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Gretzky Plays Final Game

The greatest player in NHL history has played his final game. Wayne Gretzky’s game Sunday against the Pittsburg Penguins was his last and it was truly an event to remember. No.99 played great and recorded one assist and he could easily have picked up a few more as he was constantly dancing behind the opposing net, where a 99 had been painted on the ice, setting up his teammates. While the fans would have liked to see Gretzky score the overtime winner, that honour went to the man who may now be the best offensive player in the NHL, Jaromir Jagr. Before the game, Gretzky was presented with a car and Gary Bettman announced that no.99 would be retired by the NHL, meaning that no player will every wear that number again. Gretzky’s family members were also brought onto the ice as well as some current Rangers and 3 longtime friends: Glenn Sather, Mario Lemieux and Mark Messier. Messier got the biggest cheer from the sell-out crowd on hand and Gretzky called him the greatest player he has ever played with. Lemieux, was a surprise guest and he came along to share some wisdom about retirement with Wayne when he told him that his gold game wouldn’t improve with retirement. Throughout the week, Sather was the man who Gretzky continually insisted had done the most for his career. Following the game, the Penguins all shook Gretzky’s hand and the Rangers assembled for a team picture in the fashion that teams do after they win Stanley Cups. Gretzky then saluted the crowd, with many tears in his eyes for repeat curtain calls.

Many celebrities came to the game including Christopher Reeves, Jerry Seinfeld and Mark O’Meara. Gretzky also said that he’d received phone calls from Micheal Jordan and Jean Chretien among others. Like everyone else, these stars in their own right are all fans of the greatest player ever, no.99.

Reaction

"I think Wayne, in the long term, is going to be considered the greatest athlete of all time, transcending all sports."
-Former teammate Andy Moog

"I watched Wayne’s last game in Canada as well as his very emotional press conference and I was overcome with emotion. On one hand I am very happy for Wayne; he has accomplished so much in his career and he is able to leave the game on his own terms, which is very special. On the other hand, like all of his fans, I am sad to see hockey lose its greatest player and its greatest ambassador."
-Former NHL great Mario Lemieux

"This is truly a bittersweet moment. One of the greatest players ever to play our national game has decided to hang up his skates. No longer will our arenas be energized by his presence and electrified performance. No longer will we be able to thrill in anticipation of his next wondrous play."
-Prime Minister Jean Chretien

"He never ceased to amaze me and all of his teammates. We weren’t surprised at anything he ever did."
-Former teammate Paul Coffey

"You can’t help but admire the man, as a person first and then, of course, as the greatest player ever."
-Rangers forward Adam Graves

"Wayne Gretzky is a Canadian legend. He represents all that is right about Canada. The talent, desire, and sportsmanship displayed by the Great One may never be equaled on a hockey rink. It certainly cannot be surpassed."
-Conservative leader Joe Clark

"One of the reasons I took this job was because Wayne was here. I knew he was close to retirement, but I didn’t think he was this close."
-Rangers coach John Muckler

"Without question it was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my coaching career. I saw Wayne’s passion for the game first hand."
-Former NHL coach Mike Keenan on coaching Gretzky in ’87 Canada Cup.

Simply the Best

How can you compare Gretzky to other greats in NHL history? When you get down and look at his numbers they’re simply mind boggling. He holds 61 NHL records which is unbelievable in itself and even more so if you look at how much he holds some of them by. Here’s a few interesting stats which I’ve put together on Wayne’s career.

Gretzky has scored 894 goals, 1962 assists and 2,856 points in his NHL career. Looking at the all time list, that puts him 1,006 points ahead of no.2, Gordie Howe. This also means, that Gretzky’s assists totals alone, surpass Howe’s points total of 1,850 by 12, which is pretty incredible if you think about it. Once you add in the WHA and playoff totals, Gretzky has scored one more goal than Gordie Howe.

Here’s some other things to consider. Gretzky’s assist total of 1,962 is nearly double that of Paul Coffey who is second all time on the list with 1,102. If you add Howe’s and Mario Lemieux’s career assists together, they still don’t have as many as Gretzky.

Gretzky is the only player to record a 200 point season and he has done it four times. His assist record of 163 in a season is more points than any player has ever recorded in a single season with the exception of Mario Lemieux.

In addition, Wayne has won 9 Hart Trophy’s as the league’s MVP, 10 scoring titles, 4 Lady Bings for gentlemanly conduct and 2 Conn Smythe trophies to go with 4 Stanley Cups. He has been a first team all-star 8 times and a second team all-star 9 times, including the last 3 years.

But what made Wayne so special was that he was a good guy. You never heard his name mentioned for drug possession, gambling problems or any police report. In addition, he always handled the media well and was a great spokesman for the NHL. He continued to stress how great a game the NHL was today as he retired when he could have complained about obstruction and the trap. At his press conference in Ottawa on Thursday, the Rangers press directed said that Wayne could only take 2 more questions but Gretzky waved him off and said he’d answer them all. This is as valuable as any record.

No comes even close, no matter what sport you’re talking about.


Your Thoughts

I'll post fans reaction to Gretzky's career and retirement up here so if you have any thoughts on the Great One, send them to arnoldw@cadvision.com for inclusion here. Please sign the comments if you want your name posted here or do not put a name at the bottom if you want them to be anonymous.