Sports Memorabilia -> Autographs-Original -> Hockey-NHL

Wayne Gretzky, called “The Great One” by many hockey professionals and writers, is one of the most recognizable names in sports throughout the world and widely regarded to be the best hockey player of all time. While even someone who doesn’t like sports knows to think of baseball when they think of Babe Ruth, and basketball when they think of Michael Jordan, hockey is what springs to mind when someone says the name Gretzky. Gretzky was one of the most successful players ever to take to the ice. Though he’s retired now, he remains involved in hockey by being part-owner and head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes, a team in the National Hockey League, otherwise known as the NHL.

Wayne Gretzky was born in 1961 in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. He played in a backyard hockey rink and perfect the skills that would later lead him to become one of the best known names in the history of professional hockey. One of his signature moves was how he would set up behind the net. It was so unique to him that people began calling that area of the ice “Gretzky’s Office.”

He joined the World Hockey Association, the WHA, in 1978 as a member of the Indianapolis Racers. Soon he joined the Edmonton Oilers, a team that shortly after joined the NHL because the WHA dissolved. As a team member of the Oilers, he helped lead the club to win 4 Stanley Cup Championships—the equivalent of the World Series in Baseball and the Superbowl in football. The Oilers traded Wayne Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings, improving that teams performance immensely (they made I to the Cup finals in 1993) and did a great deal to make hockey a more popular sport in the United States.

He then played with the St. Louis Blues, becoming team captain even over long-time captain and god friend Brett Hull, but ended his career as a member of the New York Rangers. Wayne Gretzky was one of the most honored hockey players ever, having won 9 Hart Trophies for being most valuable player, 5 Lady Byng Trophies for sportsmanship and overall performance, 5 Lester B. Pearson awards, 2 Conn Smythe Trophies as the Most Valuable Player during the playoffs, and 10 Art Ross Trophies, which were awarded for scoring the most points in a single season.

Wayne Gretzky retired from hockey in 1999, and was soon after inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame right away. He bought part-ownership in the Phoenix Coyotes in 2000, and became their head coach in 2005. He also served as Executive Director for the Canadian men’s hockey team during the Winter Olympics in 2002, helping them snag the gold. His number is the only number to be officially retired across the board by the NHL.

Wayne Gretzky collectibles range from hockey uniform shirts bearing the number 99 to autographed materials. eBay is a great place for these items, but as with all autographed materials, compare the signature to the star’s known signature to avoid buying a fake.

Photo Credits: Ian Muttoo

Originally posted 2008-10-28 14:00:36. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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