Welcome back to the Deep Dive. This is the place
where we take stacks of knowledge and really
distill them down to the most compelling insights
so you, the listener, get the full picture without
all that information overload. And today, wow,
today we are definitely strapping on the skates.
We really are. We're taking the wind into the
life, the legacy, and frankly, the truly unbelievable
statistical catalog of one man, Wayne Gretzky,
the Great One. It's a dive that is almost mandatory,
really, because when you look at the raw numbers,
the story they tell us so statistically absurd,
it almost defies any kind of rational analysis.
And he wasn't a physical specimen, which is the
crazy part. Not at all. We're talking about a
center listed at six feet, maybe 185 pounds soaking
wet by no means a physical marvel for the NHL
era he played in. But this is the guy who retired
holding an astonishing 61 NHL records. 61? Just
say that number again. 61. 40 regular season.
15 playoff and six all -star records that sheer
volume of dominance is hard enough to process
but there's one specific uh just mind -bending
fact that always resets my brain when i hear
it let's start there because i think it informs
our entire deep dive into his intellect absolutely
the number to remember is 1963 okay 1963 what's
that that's the number of career assists wayne
gretzky recorded just the assist just the assist
okay i'm with you now if you look at the next
Closest player in terms of total career points,
that's goals plus assists. Right. It's Jeremy
Jagger, who finished his legendary career with
1 ,921 points. Wait, hold on. Let me make sure
I'm hearing that correctly and that the sources
aren't pulling our leg. You're telling me that
Wayne Gretzky accumulated more assists alone
than the next most productive score in NHL history
scored in their entire career, combining both
goals and assists. That is the factual foundation
of his entire career. More setups, more apples
than anyone else has total combined offensive
production. It's an anomaly that, you know, it
just stands alone in major North American sports.
And that statistical gap is precisely why our
mission today is to go beyond the surface. level
beyond just counting the goals. We need to dissect
the mind and the influence of the greatest player
ever to understand how someone who was physically
not imposing could so utterly dominate a physically
brutal sport for two decades. It really sets
up the central question. If he wasn't the biggest
or the fastest or the strongest, then what was
he? OK, let's unpack this and start the beginning.
We've got a ton of source material on his journey
starting way before the NHL ever knew what hit
it. Let's get into part one, the prodigy and
the rebel league. Where does this origin story,
this foundation for all that statistical absurdity
really begin? It begins in Brantford, Ontario,
back in the 1960s and specifically in the backyard
of the family home, which they affectionately
nicknamed the Wally Coliseum. The Wally Coliseum.
I love that. His father, Walter Gretzky, wasn't
just a supportive parent. He was he was like
an engineer of talent. He designed that backyard
rink specifically for hockey. It had lights.
It had boards. This wasn't just a frozen puddle.
No, no, not at all. This wasn't a patch of ice.
It was a dedicated training facility that allowed
Wayne to skate. Sometimes for 10 hours a day,
developing skills that no organized league could
possibly replicate. Okay, the preparation was
clearly maniacal. I want to dig into that concept.
What does maniacal preparation actually look
like in practice? We aren't talking about just
skating laps here. What were these drills? That's
the key. Walter's methods were highly unconventional,
and they were designed to force Wayne to focus
on control and anticipation over just raw speed.
So instead of simply pushing a puck, he would
use household items to create these intricate
obstacle courses. Like what? For instance, he
made Wayne skate around bleach bottles and tin
cans. The whole point wasn't just beating the
obstacles. It was maintaining puck control while
circling them at high speed. It forced these
extremely tight turns and rapid, precise stick
handling. So those drills were basically teaching
him the kind of tight quarters control he would
later need in the NHL, maneuvering through traffic
right in front of the net. Exactly. And the most
famous drill, the one that directly foreshadows
his vision on the ice, involved flipping pucks.
Walter would scatter hockey sticks all over the
ice and force Wayne to flip the pucks over the
sticks and then retrieve them again in full flight
without losing speed or rhythm. Wow. Think about
the coordination that requires. It's immense.
You're judging the precise trajectory to clear
the stick, finding the exact landing spot, and
then recovering the puck seamlessly while you're
still moving at top speed. That's fascinating
because it connects directly to his later skill
of, you know, saucing the puck over a defenseman's
stick. or tapping a puck just over a goalie's
pad, it taught him elevation and control. And
out of that intense, almost personalized preparation
came Walter's famous, crucial piece of advice,
which really underpins all of his later strategic
success. Skate where the puck's going, not where
it's been. That sentence is the core thesis of
Gretzky's genius. It's this idea of anticipation
and geometry applied to physics. While other
players were reacting to where the puck was,
Gretzky was trained from childhood to occupy
the space where the defensive scheme had not
yet arrived. It's a philosophy that just prioritizes
spatial intelligence over everything else. And
the results were, I mean, they were immediate
and massive, even at the minor hockey level.
Oh, phenomenal. He was a prodigy who was just
dominating well above his age group. At age six,
he was playing on a team with 10 -year -olds.
At six. At six. His first coach, Dick Martin,
stated that Wayne handled the puck better than
his 10 -year -olds, which meant other good players
were often overlooked because Gretzky was just
monopolizing all the action. And the stats from
that time are just, they're video game numbers.
They're shocking. By age 10, he scored 378 goals
and registered 139 assists in just one season
with the Brantford -Nedroski Steelers. In one
season? One season. By age 13, he had scored
over 1 ,000 career goals in minor hockey. That
kind of dominance, unfortunately, it attracts
intense scrutiny, pressure, and often a lot of
jealousy from the surrounding community. It absolutely
did. The negative attention became so pervasive
and so intense, he was frequently booed by the
parents of opposing players, sometimes even the
parents of his own teammates. That's awful. It
reached a point where the environment just became
toxic. Walter Gretzky recalled the capper being
when Wayne was booed during Brantford Day at
Toronto's Maple Leaf Gardens in 1975. So that
level of communal toxicity led the family to
make a pretty painful decision, right? It did.
To escape the pressure and protect his development,
they moved him to Toronto at age 14 to play junior
B hockey. And this was in a league where he was
competing against 20 -year -olds. It's a powerful,
almost tragic insight that the greatest Canadian
hockey player ever had to leave his own home.
Just to find peace and continue developing his
game. He was literally chased out of Brantford
by his own success. While he was playing in junior
hockey, he gets picked up by the Sault Ste. Marie
Greyhounds in the OMJHL draft at age 16. And
that's where he chose the iconic number that
would eventually be retired league -wide. Yes,
the number 99. He originally wanted to wear number
9, which was the number of his lifelong hero,
the great Gordie Howe. But a teammate already
had it. So what happened? His coach, Muz McPherson,
just suggested he double it up. Wayne was hesitant
at first, but eventually agreed, settling on
99. Which quickly brings us to 1978 and his jump
to the World Hockey Association, the Rebel League.
We need to establish the context here. Why would
a 17 -year -old jump to a professional league
when the NHL explicitly banned players under
20? Because the WHA was desperate. They were
struggling, down to only seven surviving franchises,
and they knew they couldn't compete head -to
-head with the NHL establishment. So they needed
a different angle. Their opportunity lay in exploiting
the NHL's rigid rules. They saw signing young
superstars like Gretzky as necessary leverage
against the hardline NHL owners who kept blocking
a potential merger. The WHA needed a hook, and
a 17 -year -old phenom was the best bait they
had. So he becomes a professional at 17, and
the deal itself was structured in a very unique
way, wasn't it? It was highly unconventional,
and it really reflected the WHA's instability.
On June 12, 1978, he signed this massive seven
-year, U .S. $1 .75 million personal services
contract with Indianapolis racers owner Nelson
Scalbania. A personal services contract, not
a standard player contract. Right. This structure
was designed for maximum flexibility. Scalbania,
knowing the racers likely wouldn't survive a
merger, wanted to be able to sell the asset Gretzky
himself for a significant return. rather than
having the contract voided if the team folded.
And that Indianapolis venture was clearly unstable.
It only lasted eight games. That must have been
incredibly disorienting for a teenager who had
just gone pro. It was jarring. The Racers were
losing $40 ,000 a game. Galbania realized he
had to cut his losses and move Gretzky immediately.
And the story of the trade itself is just bizarre.
It has this weird high stakes, almost spy thriller
element to it. Gretzky, a goalie named Eddie
Mio, and a forward named Peter Driscoll were
just put on a private plane with no prior knowledge
of where they were going. While they were in
the air, Scalbenia was actively working the phones.
I can't imagine the anxiety of that plane ride.
They were flying blind, literally. Was there
any sense of betrayal or worry from Gretzky at
that moment? According to the accounts, yeah,
there was immense confusion and anxiety. And
it was compounded by the fact that Scalbania
was just using Gretzky as a pawn. He even tried
to use a game to decide his fate. He did. Scalbania
tried to get the Winnipeg Jets owner, Michael
Gobudi, to play a game of backgammon to decide
Gretzky's destination and his fate. Which, thankfully
for Gretzky, Gobudi declined. Yeah, so the plane
finally lands and they find out they're in Edmonton.
Yes. On November 2, Gretzky was sold to... to
Edmonton Oilers owner Peter Pocklington for $700
,000, along with Mio and Driscoll. The Indianapolis
Racers folded that December. It was just a chaotic
start to a legendary career. But the WHA wasn't
without its legendary moments for him before
the league folded. I mean, there was that spectacular
opportunity to play with his hero. Oh, it was
a dream scenario. The 1979 WHA All -Star Game
was played as a three -game series against Dynamo
Moscow. And the coach, Jacques Demers, chose
to put the 17 -year -old Gretzky on a line with
none other than Gordie Howe and Gordie's son,
Mark Howe. Incredible. In game one, that three
-generation line combined for seven points, and
the WHA All -Stars won 4 -2. That moment really
secured his feeling of belonging in the professional
ranks. And he secured his status permanently.
on his 18th birthday. Pocklington, the Oilers'
owner, he moved quickly to protect his new asset.
On January 26, 1979, Gretzky's 18th birthday,
Pocklington signed him to a massive 10 -year
personal services contract worth $3 million Canadian
dollars. It was the longest in hockey history
at the time. And that ensured his future, regardless
of what happened with the merger talks. Absolutely.
Gretzky finished that WHA season third in scoring
with 110 points, won the Luke Kaplan Trophy as
Rookie of the Year, and led the Oilers to the
best record in the league. And crucially, the
WHA's existence, largely due to the presence
of young stars like Gretzky, it forced the NHL's
hand. It did. The NHL eventually agreed to absorb
the Oilers and three other WHA teams in 1979.
And because Gretzky had that legally valid long
-term personal services contract with Pocklington,
the NHL was forced to agree to a special arrangement.
Right. You always got to keep them. They could
keep Gretzky as a priority selection, though
in exchange they replaced at the very bottom
of the draft order for years to come. The groundwork
was laid, and the NHL was about to be turned
completely upside down. He was a WHA star, but
that's not the NHL. That league was notoriously
tougher, bigger, and slower. So now we move to
part two. The dynasty years in Edmonton, 1979
to 1988. How quickly did he silence the critics
who said he was simply too small? too wiry and
too slow for the real league. He silenced them
immediately and definitively. The sources make
it clear that the criticism was intense. NHL
executives were constantly questioning whether
his game would translate against larger, more
aggressive defensemen. And yet, in his first
NHL season, 1979 -80, he tied Marcel Dion for
the scoring lead with 137 points. Which in itself
is remarkable for a rookie, but the tiebreaker
went to Dion because he had more goals. Correct.
Dionne got the Art Ross trophy, scoring 53 goals
to Gretzky's 51. But Gretzky walked away with
the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's most
valuable player, making him the youngest player
to ever score 50 goals and win the MVP award.
And he was ineligible for Rookie of the Year.
Yep. He was ineligible for the Calder Trophy
because of his WHA experience. That award went
to Ray Bork instead. So he was already MVP caliber,
but then his scoring output went from dominant
to just statistically absurd in the 1981 -82
season. This is the year where the league finally
understood this was something completely unprecedented.
That season alone cemented his immortality. He
didn't just break records. He obliterated records
that had stood for 35 years and were considered
untouchable, you know, belonging to legends like
Maurice Richard. The most famous feat, of course,
was the 50 goals in 50 games. A milestone that
Richard and Mike Bossie had achieved. But Gretzky
did it in just 39 games. 39 games. That's a pacing
that shouldn't be physically possible in modern
professional hockey. Can you dramatize the end
of that run for us? What was the energy like
on the night he achieved it? The energy was electric
intense. He was chasing the record against the
Philadelphia Flyers on December 30, 1981, his
39th game of the season. He entered the game
with 45 goals, meaning he needed five goals that
night. Which seemed impossible. Totally impossible.
He scored one in the first, two in the second.
Then late in the third, he scores number 49.
The Oilers pull their goalie to create open ice
for a frantic final minute. And with five seconds
left, he hits an empty net goal in his fifth
of the night to secure the record, the win, and
just a frenzy of excitement. Unbelievable drama.
And he didn't slow down after that. No, the next
record to fall was Phil Esposito's single season
goal record of 76. Gretzky broke that on February
24, 1982, with a hat trick against the Buffalo
Sabres. And he just kept pushing the envelope.
He finished that 1981 -82 season with all -time
single -season records of 92 goals, 120 assists,
and 212 points in 80 games. He is the only player
in NHL history to ever break the 200 -point mark,
a feat he accomplished four times during his
career. This is where he transcended hockey and
became a national phenomenon. It's true. The
statistical achievement was just... too large
to ignore. In 1982, Gretzky became the first
hockey player and the first Canadian to be named
Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year. He
was also named Sports Illustrated Sportsperson
of the Year. He was arguably the biggest sports
star in North America at that moment. And all
that individual scoring power eventually combined
with an incredible roster to forge the Stanley
Cup dynasty. Yes. Gretzky was the captain from
83 to 88, and he was surrounded by Hall of Famers
Messier, Curry, Coffey, Furr. They reached the
finals in 83, lost to the three -time defending
champion Islanders, which was a necessary learning
experience for that young group. And then they
broke through. Then they broke through, winning
four Stanley Cups in five years, 1984, 1985,
1987, and 1988. By the time he left Edmonton,
Gretzky held or shared 49 NHL records. That level
of dominance warranted a rule change designed
specifically to punish his team's success. We
have to discuss the rule that literally bears
his name. The Gretzky Rule. This is a phenomenal
piece of evidence showing the league's frustration
with the Oilers' superiority. In June 1985, the
NHL Board of Governors implemented a rule change
mandating offsetting penalties. So if two players
committed coincident penalties, neither team
lost a man and they remained five on five. We
talk about this as the Gretzky Rule, but wasn't
the rule actually correcting what some might
see as an unfair loophole that existed prior?
How much backlash did the league get for implementing
it, specifically because it targeted the Oilers?
Well, the official argument was that it streamlined
the game, but everyone knew the real reason.
The Gretzky -era Oilers, with their speed, their
precision passing, and Gretzky's open -ice vision,
were absolutely lethal in 4 -on -4 or 3 -on -3
situations. Didn't even need the power play.
Exactly. They just needed more space. The rule
was seen as directly targeting and punishing
the team that benefited most from Gretzky's style
of play. Gretzky himself must have had a strong
reaction to the league, effectively trying to
neuter his team's advantage. He was highly critical,
arguing that the NHL was punishing teams and
players just for being successful. It was viewed
as an acknowledgement that the only way to stop
the Oilers was to prevent them from exploiting
open ice. It truly is a remarkable badge of honor.
Your dominance is so complete that the rulebook
itself must be altered to slow you down. It's
also telling that the rule was reversed for the
1992 -93 season. By that time, the Oilers' core
dynasty had largely dispersed, and the need to
suppress four -on -four situations was diminished.
The reversal confirms that the rule was implemented
less for the fairness of the game and more for
the competitive balance of the league during
the Gretzky era. That sets the stage perfectly
for Part 3. Decoding the greatness. This is the
heart of our deep dive. We've established the
statistical output, but now we need the how.
How did he achieve this when he was so physically
unremarkable for the league? This is where we
get the real aha moments. We have to start with
the stark contrast between his mental game and
his physical attributes. Gretzky's physical reality
was consistently underwhelming. He was 5 '11".
often weighed around 170 pounds, and he admitted
to scoring last in strength tests on the Oilers.
And the bench press number is famous. The sources
confirm he reportedly bench pressed only 140
pounds, which is exceptionally low for a professional
hockey player. Wait, hold on. If he was that
small and that weak bench pressing less than
his own body weight, which is nothing for a pro
athlete. How did his teammates, guys like Marc
Messier, who was the epitome of physical toughness,
justify the idea that this guy was leading them,
especially when hockey was so much more brutal
back then? That's a fantastic point, and it's
critical to understanding his leadership. His
teammates respected him not for his muscle, but
for his output, and more importantly, for his
strategic brilliance. He won games with his brain,
which in turn created more opportunities and,
frankly, less hitting for his teammates. So they
valued the brain over the brawn. Completely.
Oilers coach Glenn Satter summed up the sentiment
perfectly. He said he was so much more intelligent.
While opponents were using all this energy trying
to rattle his teeth, he was just skating away,
circling, analyzing things. His mental game was
so far ahead that his physical weakness was just
irrelevant. He was the intellectual quarterback
of the team. And that intelligence led directly
to his famous positioning, the legendary office.
Precisely. Gretzky became known for setting up
shop behind the opponent's net, an area previously
considered, you know, useless for a high volume
scorer. This area was so dangerous when he occupied
it that it earned its own nickname, Gretzky's
office. And his whole strategy came down to a
simple phrase. His entire strategic philosophy,
which he summed up in his own words, was simple.
Find open ice. I love his analogies for this,
connecting his strategy to basketball, specifically
to Larry Bird. What did he say about that comparison
and how does it translate into a hockey application?
He connected it perfectly to effort and efficiency.
He argued that the hardest work Larry Bird does
is actually getting open, creating the passing
lane, finding that sliver of space, and the actual
shot is cake. Gretzky applied that exact logic
to hockey. He wasn't relying on brute force or
sustained speed bursts. He was letting the puck
and the defense do the work saying, let the puck
do all the moving and you get yourself in the
right place. So by establishing his office behind
the net, he forced the defense to commit to covering
him, pulling them out of their defensive linemen.
If they ignored him, he had the best angle for
a pass or a quick wraparound. If they committed
to him, he could feed the puck out front to his
elite scorers, Curry and Messier, who are now
essentially facing a scrambled defense. in that
sweet spot. He consistently occupied what Chicago
coach Mike Keenan called the no man's land, that
piece of frozen real estate just between the
defense and the forward where the goalie can't
effectively see or set up. Beyond positioning,
his ability to pass and shoot was legendary,
especially how he adapted to opponents' defensive
shifts. What was his early reputation and how
did he counter the subsequent adjustment opponents
made? Initially, through his first couple of
NHL seasons, he was seen primarily as the ace
playmaker. The Hall of Famer Bobby Orr famously
declared, he passes better than anybody I've
ever seen. So the league quickly realized that
stopping his passing was paramount. Defenses
started focusing almost solely on blocking the
passing lanes he generated from behind the net.
And how did Gretzky counter that hyper focus
on his passing? This is a perfect illustration
of his genius, adaptability. He just shifted
focus and started shooting with exceptional effectiveness.
He went from being the league's best passer to
being arguably the most efficient shooter. And
the statistics proved just how surgically accurate
he was. Oh, absolutely. When Phil Esposito set
the prior goal record of 76, he needed 550 shots.
Gretzky netted his 76th goal in that 92 -goal
season after just 287 shots, about half as many.
He finished the season scoring 92 goals on only
369 shots. That is absolutely surgical accuracy.
It means over 25 % of his shots were goals. It's
no wonder goalies struggled to read him. They
absolutely did. Goalies referred to his shots
as sneaky fast, not because they were overpowering
slap shots, but because they were unexpected
and released from unconventional angles and moments.
Because he was so light, his shooting rhythm
and technique were different. And crucially,
he never shot with the same rhythm twice, making
his release much harder to time and block than,
say, a consistent one -timer. This all feeds
into that perception that he had some sort of
sixth sense, that he could manipulate or distort
time on the ice. That perception was widespread.
The Canadian journalist Peter Gazowski noted
that Gretzky seemed to be able to slow down time.
He observed this unhurried grace to everything
he did, suggesting that in crucial moments he
would literally insert an extra beat into his
actions. Like holding the puck for a fraction
longer than anyone expected. Exactly. In front
of the net, he would hold the puck for one extra
instant, upsetting the anticipated rhythm of
the defense and the goalie, buying himself the
fraction of a second needed to exploit a weakness.
People often suggest that he had ESP eyes in
the back of his head. Yeah. Gretzky must have
had a more grounded explanation for... this superhuman
perception. He did. And it goes right back to
Walter's advice. He explained that it wasn't
seeing, it was sensing. He wasn't necessarily
looking at the player he was passing to. He said,
a lot of times I can turn and pass without even
looking. But that's not magic. No. And here is
the critical part, the ultimate deep dive nugget.
Gretzky attributed this not to instinct, but
to relentless study and practice. So what looked
like creative genius on the fly was actually
a product of training and pattern recognition.
Exactly. He was the ultimate student of the game.
He compared his practice time and his analysis
of hockey scenarios to that of a medical student,
recognizing and exploiting stored patterns in
his brain. The sources confirm he had mentally
cataloged hundreds of defensive setups, goalie
reactions, and common passes. So what looked
like improvisation was just recall. In his own
mind, yes. What looks like a split -second creative
improvisation was simply a reaction to a situation
he had already analyzed, stored, and prepared
for countless times. His brain was processing
the game faster than anyone else on the ice because
of his dedication to pattern recognition. That
is profound. It suggests that even genius is
fundamentally preparation. And beyond that mental
stamina, he also had incredible physical stamina
despite his size, which we see. in his late game
scoring. He did. His capacity to renew energy
resources was off the charts. When an exercise
physiologist tested his recuperative abilities,
Gretzky scored so high that the tester literally
thought the machine had broken. Wow. This physical
longevity meant he got better as the game went
on when others were fading. We see this in his
scoring. 40 of his record 92 goals in that 1981
-82 season were scored in the third period. He
was stronger when the defensemen guarding him
were exhausted. How did he manage to survive?
year after year in that era of brutal hockey
without being physically imposing or fighting
back. He was a defensive master purely through
avoidance, a skill he learned in the summer playing
box lacrosse. At age 10, he was scoring 158 goals
in lacrosse, a sport where players are constantly
checked and hit. He learned how to roll body
checks for self -protection because in lacrosse,
you could be hit from behind. So he learned to
absorb the contact instead of taking it head
on. This technique helped him absorb contact,
dissipate the force, and avoid the devastating
career -shortening injuries that contemporaries
like Mike Bossy suffered. Gretzky himself noted
that Bossy took a beating to score goals, which
consequently led him to retire young. So he was
the master of the subtle evasion. Dennis Potvin,
another Hall of Famer, had a famous quote about
trying to hit him. Potvin famously compared trying
to hit Gretzky to wrapping your arms around fog.
And of course, he also received cover from teammates
like Dave Semenko and Marty McSorley, the team's
burly enforcers. But arguably his best defense,
according to teammate Lee Fogelin, was his scoring.
He said if a guy ran him, Wayne would embarrass
that guy. He'd score six or seven points on him.
He weaponized the score sheet against aggressive
players. And this intellectual style, it fundamentally
changed the sport globally. It did. Ken Dryden,
another legend, credited both Gretzky and the
Soviets for changing the NHL game. He referred
to Gretzky as the acceptable face of Soviet hockey,
meaning he brought that precise five -man unit
strategy normally associated with the international
game to the rough -and -tumble NHL. He made it
mainstream. His approach inspired a massive tactical
shift toward a more team -based strategy, moving
the focus from the single player with the puck
to the synchronized movement and positioning
of the five -man unit on the ice. That is a fin
- phenomenal analysis of how his intellectual
gifts translated into physical dominance and
league -altering strategy. But all dynasties
end. And the Oilers' end came in one of the most
dramatic, if not traumatic, events in Canadian
sports history. The trade. This shifts us to
part four. The cultural earthquake. It was more
than a cultural earthquake. It was a national
trauma. The drama started immediately after the
Oilers won the 1988 Stanley Cup. Literally two
hours later, Gretzky learned from his father,
Walter, that he was being shopped. Two hours
after winning the cup. Walter had actually been
tipped off months earlier by the former Indianapolis
owner, Scalbania, but he kept it quiet until
after the final game was over. It's almost unbelievable
that an owner would trade the greatest player
of the world, the face of the franchise, just
after winning a championship. Why the sudden,
desperate move? Owner Peter Pocklington needed
money and he needed it immediately. His other
business ventures, including meatpacking, were
struggling badly and his assets were heavily
leveraged. Gretzky's massive contract had previously
been used as collateral for a $31 million loan.
Pocklington saw Gretzky not just as an asset,
but as a financial escape hatch. Despite the
dire situation, the deal wasn't simple. Gretzky
initially didn't want to leave Edmonton, but
once he realized it was inevitable, he had specific
prerequisites for the trade to happen. He did.
He negotiated his terms directly with Los Angeles
King owner Bruce McNall, and his key non -negotiable
condition was emotional. Two teammates, his protector,
Marty McSorley, and forward Mike Krushelniski,
had to join him. He was loyal. Both owners agreed.
But Pocklington had one final, almost punitive
condition. Gretzky had to personally call him
and formally request the trade, ostensibly to
protect Pocklington from the fallout. August
9, 1988. The day that shook Canada. What were
the full terms of the trade? It was a massive
haul for Edmonton, a transactional spectacle.
Gretzky, McSorley, and Krushelniski went to Los
Angeles. In return, the Oilers received two young
players, Jimmy Carson and Martin Gelinas, plus
$15 million in cash and three valuable first
-round draft picks in 89, 91, and 93. The reaction
from the Canadian public and the political sphere
was immediate. and incredibly visceral. The country
was in shock. The reaction was rage and this
feeling of profound national betrayal. New Democratic
Party House leader Nelson Rees made a highly
publicized, though ultimately futile, demand
that the Canadian government block the trade,
citing its cultural significance. And Bucklington
became public enemy number one. He became a national
villain. He was literally burned in effigy outside
Northland's Coliseum. The trade became known
simply as the trade. Yet when Gretzky returned
to Edmonton for the first time as a king, the
emotional dynamic inside the arena seems to have
been completely different from the public sentiment.
It was an overwhelming display of love, not anger.
His first appearance in Edmonton. nationally
televised across Canada, was one of the highest
-rated sporting events of the year, and it resulted
in a four -minute standing ovation. Four minutes.
The arena was packed. 17 ,503 fans, a new record
attendance at the time. He got massive cheers
for his first shift, his first touch of the puck,
and his two assists. It was this raw, emotional
moment of collective grieving and appreciation.
And he had to publicly address the feeling that
he had abandoned his country. He used that moment
to try and repair the relationship with the public,
confirming his deep patriotism. He said, I'm
still proud to be a Canadian. I didn't desert
my country. I moved because I was traded and
that's where my job is. But I'm Canadian to the
core. I hope Canadians understand that. And the
city eventually came around. They did. It was
reconciled, evidenced by the statue of him holding
the Stanley Cup that was later erected at his
side, Northlands Coliseum. Moving to Los Angeles,
he made an immediate and massive impact, both
on the ice and culturally, in a place that barely
knew what hockey was. he hit the ground running
he scored on his very first shot on goal in his
first regular season game as a king he was named
alternate captain and the kings got off to their
best start ever and he won the mvp that year
he did although he finished second in scoring
he won the heart trophy as mvp narrowly beating
mario lemieux who had put up a nearly 200 point
season himself The voters clearly recognized
the immense value and lift Gretzky provided to
a historically middling team. And he achieved
the ultimate revenge against his old team. He
did. In the 1989 Smythe Division semifinals,
the Kings were massive underdogs against the
defending champion Oilers, especially after falling
behind 3 -1 in the series. But Gretzky led them
back, winning three straight games to take the
series 4 -3. It was the symbolic passing of the
torch and confirmation that his genius was transportable.
But the larger permanent impact was cultural,
right? Yeah. He changed the geography in the
sport. Absolutely. Gretzky is single -handedly
credited with popularizing hockey in California.
His arrival dramatically boosted attendance,
not just in L .A., but across the entire state.
His star power drew in media attention, Hollywood
money, and crucially, new fans in non -traditional
U .S. markets. The NHL map effect. It's known
as the NHL map effect. The league recognized
the opportunity he created. And what was the
direct result of that NHL map effect in California?
During his tenure in Los Angeles, California
received two more NHL franchises, the Mighty
Ducks of Anaheim and the San Jose Sharks. He
didn't just play in the league. He was a league
-wide expansion driver and a cultural ambassador.
He was so transcendent that in 1990, the Associated
Press named him Male Athlete of the Decade. His
peak with the Kings came in 1993. Yes. He led
the Kings to their first Stanley Cup Finals appearance,
thanks in part to a truly heroic performance,
scoring a Game 7 hat -trick against the Toronto
Maple Leafs in the Campbell Conference Finals.
Unfortunately, they lost the Finals to Montreal.
That year, however, also saw the end of one of
his most impressive statistical streaks. It did.
A back injury sidelined him for much of the 1992
-93 regular season. His 65 -point output ended
his career -defining 13 -year streak of recording
at least 100 points each season. After that Finals
loss, the team began to falter. And the financial
instability in the Kings organization eventually
necessitated another trade request. Yeah. Bruce
McNeil was eventually forced to sell the team
due to major financial troubles, and the new
ownership struggled badly. There were reports
that player paychecks were bouncing, creating
immense internal friction and instability. Gretzky,
disillusioned with the direction of the organization,
requested a trade in early 1996, concluding his
eight seasons in L .A. That sets us up for part
five. Final career moves and post -retirement
roles. He moved to St. Louis first, looking for
one last cup contender. On February 27, 1996,
he was traded to the St. Louis Blues for four
players and two draft picks. He was briefly named
captain, and the Blues, reinforced by his presence,
came within one game of the conference finals
that spring. The city was briefly electric with
hockey fever. The expectation was that he would
find fantastic chemistry with star Brett Hull.
But that pairing never truly developed. The expected
offensive chemistry never materialized. And crucially,
for the first time in his professional career,
he had to endure public criticism from his head
coach, Mike Keenan. Who was notoriously tough.
Keenan was known for his demanding and abrasive
style, and his public rebukes of Gretzky were
unprecedented. Gretzky's professional relationship
with Keenan quickly became untenable, effectively
ending any realistic chance of him remaining
in St. Louis once he became a free agent that
summer. So the road led to Broadway and a reunion
with his former Oilers running mate, Marc Messier.
After turning down an offer from the Blues and
after a verbal agreement with the Vancouver Canucks
fell through because the organization became
too demanding of him too quickly, Gretzky signed
with the New York Rangers as a free agent on
July 21, 1996. It was a two -year, $8 million
deal, and the goal was clear. Get one more cup
with Messier. That reunion brought one final,
glorious, deep playoff run in 1997. They did
reach the Eastern Conference finals, where Gretzky
proved he still had the genius, leading the team
in scoring with 10 goals and 10 assists. That
would be his last great burst of playoff performance,
as the Rangers did not return to the postseason
until 2006. What were the major milestones he
reached during his final years in New York? He
hit one major milestone that speaks volumes about
his longevity. He broke Gordie Howe's professional
total goal scoring record of 1 ,071, combining
NHL and WHA regular season and playoff goals,
finishing his career with 1 ,072 total goals.
But the body was breaking down. The physical
toll was showing in his final season, 1998 -99,
he only managed nine goals, making it the only
season in his professional career where he failed
to average at least a point per game. That brings
us to the... Final moments of his playing career.
The retirement game was a spectacle worthy of
his status. His final NHL game was on April 18th,
1999 at Madison Square Garden. And the spectacle
that day was just overwhelming. Even though it
was the Rangers versus the Pittsburgh Penguins,
both national anthems were specially altered
to honor him. Brian Adams saying, we're going
to miss you, Wayne Gretzky in O 'Canada. And
the star -spangled banner was altered to include
the words. In the land of Wayne Gretzky. And
he went out with one final fitting point, confirming
his legacy as the ultimate playmaker. He did.
He assisted on the Rangers' only goal, scored
by Brian Leach. He was the second -to -last WHA
player, still active in professional hockey,
retiring at 38 years old. Mark Messier, who was
in attendance, was the last WHA veteran to hang
up the skates. Before discussing his transition
to coaching and management, we need to touch
briefly on his international highlights, which
included some of the highest peaks of his career,
but also one of the most lingering controversies,
the 1998 Olympics. His international career started
early. He earned bronze at the 1978 World Junior
Championships, where he was the youngest player
at 16, but led the tournament in scoring with
17 points a record for a 16 -year -old that stood
for decades. His personal peak, though, was arguably
the 1987 Canada Cup. He called the 1987 Canada
Cup the best hockey he ever played. That's because
the stakes and the quality of play were so high
against that dominant Soviet Union team. Playing
on a line with Mario Lemieux, he set a tournament
record with 21 points. In the decisive Game 3
against the Soviets, with the score tied 5 -5
late in the third period, Gretzky executed this
phenomenal, almost impossible three -on -one
pass to Lemieux, who scored the game winner.
That play is universally regarded as one of the
most clutch and memorable in Canadian international
competition history. Then came the 1998 Winter
Olympics in Nagano. The first with NHL participation,
where the stakes were highest, and the result
was disappointment coupled with immense controversy.
The team was stacked, but there was immediate
tension. Gretzky was controversially passed over
for the captaincy in favor of the younger Erik
Lindros. Canada was expected to win gold, but
lost the semifinal to the Czech Republic, forcing
a shootout. And the lingering controversy is
centered entirely around the coaching decision
during that decisive shootout. Yes. Coach Mark
Crawford made the shocking decision not to select
Gretzky as one of the five shooters in the decisive
shootout, opting for five other players, all
of whom failed to score against Dominic Kajcik.
The entire nation was left asking why the greatest
scorer in history was sitting on the bench during
the most critical moment. That decision must
have placed immense immediate pressure on Crawford.
Was there any public statement or media reaction
immediately following that loss? The media reaction
was swift, intense, and largely unforgiving of
Crawford. The decision was viewed as baffling
and deeply disrespectful to Gretzky's legacy
and skill. Crawford defended the decision by
citing the team's analysis that younger, faster
players had better shootout records, but that
explanation did little to quell the outrage.
How did Gretzky handle it? The sources indicate
that Gretzky himself was deeply disappointed,
though he handled the situation with characteristic
public grace. Canada went on to lose the bronze
medal game to Finland. Despite that controversial
exit, Gretzky retired from international play,
holding the records for most goals, assists,
and overall points in best -on -best hockey.
After hanging up the skates, he immediately transitioned
into management and coaching, especially with
the Phoenix Coyotes. Almost immediately. In May
2000, he purchased a 10 % stake in the Phoenix
Coyotes, becoming alternate governor and head
of hockey operations. stabilizing the franchise,
helping avert a potential relocation of the team
to Portland, Oregon. And his eventual move behind
the bench in 2005. He became head coach following
the NHL lockout, and the team showed immediate
quantifiable improvement in his first season,
increasing their win total by 16 games and showing
a better overall competitive spirit. But they
never made the playoffs. Despite that promising
start and his immense knowledge of the game,
the Coyotes never reached the postseason during
his four -year tenure as coach. His exit from
Phoenix was complicated by financial and ownership
issues, mirroring some of the instability he
saw in L .A. years earlier. Very complicated.
In 2009, the Coyotes holding company filed for
Chapter 11 bankruptcy amidst an ownership dispute
involving Jim Balsillie and the NHL. The entire
situation was financially toxic and unstable.
Gretzky stepped down in September 2009, citing
the uncertainty, leaving a final coaching record
of 143 wins, 161 losses and 24 overtime losses.
It really proved that genius as a player does
not automatically translate to success behind
the bench. We should also remember his brief
but high -profile return to the Oilers organization
later in his career. He returned to Edmonton
in October 2016 as a minority partner and vice
chairman of the Oilers Entertainment Group. It
was a ceremonial and advisory role, bringing
him back into the Oilers' fold. He stepped down
from that role in 2021, citing the pandemic and
other life changes preventing him from dedicating
the necessary time. Since leaving, he has become
a high -profile analyst for Turner Sports NHL
coverage on TNT and TBS. Finally, we arrive at
part six, legacy, honors, and complex cultural
positioning. Let's start with the accolades.
They came immediately, without delay. The league
didn't waste any time. He was immediately inducted
into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1999, bypassing
the customary three -year waiting period. And
he was the last player ever to receive this honor.
The following year, the NHL made a truly unprecedented
decision, inspired by Major League Baseball retiring
Jackie Robinson's number 42. The ultimate honor.
The retirement of 99 league -wide. Across the
entire league, no NHL player will ever wear the
number 99 again, a sign of reverence only a handful
of athletes across history have ever received.
In terms of professional assessment, the Hockey
News named him the number one greatest player
in NHL history in 1997, and the Athletic concurred
in 2023. Let's just recap the sheer volume of
silverware he accumulated. It's staggering. We're
talking 10 Art Ross trophies as the scoring leader,
nine Hart trophies as MVP, five Lester B. Pearson
awards as the most outstanding player as judged
by his peers, two Conn Smythe trophies as playoff
MVP, and five Lady Bing trophies for sportsmanship
and performance. He led the league and assists
16 times in his 19 professional seasons. His
legacy isn't just on the ice. He was also an
early sports entrepreneur and cultural investor.
He was highly active off the ice. Between 1985
and 1992, he owned the Hull Olympics and the
QMJHL and famously changed their colors to silver
and black, predicting the color scheme the Kings
would eventually adopt. And the CFL ownership
with John Candy is a great story. It is. He was
a minority owner of the Toronto Argonauts in
the CFL, alongside Bruce McNall and the late
John Candy. They won the Grey Cup in their first
year of ownership, 1991, and Gretzky's and Candy's
names were later added to the cup. He was a massive
commercial success, rivaling other North American
sports stars in marketability. By the mid -90s,
he was an endorsement titan among the five highest
paid athlete endorsers in North America, with
major deals including Coca -Cola, Domino's and
Sharp. Forbes estimated he made almost U .S.
$94 million from endorsements just between 1990
and 1998. Today, he's still leveraging that Nandam
99 trademark as part owner of the Wayne Gretzky
Estates Winery and Distillery in Niagara -on
-the -Lake. And he's highly involved in philanthropy,
balancing the commercial success with community
giving. Yes. In 2002, he co -founded the Wayne
Gretzky Foundation, which focuses on helping
underprivileged youth participate in hockey by
providing equipment and ice time. He is also
involved with major charitable organizations
like the CNIB, Make -A -Wish, and the ALS Superfund.
Now we must transition to one of the more peculiar
and ongoing controversies surrounding his public
status as a Canadian icon, his connection to
the Order of Canada. For those unfamiliar with
the Canadian honor system, what is the context
here? The Order of Canada is the country's highest
civilian honor. Gretzky was first appointed an
officer of the Order of Canada, the mid -level
grade, in 1984, recognizing his athletic achievements,
gentlemanly conduct, and philanthropy. Then,
in 2009, he was promoted to companion, which
is the highest rank. Reserved for the best of
the best. It's reserved for those who have demonstrated
the highest degree of merit to Canada and humanity.
But there's a persistent and awkward problem
with the investiture ceremony that has now spanned
over 15 years. There is. To formally become a
companion, you must attend an official investiture
ceremony in Ottawa, presided over by the governor
general. As of 2025, Gretzky has still not attended.
His agent has consistently cited scheduling conflicts,
noting that investitures are held only four times
a year. But that excuse has drawn significant
and public criticism, right? It has. Christopher
McCreery, a respected expert on Canada's honor
system, publicly criticized Gretzky for the no
-show, calling it insulting to the others who
get them because it devalues the seriousness
of the honor. The Governor General's office confirmed
in 2015 that out of 467 individuals appointed
as companions since 1967, only five, including
Gretzky, had not been invested. This non -attendance
remains a strange cultural footnote, suggesting
a degree of disengagement from Canada's highest
official recognition. And this complicated cultural
positioning has only intensified recently due
to his political activities, which cross the
Canada -U .S. border and clash with some segments
of Canadian public sentiment. This is a complex
area we must present impartially. Gretzky is
a dual citizen of Canada and the United States,
though he is sometimes denied having U .S. citizenship
as recently as 2025. He has long aligned himself
with the Conservative Party in Canada, notably
endorsing Stephen Harper, whom he publicly called
one of the greatest prime ministers ever. He
also aligned with Republican politicians in the
U .S., praising President George W. Bush in 2003
as a great leader. Which brings us to the recent
public backlash surrounding his visibility around
the 2024 U .S. election and the 2020. international
hockey event. Following the 2024 U .S. election,
Gretzky attended Donald Trump's victory party,
a highly visible political alignment. Subsequently,
Trump publicly suggested Gretzky should be prime
minister or governor of Canada, amplifying Gretzky's
political visibility. This culminated in adverse
reactions from some Canadian fans at the four
nations faceoff finals in February 2025. Adverse
reactions meaning active displays of dissent.
Yes. When he was awarded the honorary team captain
for Canada at the finals, he received audible
boos from sections of the crowd, and the perception
of betrayal was further fueled by specific visual
details at that event. What were those details?
Unlike the American honorary captain, Gretzky
did not wear a Team Canada jersey. Furthermore,
he was seen giving a clear thumbs -up gesture
to the American team, but not offering a similar
gesture to the Canadian team. And why did the
lack of a Team Canada jersey in 2025 resonate
so strongly with that betrayal narrative? It
was seen by critics as a visual confirmation
of his longstanding absence and his increasing
alignment with U .S. interests, particularly
following his endorsement activities. This fueled
intense fan reaction online, notably a Reddit
petition that circulated calling for the renaming
of Wayne Gretzky Drive in Edmonton, citing fan
feelings of cultural and patriotic betrayal.
So his career legacy, while absolutely untouchable
on the ice and revered globally, is clearly facing
a nuanced public scrutiny in Canada. It's related
to his long -standing absence, his perceived
disinterest in high national honors, and his
recent political alignment. It shows the complex
position of a transnational icon. For decades,
he was Canada's undisputed golden boy. Now, his
complex identity as an American resident and
his political preferences are being weighed against
his historical status by certain segments of
the Canadian public. It's a dynamic, ongoing
cultural shift in how he is perceived at home.
That is a fascinating and crucial piece of context
for the end of his career. Let's wrap up our
deep dive with a final summation of his statistical
and strategic impact. The conclusion is simply
undeniable. Wayne Gretzky redefined hockey by
prioritizing intellect, anticipation, and strategy
over size or brute force. He used pattern recognition
and anticipation, a skill he diligently developed
through relentless, almost medical -level study,
to effectively slow down time on the ice. He
dominated both the struggling WHA and the physical
NHL, forcing the entire sport globally to shift
toward a faster, more precise, and more team
-centric five -man... unit approach. His career
total stand is impenetrable monuments in sports
history, statistics that may never, ever be approached
again. Absolutely. We look at the overwhelming
numbers one last time to truly grasp the scale.
894 career goals, 1 ,963 career assists for a
total of 2 ,857 career points. A legend whose
assists alone outscore nearly every other player's
career total offensive production. And that strategic
approach that insistence the genius is simply
preparation meeting up. opportunity is the key
takeaway we wanted to leave you with today. He
claimed that what looked like pure instinct was
just diligent preparation, recognizing those
stored patterns instantly. So we leave you with
this provocative thought, something to mull over
from this deep dive. If the pinnacle of sports
genius is simply preparation meeting opportunity
demonstrated by Gretzky's obsessive study of
patterns, what area of your own life, whether
professional, creative or personal, could benefit
from applying that same level of dedicated pattern
recognizing study? We hope you enjoyed this deep
dive into the great one. We'll see you next time.