behind his opponent's net, an area that was nicknamed "Gretzky's office".

Gretzky was the top scorer in the 1978 World Junior Championships. In June 1978, he signed with the Indianapolis Racers of the World Hockey Association - WHA, where he briefly played before being traded to the Edmonton Oilers. When the WHA folded, the Oilers joined the NHL, where he established many scoring records and led his team to four Stanley Cup championships. Gretzky's trade to the Los Angeles Kings on August 9, 1988, had an immediate impact on that team's performance, ultimately leading them to the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals, and he is credited with popularizing hockey in California.

Gretzky played briefly for the St. Louis Blues before finishing his career with the New York Rangers. Gretzky captured nine Hart Trophies as the most valuable player, 10 Art Ross Trophies for most points in a season, two Conn Smythe Trophies as playoff MVP and five Lester B. Pearson Awards (now called the Ted Lindsay Award) for most outstanding player as judged by his peers. He led the league in goal-scoring five times and assists 16 times. He also won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for sportsmanship and performance five times and often spoke out against fighting in hockey.

[carminelombardi]

He is widely regarded as the greatest of all time (G.O.A.T.), and for good reason. What set him apart was his unparalleled ability to see the game in a way no one else could—a true 3D vision of the ice that allowed him to anticipate plays like no other. His offensive brilliance was not just limited to goal-scoring; while he netted an incredible 894 goals, his playmaking ability was equally exceptional, registering a staggering 1, 963 assists. With 50 hat tricks and a total of 2, 857 points, his impact on the game is unmatched. Adding to his legacy, he led his teams to four Stanley Cup victories, cementing his place in hockey history as a legend.

[thefamilymans]

He was also recruited for the Bluejays MLb at 18. He almost stopped playing hockey. Crazy, right?