Wayne Gretzky speaker - The Great One - Wayne Gretzky speaking

For two decades, the ethereal Wayne Gretzky lifted hockey to new and dizzying heights while establishing himself as the greatest player of all time. He transcended hockey and was the most statistically dominant player in the history of North American team sports.

Gretzky helped win four Stanley Cup Championships and three Canada Cup tournament titles during his illustrious career. He became the NHL's all-time leading goal, assist and point producer for both regular season and playoffs. Gretzky won 10 Art Ross Trophies as the NHL's leading scorer, nine Hart Trophies as the League's MVP and two Conn Smythe Trophies as playoff MVP. He earned five Lady Byng Trophies as the NHL's most gentlemanly player and made 18 consecutive All-Star Game appearances, securing three All-Star MVP Awards. Gretzky is an eight-time First All-Star Team member and seven-time Second All-Star Team member. He holds virtually every offensive record in the NHL and his tireless support of the game has contributed significantly to the popularity it enjoys today.

As a six-year-old, the Brantford, Ontario native was good enough to play on a 10-and-under team. Four years later, a 10-year-old Gretzky finished the 1971-72 season with 378 goals and 120 assists in the Brantford atom league. Such was the advanced billing as Gretzky arrived in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario to play for the Greyhounds for his first and only full year of major junior hockey in 1977. Selected third in the annual midget draft by Sault Ste. Marie, the 16-year-old Gretzky justified the Greyhounds' faith in him, scoring six goals in his first game and proceeding to take OHA Rookie of the Year honors.

After playing just eight games in the WHA, the 17-year-old Gretzky was sold to the rival Edmonton Oilers. On January 5, 1979, Gretzky realized a lifelong dream by centering a line with Gordie Howe (Gretzky's childhood idol) and son Mark Howe on the WHA All-Star Team against the touring Moscow Dynamo club from the Soviet Union. He finished the 1978-79 season with 110 points and was named the WHA's Rookie of the Year.

Over the next seven seasons with the Oilers, Gretzky eclipsed even the lofty pace set in his rookie year, averaging nearly 192 points per season.

In 1988, after helping Edmonton Oilers capture a fourth Stanley Cup and winning a second Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, Gretzky was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in one of the biggest deals in sports history.

In 1996, Gretzky signed as a free agent with the New York Rangers, joining his former Oilers teammate Mark Messier. "No. 99" was formally retired at the 2000 NHL All-Star Game in Toronto and will never again be worn by an NHL player. In 2005, he was named Head Coach of the Phoenix Coyotes.

In 2002, Gretzky served as the Executive Director of Team Canada's Olympic Hockey Team. He was responsible for assembling Canada's best ice hockey players at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City and, under Gretzky's leadership, Team Canada persevered to win the Gold Medal for the first time in fifty years.

Gretzky also gives his time to countless charitable endeavors. He serves as Honorary Chairman of Ronald McDonald Children's Charities in Canada, and is an Athlete Ambassador and Honorary Member of the Board of Trustees of Right to Play. Gretzky also is a participant in "Hands That Shape Humanity", a project for the Desmond Tutu Peace Centre.

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[ralphyization]

The guy who was already #9 and kind of "caused" Wayne Gretzky to have #99, is now a lawyer. Pretty sure he never made the NHL, he just was already a veteran of the Sault Greyhounds. At least the sault gets a "little" place in history. His #99 was formed here, and his only junior year was here! Pretty cool....

[ralphyization]

Still, pretty cool...two nines!! 99!! awesome! Sault Ste, Marie is the birthplace of THAT number!!!

[ralphyization]

@94guelphrocks talk to your mom. 9 timesout of 10, your mom will come through. If she doesn't,go to a teacher..

[ralphyization]

Our kids never hit those heights, but, my husband made the rink too! The kids loved it. We loved it, work, and all. I love hockey!

[vincskate00]

99 ALL TIME!!!!!

[KevMait76]

I love seeing #99 up in the rafters at the Essar Centre ! GO HOUNDS GO !!!!!

[ralphyization]

@94guelphrocks I've never been there, but I've heard of Fergus, (strangely enough)! No offense, but when I'm ever down in Southern Ontario, even the Guelph area, which is pretty, I kind of feel "out of sorts". Everywhere is developed. By that, I mean, there's either a farm, houses, or even though it's rural, there's No land "untouched". Up here, there are so many areas that are "undeveloped". I'm from a small town. Everybody knows everybody! Cool! The Sault is kind of like that too!

[94guelphrocks]

@ralphyization ya just nerby a little town called fergus and i live there

[ralphyization]

@94guelphrocks Well, I'm in Sault Ste. Marie. My daughter played in the Southwestern Ontario Soccer League, that the "Sault" was a part of. We've been to Guelph. Nice city. We are about an 8 hour drive NORTH . (EACH way!!) haha... But , Thank God, she likes hockey more than soccer!! We're not doing that drive anymore!! We would go to Southern Ontario at least every other weekend, and the teams from "down South", would come up here once a summer, play 2 games, Sat, and Sun.that's it!

[94guelphrocks]

@ralphyization hey thats kinda cool cuz i live in ontario but not sure where northeren ontario is but i live near guelph if u know where that is