Wayne Gretzky

Wayne Douglas Gretzky was born January 26, 1961, in Brantford, Ontario; he developed early as a prodigious youth player in Brantford and played junior and senior-level Canadian hockey before turning professional in the late 1970s. Gretzky’s father, Walter Gretzky, is widely credited with fostering Wayne’s early development on street and backyard rinks. Gretzky began his major professional career in the World Hockey Association (WHA) with the Indianapolis Racers and moved to the Edmonton Oilers when the franchise joined the NHL in 1979; in Edmonton he became the dominant offensive player of his era, leading the league in scoring multiple times and helping the Oilers win four Stanley Cups in 1984, 1985, 1987 and 1988. Gretzky was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in 1988 in a landmark transaction that raised hockey’s profile in the United States; he later had short stints with the St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers before retiring as an NHL player in 1999 with career totals that remain NHL records for points and assists. After retirement Gretzky served as head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes (2005–2009), has been involved in hockey management and ownership ventures, and participates in numerous business, philanthropic and ambassadorial roles for the sport; he also operates the Gretzky brand and maintains record and memorabilia archives documenting his career.