Sports Biographies Alpha Index Index by Sport Index of Women Gretzky, Wayne D. Hockey b. Jan. 26, 1961, Brantford, ONT Career Statistics Other Resources He is, simply, the "Great One," a player of unsurpassed skills who dominated hockey as no other single player has ever dominated a team sport. Gretzky began playing professionally when he was only sixteen. After two minor-league seasons, he joined the Indianapolis Racers of the World Hockey Association in 1978 but was traded to the Edmonton Oilers after only 8 games. He scored 46 goals and had 64 assists and was named the league's rookie of the year. The WHA folded and Edmonton moved in the NHL the following season, when Gretzky began putting up really big numbers: 137 points in 1979-80, 164 in 1980-81, 212 in 1981-82, 196 in 1982-83, 205 in 1983-84, 208 in 1984-85, 215 in 1985-86, 183 in 1986-87, leading the league each time. A knee injury cut into his playing time in 1987-88 and he scored "only" 149 points, falling short of a ninth consecutive scoring title. Gretzky then announced that he no longer wanted to play for Edmonton and was sent to the Los Angeles Kings in a mammoth trade involving four other players, three first-round draft choices, and cash. Gretzky led the NHL in scoring again with 142 points in 1989-90 and 163 in 1990-91. After slipping to 121 points in 1991-92, he underwent an operation for a herniated disc and missed the first 39 games of the 1992-93 season, when he scored 65 points in just 45 games. | |
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