Wayne Gretzky

Wayne Douglas Gretzky, the Great One, was born on January 26, 1961 in Brantford, Ontario, and grew up skating on a backyard rink that his father Walter built, a setting that forged his extraordinary hockey instincts. By the age of six he was already out‑skating ten‑year‑old peers, and by ten he had amassed an astonishing 378 goals and 139 assists in a single season, attracting national media attention. After a dominant junior career, he signed a personal‑services contract with the Indianapolis Racers of the WHA at 17, but was swiftly traded to the Edmonton Oilers where he would become a legend after the WHA‑NHL merger in 1979. In his rookie NHL season he captured the Hart Trophy and tied for the scoring lead with 137 points, beginning a streak of eight consecutive Hart trophies that cemented his status as the league’s most valuable player. Gretzky’s tenure with the Oilers produced four Stanley Cup championships, ten Art Ross trophies, and a historic 215‑point season that broke the two‑hundred‑point barrier for the first time ever. The 1988 trade to the Los Angeles Kings not only shifted the balance of power in the NHL but also popularized hockey in California, leading to two additional expansion franchises. After brief stints with the St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers, he retired in 1999, instantly entering the Hockey Hall of Fame with the waiting period waived. Beyond the ice, Gretzky pursued coaching with the Phoenix Coyotes, served as executive director for Canada’s 2002 Olympic gold‑medal team, and transitioned to a television analyst role with Turner Sports, while also building a diverse business portfolio that includes restaurant ventures, wine production, and sports‑equipment companies. His dual citizenship in Canada and the United States, extensive charitable work, and iconic number 99 retired league‑wide make him a cultural ambassador whose impact on the sport transcends generations.