He is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the NHL
and has been called “the greatest hockey player ever” by many
sportswriters, players and coaches. Upon his retirement on April 18,
1999, he held forty regular-season records, fifteen playoff records and
six All-Star records. He is the only NHL player to total over 200
points in one season—a feat he accomplished four times. In addition, he
tallied over 100 points in 15 NHL seasons, 13 of them consecutive.
Gretzky’s #99 has been retired by all teams in the National Hockey
League. He is one of only two athletes to have earned this honour from
a major professional sport, the other being Major League Baseball’s
Jackie Robinson, who wore uniform #42.
On his retirement Gretsky was immediately inducted into the Hockey Hall
of Fame, being the last player to have the waiting period waived. He
became Executive Director for the Canadian national men’s hockey team
during the 2002 Winter Olympics, where the team won a gold medal. In
2000 he became part owner of the Phoenix Coyotes and in 2006 he became
their head coach. -Ron Price with thanks to Wikipedia, 12 August 2009.
I was nowhere near Canada, Wayne,
when you performed those amazing
feats of hockey prowess. I was all
over Australia in your famous years
skating yourself into hockey’s hall
of fame. I lived in your hometown,
in Brantford, when you were six &
when you joined the WHA in ’78 I
was in Ballarat about as close as I
ever got to being a professionally
academic-type before my bipolar
disorder struck again but, Wayne….
I had some very good years while
you were making it very, very big
in a world I played in, too, back in
‘57 to ’62 in those cold Canadian
winters, but I could never skate
well–that was my downfall…..I
turned pro far, far differently than
you, went professional in a new
world Faith1 that was very slowly
taking the globe by storm, yes…..
quite unobtrusively…and I went to
Australia the year old Gordie Howe
retired, 1971…..wasn’t it, didn’t he?
They don’t know you Downunder,
Wayne…..it’s all cricket and footy
here and kangaroos and the heat…
Wayne!! It’s far too hot for ice-
hockey. I’m sorry I was not there
to watch you. My days had Frank
Mahovlich, Dave Keon, Bobby Orr
and Mr. Hockey, old Gordie Howe…
1 The Bahá’í Faith
Ron Price
12 August 2009
