How many games did Gretzky miss due to injury?
Missed only eight games due to injuries during his first eight years in Edmonton. Only faced significant injuries in 1992-93, when he missed 39 games with a herniated disc, in 1987-88 when a knee injury sidelined him for 16 games, and again in 1998-99, when he missed 15 games with a sprained neck.
The upper-back injury has been diagnosed as a herniated thoracic disk, with the disk extending into the spinal canal, putting intense pressure on a nerve running between his two ribs. Watkins said there has been a small amount of calcification, but that there is no "significant" evidence of spinal-cord injury.
Wayne Gretzky holds or shares 61 records listed in the League's Official Guide and Record Book: 40 for the regular season, 15 for the Stanley Cup playoff and six for the All-Star Game.
Gretzky says he accepted his retirement decision the moment he announced it in the final week of the 1998-99 season; he played his final NHL game on April 18, 1999, with the Rangers. "The fact I can't do it, it kills me," he says of continuing to play, "but I've got peace of mind because it was time to move on.
As centre and team captain, Gretzky led the Oilers to four Stanley Cup victories (in the 1983–84, 1984–85, 1986–87, and 1987–88 seasons).
Wayne Gretzky
With his finesse and speed, “The Great One” revolutionized the game. Wayne Gretzky shattered long-standing records, notably scoring an unprecedented 894 goals. He also earned four Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers (1984–85, 1987–88) and was named the NHL's MVP nine (!) times (1980–87, 1989).
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Wayne Gretzky.
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If we assume that Ovechkin keeps scoring in that vicinity, breaking Gretzky's record is definitely a strong possibility. If we take that 0.60 goals-per-game clip and average that out, Ovechkin could break Gretzky's record during the 2023-24 or 2024-25 season.
In fact, The Great One set single-season records for goals, assists, and points by a player in two different seasons. In 1981-82, Gretzky set a mark that will most certainly never come close to falling. In just 80 games, he scored 92 goals for the Oilers helping them to finish first in the Smythe division.
Four times, Gretzky scored 70 or more goals, twice 80 or more and once he scored more than 90. With players barely hitting 50 or more goals, there is no way that any player could ever top those statistics.
Can anyone wear 99 in the NHL?
No, you cannot wear the number 99 in the NHL. The league officially retired the number on behalf of Wayne Gretzky in 2000.
On February 7, 1990, a bashful Wayne Gretzky did an interview with CBC's Valerie Pringle. Gretzky had just signed a nine-year, $30 million extension with the Los Angeles Kings, but found himself defending how much money was making. In his first full season with the Kings, Gretzky scored 54 goals and tallied 168 points.
Versatility and athleticism: Gretzky was versatile in a demanding and rugged team sport. Hockey focuses on a myriad of athletic attributes—many of the same varied skills utilized, for the most part, by basketball, football and soccer players, widely considered among the best athletes.
The WHA folded in 1979, and the Oilers team joined the NHL. At the age of 19, Gretzky won his first Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player (MVP).
Gretzky, known as “The Great One”, would flourish in the Stanley Cup playoffs finishing with numerous records and reaching the Stanley Cup finals six times – five times with the Edmonton Oilers and once with the Los Angeles Kings.
Henri Richard holds the record for the most Stanley Cup wins, as he has claimed 11 titles during his career.
One of Canada`s most valued national resources, Wayne Gretzky, collapsed in pain Saturday night in the Canada Cup finals when Team USA`s Gary Suter smashed him into the boards behind the U.S. net in the second period of Canada`s 4-1 victory.
The lower-back injury sidelined Gretzky for three of the Kings' 10 playoff games that season. Then, on Sept. 14, 1991, was injured when he was checked from behind by Gary Suter in a Canada Cup game between Canada and the United States. He aggravated the injury again 13 days later in a preseason game.
