Unfortunately, I was only able to see Wayne play once live. It was in Buffalo. I made up my mind to watch him specifically. Only him. I wondered what made this guy so good, so I focused on him alone. The fucking guy was a magician. No look behind the back passes, eluded his check with ease, knew where everybody and everything was on the ice, could use the boards like a pool table. It was incredible. Fantastic player. Come from a great family in small town Ontario. What a HUGE boost for the game of hockey. His accomplishments will likely never be challenged.
I'm not a fan of hockey at all but I just spent 45 minutes reading about him and watching that last clip of his last game almost made me tear up.. What a goddamn legend. He must have had such an amazing life and time playing, would be so hard to say goodbye to that.
Dev Prior same for me, I don't particularly like hockey but this guy was an absolute legend. He was better at his sport than anyone else in history at their sport in my opinion
Honestly did that bring tears to the eyes of any old school hockey fans? There was something magical about Gretz. Prodigies like that only come along once in a lifetime which is why I'm so thankful that I was able to witness a portion of Gretzky's career, albeit the last half.
Gretzky's greatest weapon was his ability to hold onto the puck for that extra second or two while making plays. This usually caused the opponent to overreact or commit too early, giving Gretzky extra time and space to operate and finish plays. A lot of the top players are able to do this to one degree or another, but he was the best at it.
+Jason L I agree. Thats what I saw here, he controls the puck as long as possible until just the right moment...bang! Have to be damn good to control the puck as long as possible, thats first, then wait till the right moment, thats second, then know when its the right moment to shoot and then shoot well, thats third. All 3 add up to pretty damn good scoring. Just have to do all 3...consistently...that's all. Which makes a great one.
Gretstky is not only the most dominant Hockey player ever by a wide margin. He is the most dominant athlete of any sport ever. His 2,857 PTS is nearly 1,000 more than second place. It would be the equivalent of someone hitting 1200 home runs in baseball. THE GREAT ONE
you guys obviously never heard of Bo Jackson, or Lebron James, or Pele, Messi, Michael Phelps, Roger Federer - and if you want to call racing a sport there are even more impressive athletes... You are making a bold comment. Hockey is still a developing sport with players like Crosby, Ovi, Chara, Kane/Toews, and J. Quick trailblazing the path.
babysmuggler babysmuggler (lol) developing sport? It offers the oldest cup in professional sport-the NHL is almost a century old and hockey is even older. It is the last medal event at the Olympics b/c it is considered the top event at the Winter Games...OVI/Sid trail blazing? LMFAO... ever heard of Wayne Gretzky who essentially put hockey on the map in the USA in the 90s? Dude, G was voted best athlete of the DECADE by the american biased sports rag SI.
1984 Scoring Wayner Gretzky at 208 points, and Kurri, Hawerchuk etc around 130. People don't seem to understand how far ahead of the other players Wayne was, he was more than a generational talent - he actually changed the way the game was played forever. Crosby, Ovi, etc. the game itself now evolved because of Wayne and how he saw the game and played it. Scoring was not that much up, and thats a wide margin - Crosby doesn't win the scoring race by a 35% margin. Crosby is like greztky, generational talent but sitll not in the Great One's League. The Greatest Player to ever play the game.
The most amazing thing about him, watching these clips and remembering from watching him most of his career, is his incredible patience. People say "he wouldn't score those goals now" etc, but if you watch him, nearly every time he waits for the goalie to make the first move and commint himself. Most his goals look easy because he is so patient, the goaltender has to commit to something, and then he makes him look foolish.
I agree! One thing though, could you imagine being a goalie and trying not to flinch when Gretzky has the puck! Is he going to shoot or pass? The Great One, it actually should now be, "The Greatest One"
His records never to be broken for sure: 92 goals in a season (Lemieux was close with 85) 4 200 pt+ seasons 215 pts in a season 163 assists in a season 47 pts in 18 playoff games 2,857 career points(reg. season)
I was only six when this guy retired, but man, I was tearing up by the end of this video! Gretzky is nothing less than the greatest hockey player the league has and will ever see. He's an absolutely unforgettable talent, and will forever be remembered to all hockey fans young and old as simply "the Great One".
It wasn't skill, speed or his fancy moves that led him to all of his records, in fact he wasn't that athletic to begin with. It was because he knew where every player on that ice was doing, what they were gonna do next and how to beat them. He knew the game better than anybody to every lace up a pair of skates. They said the same thing when he enter the league. They said he was too small, not fast enough and would be crushed by every defenseman in the NHL. He made every critic eat their words. He was like the Einstein of hockey. It was his awareness and his knowledge about the game that made him unstoppable.
Curtis I The goalies have gotten a lot better. But a young Gretzky today would still be lighting them up. Maybe not to the tune of 215 points in a season but he'd still be lethal. A Young Wilt Chamberlain wouldn't average 50 & 25 today but he'd still probably average 30-35 with 15-17 rebounds. Some guys just are that good.
@@Hawktotalwar butterfly don't mean sh!t, Cam Neely regularly owned the master of the butterfly, Patrick Roy. Butterfly opens up the top shelf. Top scorers can always improvise against any tactic, as they *always* have. The Soviets regularly owned Dryden, both in the 1972 Summit Series and in the 1975 Super Series.
@@humankirk9196 You dont know what you are talking about. How about trying to look at the statistics and explain why goals have dropped so much since the introduction of butterfly goaltending?
Gretkzy's first 8 seasons he averages 59.875 points more than the next player. Nearly 60 points more than the next NHL player of that day. If Gretzky came on the scene today and was just introduced he would score on average 140 points per season. Mathematically I compared the average and the points which indicated this specific figure. To get over 200 points in today's age would be a near impossible feat. The great one in his prime in this specific hockey age would perhaps get 170 in his highest point season. This is a phenomenal figure in today's NHL. And quite doable for the great one. This is how good he was compared to the next player in his prime. Imagine that.
Pretty reasonable adjustments for today's game, IMHO. I think what a lot of people fail to understand is tht when you're on skates being lighter & having a lower center of gravity are actually pretty big advantages. You have less inertial mass to deal with. You can stop, turn & pivot far more easily than a larger guy.
Can you even skate? I bet you don't even know how to shoot? Idiot comment. Gretzky would lick sack if you put him on bad team in today's league. All the passing in the world can't beat the defensive structure and elite goaltending.
shivakrishnarama Your comment conveyed cannot be calculated by any intelligent response. If I responded to you with a defense I would lower my own intelligence to your level of intelligence. Therefore no comment in response for a defense will be given since no credence applies to your statement. I stand my ground on the initial statement made. Good day to you.
Cynthia Smith Did you even graduate college? The word calculate is incorrectly used in your opening sentence. Yeah, you're stupid and of course that's why you're a Wayne Gretzky fan.
Gretzky has the records. Case closed. There is no need to respond to you. I feel I will lower my own intelligence by responding to trolls like you on the internet.
Gretzky was a lot of fun to watch. Yea Crosby and Ovi are great players but it's still, not the same. Sure, everything about hockey has changed in the last 20 years, the gear is much better, light weight, more flexible. Training is more dynamic, diets and nutrition are better. Athletes now have the advantage to become more exceptional. But you're still a product of your environment and nobody has made the impact on hockey like Gretzky. Maybe someday...
Most accurate shooter & patient player the NHL has ever seen or will ever seen. His quick hands & ability to slow everything down around him just slaughtered defenses.
I do not watch hockey, I never have. I'm Australian we don't really get it here. But this guy is crazy amazing. I enjoyed this video immensely. A truly amazing person doing truly amazing things is not hard to appreciate.
Here is something to chew on.... Many people argue which superstar is greater Orr? Lemeiux, or Gretz...... Here's how great The Great One is: #99 total NHL career points= 2857 #99 total NHL standing records= over 60 Orr (+) Lemeius total NHL career points= 2638 Orr (+) Mario's NHL standing records= under 25 nuf said!
ALEXANDER BAKER Sorry, but as much as I love Mario or Bobby. Gretzky ruled the game. He had a sense of domination and control that no one else had, not only did he control the team but the entire game. We can say the same for Bobby, but Bobby controlled one aspect which were offensive break outs, Mario could be the only compared to Gretzky but even then Lemieux wouldn't even be enough to stack to Gretzky. If there's one player that can come close, in my opinion that player would be Valeri Kharlamov of the USSR. The way I see things, concentration and poise play a huge role to the success of Wayne, something the great Soviet teams of the 70's and 80's had, much more so to Kharlamov. Like the Soviets, Gretzky didn't seek to win, rather dominate. And right then and there shows the thin line to great victory and winning. If you seek to be victorious, you will find all means to do so and exhaust those means until there isn't any left, winning is just winning. Winning does not mean that you have won the war. And the numbers posted by Wayne seem to be line to his victory. But again, I respect your opinion greatly. But I feel that Gretzky is the greatest that has ever played because he sought after victory.
hockey is a business. whats good for the business is good for the sport. usa needed more ticket sales so the nhl trade him to la. unfortunately the stanley cup is nothing more then selling tickets. its all about $ now. sports entertainment for the huddled masses. hockey has joined baseball, basketball, football. all sold out.
Gretzky is simply the greatest A good quote I found... "he had so many points in his career that had he not scored a single goal in his entire career he would still be the NHL all-time points leader."
thanks for sharing - i grew up in the 80's in Edmonton watching him and am still blown away by some of the things he did. it's like he could close his eyes and still see the entire rink AND know where everyone was going to be next. he had such a great slap shot - deadly accurate (not necessarily the hardest, but it was fast enough to get the job done.) you don't see a lot of goals like that anymore - pure slap shots picking a tiny spot of unprotected net... thanks for posting this!
Gretzky was good in his era and was able to shine with goons to protect his back. In today's game which is more physical, minus the goons, he may not be as dominant. It's every man for himself now, with no goons or fighting to back you up. His 200 point seasons would be approximately 100 point seasons if he would be able to compete in today's league at an all star level. Gretzky no doubt had terrific vision, great skill, but today is a different game. I don't think he'd have the physical strength to be as dominant. Today players are fighting off 3 defenders, diving, and pretty much flying all over the place, and the goaltenders are making incredible highlight saves. Gretzky seems to be pretty much open for most of these goals with lots of time to react without being defended. Gretzky himself stated publicly that he was great in his day, but put players like Crosby and Kane in the 80's and they would be just as dominant. Gretzky also stated that he doubts he would be as good in today's league. I think I recall hearing Gretzky saying that Crosby is the best player he ever saw play the game in his lifetime. No denying that Gretzky dominated his time, but be real, you can't deny the change in today's game and the fact Gretzky's skills back then may be shut out today by the defense. His particular skill set may not suit today's game.
There'll never be another Gretzky. He played a game that no one else played. Somehow he was always in the spot where the puck would end up rather than manically chasing after the puck like most players. His vision, instincts, passing and shooting were all off the charts.
What made him great was his ability to "find a way." If he joined the NHL tomorrow as a rookie I believe he would find a way to be a great player again. His work ethic was amazing too. "Your only as good as your last shift."
He just knew the game extremely well and had great accuracy. He knew the weakand spots in the game. Plus it seemed to me there wereno several times in that video alone he should've gotten clobbered but the players just didn't check him. I didn't have the pleasure of watching him but i hope he wasn't a crosby(no one can hit him w.o a penalty), or lebron bein allowed to carry 7 steps to the hoop, etc. But all the things i stated as facts coupled together led to his doninence. Referring to the exceptions for certain skilled players, thats done to increase interest in the sport.
Stats of goals per game show avg 4.9 in 80's and 2.39 in recent seasons. So just about cut his stats in halfan and probably take even more off bc of the physicality of today's game andv yeah...just would notbe bethere able to put up those numbers guaranteed.
they tried...they really tried...but he was like hitting a piece of rope...but more importantly..he never had to look down to see where the puck was on his stick...,that is usually when guys get nailed..check out Lindros.. Gretzky was the only guy that could skate end to end without looking down once...tough to hit a guy like that.. ...and yes if you really got out of hand in trying to nail him...there were a few guys that would make you reconsider...
Those who write that goalies were so bad in gretzkys days.why nobody else came up with those numbers that he had if all goalies were crap? But he has most points in nhl history without scoring a single goal anyway.
Wyatt Barnes he was still 30% points higher than the second leading scorer. That would be like someone averaging 40ppg in the nba while Lebron is only at 30ppg. Your argument is flawed
@@wyattbarnes9641 goalies were not bad. If they were... Tretiak wouldn't have been stealing the Summit Series. The problem with comments like yours is that of course goalies look bad. Look at Mario's dekes around even HoFer Raymond Bourque. Look at Bobby Orr's end to end rushes as if the opposing team wasn't even there. They were geniuses. They always make the opposition look bad. Goalie technique improved. The butterfly changed goaltending by making garbage goals harder. But it does nothing against a perfect Gretzky pass, a perfect Jagr deke, or a perfect Mario shot.
@@humankirk9196 I mean you can say they were good for that era, it’s all relative. Gretzky was impressive in the era of high flying offense, zero defensive structure and bad goaltending technique. He outpaced every single player in that era. That being said, just with his speed a guy like Darren Helm could’ve put up 40 in the 80’s and that’s not really even a debate. Bad technique makes the goalies bad historically speaking, because the goalies of the last 20 years exist. So, I think Mcdavid doing what he is doing against goalies that put up consistent .920-.930 save percentages is more impressive than Gretzky deking a goalie out of his jockstrap with an nhl leading .870 save percentage. Just my thoughts, feel free to disagree.
I wish I had been watching hockey back then and had seen it live. I was very young and wasn't into hockey yet. He is truly is and ever will be, The Great One.
I'm always been more impressed by his assists than his goals. I love that he used to use the glass to see behind him and make "blind passes". No one knew how he did that until he retired, everyone thought he had eyes in the back of his head.
I seriously wonder how guys like gretzky and others from his era like lemieux (early portion of his career) would perform today. I mean both these guys, for example, put up what today are asinine shots per season, like well over 300 each and every season and shot at above 20% clips..... UNHEARD of today. A player today might get close to a 20% shooting percentage one season in his career, but for a career rate no one today who is putting up a ton of shots is exceeding 15%...... some struggle to shoot at a 10% clip. I mean since then defensive schemes changed CONSIDERABLY and goalie pads got bigger I wonder if these guys would be more like Crosby or more like Patrick Kane. I mean watching highlights from the 80s and even early 90s the game is soooooooooo much slower back then. Defenses are primitive at best, and yes, the goalies look like amateurs flailing around in the net..... sure that era produced some solid goalies but not many. I mean the best one to come to mind is Patrick Roy. He is a friggin HOFer. Yet look at how many goals he allowed per game early in his career. Top Goalies today are having GAAs like barely over 2 and if a goalie is over 2.5 he is considered average.... anyone over a 3 GAA is considered pretty shitty. Roy? I'd say his GAA in the 80s and first half of the 90s was closer to 3.00 than 2.50. His career save percentage is .910....... .910 That's pretty mediocre by today's standards, at least compared to someone like Tuukka Rask's percentage so far in his career of .926 (also, his career GAA is 2.15.... yeah). So to say the goalie position and defensive schemes of the 80s and early 90s. or lack there of, didn't play a SIGNIFICANT factor in Gretzky and Lemieux's career numbers is foolish. This is why I have a hard time anointing Gretzky as the clear cut best player to ever play the game. I will say he took advantage of the era he played in by being way ahead of his time, but does that make him the best.... just because he played in a soft era? Finally, for those saying if defenses were so bad and goalies were so pathetic than why did no one else put up insane numbers like Gretsky. First off, guys did put up insane numbers like Gretsky, Lemiuex for one. Second, look at the oilers 81-82 team. On that team ALONE here were their leading point getters: Gretzky 212 points, Glenn Anderson 105 points, Paul Coffey (defenseman mind you) 89 points, Mark Messier 88 points, Jari Kurri 86 points, and Dave Lumley 74 points. (next scorer was another defenseman with 69 stickin points..... two Dmen with forward-like point totals in today's game..... on the same damn team..... see why people say it was a different game now?) That's 6 guys with very solid point outputs by today's standards. Today's standard though are if you can average a point/game you are a stud and bonafide Hart trophy contender. It's not very common a guy today score over 100 points. In the 80s and early 90s though 100+ points was way more common. I mean the oilers had 2 guys do it in 81. And guess what..... in the 82-83 season the Oilers had 4.... FOUR guys with 100+ points. So yeah, people were putting up crazy numbers back then.
i dont know much about hockey, but gretzky also had TONS of assists. maybe look at another team's record and let me know what kind of points they put up. again, i don't know much about hockey. i'm jus saying that gretzky's ability to assist and command the rink could possibly attribute to the high numbers of points his team scores.
you are being fooled slightly..try watching an 80's game with todays camera work and you may see it differently.. there are changes..certainly...but Gretzky for example did what no-one does even today..skate end to end without looking at the puck on his stick once....that is what made him different other then going a 100 miles an hour and stop on a dime.....
The end of this video got me all emotional... man I miss watching this guy play.. what an inspiration.. To all of those that bash him, grow up and look at the stats. Or as some would say "Scoreboard!". The man made miraculous plays, miraculous goals and was an expert at fundamental hockey. Noone will touch the impact he has had on the sport. To those that say "Well he played when goalies sucked..etc", why is it that noone before him did the same?
good job phillergy on this video. really awesome footage. i wish i was a little older during Gretzky's hey day so i could have appreciated his talent then. thnx to videos likes this now i can. ty.
Totally agreed. It is always the second places the ones that use the "should have, could have, would have" line. Gretzky is the best ever. Anyone else may come close, even really close.
Wow after reading these comments half of you must of been born in the 90's and 2000's. What made Gretzky so great was he could read the ice like a chess board he was always 5 moves ahead. 2 he passed better than everyone else in the league and would make Crosby look like Mike Green. 3 He would probably excel in today's league for you youngsters who don't know they made a rule if 2 men get called for roughing it would still be a 5 on 5 this became known as the Gretzky rule. The Oilers who just shit on everyone in 4 vs 4 hockey was just amazing to watch. this rule was then changed back in the 90's.
canadians are the best because are nation was built on people helping eachother and working hard. Gretzky is one of those men.when he moved to the states and on to the kinghts team he showed the greates sport to the rest of the world . we thank you wayne. from: A NATION THAT LOVES HOCKEY
Very very astute answer. Yes there is something to be said about ones ability to avoid injurys over a long career and noting that it is a talent is absolutely true and needs to be takin into account when considering ones greatness. I agree with that statement 100 percent
Happy 50th Birthday Wayne Gretzky! If you think about it the life of a hockey player (or any professional athlete) is amazingly sweet. Aside from the obvious money doing what you love, you retire SO young. It's funny they talk about the "old guys" in the locker room who are like 37-42 years old. Wayne Gretzky has been around for YEARS and he's still only 50 now? He still has a lot of life left with alot of possibilities, we'll have to wait and see what else he accomplishes in his life time.
Gretzky was the most dominant athlete in his sport, easily. LeBron and Jordan were generational talent, but Gretzky's vision and hands are just one of kind talent. I still believe he'd be the best player today. Jordan and LeBron didn't revolutionize their sport like Gretzky. 99, the great one.
Wayne Gretzky was a fantastic hockey player, probably the best ever. Many try to dampen his accomplishments, citing improvements in goal tending and defensive play in the modern NHL. Yet, disregarding his outstanding point totals, Gretzky still would be the greatest player ever. Why? He legitimized hockey in the Western United states. San Jose, Phoenix, Dallas - all those franchises, and thus fans were born largely by him playing in LA. He was my idol growing up as a young player - in SoCal.
He was ahead of his time. What makes him Great is he Played the game with a better understanding of the game. If Datsyuk, Crosby, Nash, Ovechkin, Stamkos, ect... went back to the early 80's they would break his records. BUT without Gretzky these guys wouldn't be as talented to begin with. He raised the bar. He changed the game. Thats Greatness. When the Game has to learn how to play your way that is when you are the Best.
All these people comparing Gretzky to crosby... The game has changed so much. If Gretzky had grown up and trained in crosbys era he would still be the best. Smartest player ever.
Wayne Gretzky is one of my all time favorites, but no way he could have that many pts against todays goalies. Goalies now are taller, have much bigger equipment and they are 10 times better. You dont see them out of position all the time and they dont dive for nothing like you see in this video. But still, Gretzky was a amazing player with great vision on ice.
I love Hockey, Love the history just as much as the game. Legends of Hockey is a great documentary. I was born in 1997 so I never saw Gretzky play, but reading the history, watching the old games, and listening to his peers talk about him, it's pretty clear that he absolutely dominated, nobody even came close! Also, what's with the game today??? I watch games from the 90's, and all decades before the 90's, and it all seems like better Hockey? IMHO, faster doesn't mean better. Reduce the goalie pad size, put the two line pass back in, and let the players fight more. Let's Go Brandon!
Wayne played here in Sault Ste. Marie in his one and only junior year, before he went pro. Went to highschool here, and though we fill the seats anyway, when he played here, he made sure of it! My cousin still holds one of the only few records that Gretzky didn't smash while he was here. John Tavella still hold the record for most short handed goals in a season. I think it's because with Gretzky on the team, there were no need for penalties!
Wanna know just how good Gretzky was? If Wayne had never scored a single goal in his entire career......he’d still lead the NHL in all time points with his assists alone. Mic dropped.😎
I once saw wayne wait for a play to develop when he was behind the net. The first time his teammate came around it wasn't the right time to pass so he hung onto the puck still behind the net and waited for that guy to go around again in the right fashion. Sure enough... next time round he passed perfectly for the goal. He waited for the play to develop all the while keeping the puck from the other team and mastered the goal to perfection. GRETZKY IS THE GREATEST EVER !!!!!!!!!! *** PERIOD ***
And yet he dominated like no one ever. Part of his ability to score was that no one really saw him coming - he wasn't going through entire teams to reach the net, he was sitting behind it, or coming across the blue line, using the defender as a screen, and blowing it by the goalie in the top corner. He wasn't a "highlight" reel scorer, he was just an efficient one. But his records and his peer dominance all speak for his effectiveness. Most his records will stand forever.
Pretty deep insight there; certainly a well thought out, provocative and educated assessment. I thought hockey was the greatest sport in the world for the last thirty years but apparently I was wrong all along. Send me a bill.
I never liked Gretzky at the outset and I have watched hockey since the 70s. My dislike was based on the fact that the NY Islander dynasty lived in his shadow. As I observed him over the years, it's obvious he is/was a true offensive genius. It does not matter which era he played in. No one could hit him because he read the ice and the position better than anyone else. He is the absolute greatest. You may as well give him the top 10 spots for all time greats and start everyone else off a #11.
![[실시간] 전철에서 찍힌 기생생물 감염 장면 | 기생수: 더 그레이](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4nkFvwxGAfA/mqdefault.jpg)
Unfortunately, I was only able to see Wayne play once live. It was in Buffalo. I made up my mind to watch him specifically. Only him. I wondered what made this guy so good, so I focused on him alone. The fucking guy was a magician. No look behind the back passes, eluded his check with ease, knew where everybody and everything was on the ice, could use the boards like a pool table. It was incredible. Fantastic player. Come from a great family in small town Ontario. What a HUGE boost for the game of hockey. His accomplishments will likely never be challenged.
“Could use the boards like a pool table.”
Underrated comment, and exactly true.
I'm not a fan of hockey at all but I just spent 45 minutes reading about him and watching that last clip of his last game almost made me tear up.. What a goddamn legend. He must have had such an amazing life and time playing, would be so hard to say goodbye to that.
Dev Prior same for me, I don't particularly like hockey but this guy was an absolute legend. He was better at his sport than anyone else in history at their sport in my opinion
Honestly did that bring tears to the eyes of any old school hockey fans? There was something magical about Gretz. Prodigies like that only come along once in a lifetime which is why I'm so thankful that I was able to witness a portion of Gretzky's career, albeit the last half.
Gretzky's greatest weapon was his ability to hold onto the puck for that extra second or two while making plays. This usually caused the opponent to overreact or commit too early, giving Gretzky extra time and space to operate and finish plays. A lot of the top players are able to do this to one degree or another, but he was the best at it.
+Jason L I agree. Thats what I saw here, he controls the puck as long as possible until just the right moment...bang! Have to be damn good to control the puck as long as possible, thats first, then wait till the right moment, thats second, then know when its the right moment to shoot and then shoot well, thats third. All 3 add up to pretty damn good scoring. Just have to do all 3...consistently...that's all. Which makes a great one.
Gretstky is not only the most dominant Hockey player ever by a wide margin. He is the most dominant athlete of any sport ever. His 2,857 PTS is nearly 1,000 more than second place. It would be the equivalent of someone hitting 1200 home runs in baseball. THE GREAT ONE
you guys obviously never heard of Bo Jackson, or Lebron James, or Pele, Messi, Michael Phelps, Roger Federer - and if you want to call racing a sport there are even more impressive athletes... You are making a bold comment. Hockey is still a developing sport with players like Crosby, Ovi, Chara, Kane/Toews, and J. Quick trailblazing the path.
babysmuggler babysmuggler (lol) developing sport?
It offers the oldest cup in professional sport-the NHL is almost a century old and hockey is even older. It is the last medal event at the Olympics b/c it is considered the top event at the Winter Games...OVI/Sid trail blazing? LMFAO... ever heard of Wayne Gretzky who essentially put hockey on the map in the USA in the 90s?
Dude, G was voted best athlete of the DECADE by the american biased sports rag SI.
Ricky Carmichael, 10 outdoor motocross championships in a row
1984 Scoring Wayner Gretzky at 208 points, and Kurri, Hawerchuk etc around 130. People don't seem to understand how far ahead of the other players Wayne was, he was more than a generational talent - he actually changed the way the game was played forever. Crosby, Ovi, etc. the game itself now evolved because of Wayne and how he saw the game and played it. Scoring was not that much up, and thats a wide margin - Crosby doesn't win the scoring race by a 35% margin. Crosby is like greztky, generational talent but sitll not in the Great One's League. The Greatest Player to ever play the game.
The most amazing thing about him, watching these clips and remembering from watching him most of his career, is his incredible patience. People say "he wouldn't score those goals now" etc, but if you watch him, nearly every time he waits for the goalie to make the first move and commint himself. Most his goals look easy because he is so patient, the goaltender has to commit to something, and then he makes him look foolish.
I agree! One thing though, could you imagine being a goalie and trying not to flinch when Gretzky has the puck! Is he going to shoot or pass? The Great One, it actually should now be, "The Greatest One"
I get goosebumps every time I see the opposing team tap their sticks in respect for Gretzky :')
His records never to be broken for sure:
92 goals in a season (Lemieux was close with 85)
4 200 pt+ seasons
215 pts in a season
163 assists in a season
47 pts in 18 playoff games
2,857 career points(reg. season)
+Rudy Cooper Thats why hes the great one and there is no debating it...
Ovi)
Hull was closer with 86
It's highly unlikely anyone will touch Jagr's 1,921 career points!
GRETZKY = GREATEST EVER.. Nobody is even close.. 99
The BEST hockey player and professional athlete (in ANY SPORT) to ever grace this earth! Superior skill and class all in one. Very rare indeed.
I was only six when this guy retired, but man, I was tearing up by the end of this video! Gretzky is nothing less than the greatest hockey player the league has and will ever see.
He's an absolutely unforgettable talent, and will forever be remembered to all hockey fans young and old as simply "the Great One".
It wasn't skill, speed or his fancy moves that led him to all of his records, in fact he wasn't that athletic to begin with. It was because he knew where every player on that ice was doing, what they were gonna do next and how to beat them. He knew the game better than anybody to every lace up a pair of skates. They said the same thing when he enter the league. They said he was too small, not fast enough and would be crushed by every defenseman in the NHL. He made every critic eat their words. He was like the Einstein of hockey. It was his awareness and his knowledge about the game that made him unstoppable.
It was the goalie, back then they didn't know how to stop pucks like doing butterfly style. Though there are a few that did well like dryden
Curtis I The goalies have gotten a lot better. But a young Gretzky today would still be lighting them up. Maybe not to the tune of 215 points in a season but he'd still be lethal. A Young Wilt Chamberlain wouldn't average 50 & 25 today but he'd still probably average 30-35 with 15-17 rebounds. Some guys just are that good.
Graham Strouse Yeah its natural talent you can't get it by training hard. Gretzky has that talent, he is god of hockey.
@@Hawktotalwar butterfly don't mean sh!t, Cam Neely regularly owned the master of the butterfly, Patrick Roy. Butterfly opens up the top shelf. Top scorers can always improvise against any tactic, as they *always* have. The Soviets regularly owned Dryden, both in the 1972 Summit Series and in the 1975 Super Series.
@@humankirk9196 You dont know what you are talking about. How about trying to look at the statistics and explain why goals have dropped so much since the introduction of butterfly goaltending?
In the dead puck era he still managed to get 90 points so in his prime today he would still be best ever.
Dean Char 90 points in his LATE THIRTIES... (7-8 years past his prime). That's just ridiculous
On goalies that didn’t go to the ground...
I'm a lifelong Hawks fan, but even I enjoyed watching him stuff our nets. You gotta admire such talent. Long live the Great One!
simply the greatest player to ever lace up a pair of skates.....truly amazing watching this man growing up wow!
Gretkzy's first 8 seasons he averages 59.875 points more than the next player. Nearly 60 points more than the next NHL player of that day. If Gretzky came on the scene today and was just introduced he would score on average 140 points per season. Mathematically I compared the average and the points which indicated this specific figure. To get over 200 points in today's age would be a near impossible feat. The great one in his prime in this specific hockey age would perhaps get 170 in his highest point season. This is a phenomenal figure in today's NHL. And quite doable for the great one. This is how good he was compared to the next player in his prime. Imagine that.
Pretty reasonable adjustments for today's game, IMHO. I think what a lot of people fail to understand is tht when you're on skates being lighter & having a lower center of gravity are actually pretty big advantages. You have less inertial mass to deal with. You can stop, turn & pivot far more easily than a larger guy.
Can you even skate? I bet you don't even know how to shoot? Idiot comment. Gretzky would lick sack if you put him on bad team in today's league. All the passing in the world can't beat the defensive structure and elite goaltending.
shivakrishnarama Your comment conveyed cannot be calculated by any intelligent response. If I responded to you with a defense I would lower my own intelligence to your level of intelligence. Therefore no comment in response for a defense will be given since no credence applies to your statement. I stand my ground on the initial statement made. Good day to you.
Cynthia Smith Did you even graduate college? The word calculate is incorrectly used in your opening sentence. Yeah, you're stupid and of course that's why you're a Wayne Gretzky fan.
Gretzky has the records. Case closed. There is no need to respond to you. I feel I will lower my own intelligence by responding to trolls like you on the internet.
Gretzky was a lot of fun to watch. Yea Crosby and Ovi are great players but it's still, not the same. Sure, everything about hockey has changed in the last 20 years, the gear is much better, light weight, more flexible. Training is more dynamic, diets and nutrition are better. Athletes now have the advantage to become more exceptional. But you're still a product of your environment and nobody has made the impact on hockey like Gretzky. Maybe someday...
We can hope, right? I hope that the second coming doesn't wear an Oilers jersey, and as a bonus is a woman.
Most accurate shooter & patient player the NHL has ever seen or will ever seen. His quick hands & ability to slow everything down around him just slaughtered defenses.
I do not watch hockey, I never have. I'm Australian we don't really get it here. But this guy is crazy amazing. I enjoyed this video immensely. A truly amazing person doing truly amazing things is not hard to appreciate.
Here is something to chew on....
Many people argue which superstar is greater Orr? Lemeiux, or Gretz......
Here's how great The Great One is:
#99 total NHL career points= 2857
#99 total NHL standing records= over 60
Orr (+) Lemeius total NHL career points= 2638
Orr (+) Mario's NHL standing records= under 25
nuf said!
Lol, I could destroy you
All were great, and clearly all three of them changed certain aspects of the game. Numbers alone don't tell the story.
ALEXANDER BAKER Sorry, but as much as I love Mario or Bobby. Gretzky ruled the game. He had a sense of domination and control that no one else had, not only did he control the team but the entire game. We can say the same for Bobby, but Bobby controlled one aspect which were offensive break outs, Mario could be the only compared to Gretzky but even then Lemieux wouldn't even be enough to stack to Gretzky. If there's one player that can come close, in my opinion that player would be Valeri Kharlamov of the USSR. The way I see things, concentration and poise play a huge role to the success of Wayne, something the great Soviet teams of the 70's and 80's had, much more so to Kharlamov. Like the Soviets, Gretzky didn't seek to win, rather dominate. And right then and there shows the thin line to great victory and winning. If you seek to be victorious, you will find all means to do so and exhaust those means until there isn't any left, winning is just winning. Winning does not mean that you have won the war. And the numbers posted by Wayne seem to be line to his victory. But again, I respect your opinion greatly. But I feel that Gretzky is the greatest that has ever played because he sought after victory.
If he stayed in Edmonton he would have won them a few more cups for sure.
hockey is a business. whats good for the business is good for the sport. usa needed more ticket sales so the nhl trade him to la. unfortunately the stanley cup is nothing more then selling tickets. its all about $ now. sports entertainment for the huddled masses. hockey has joined baseball, basketball, football. all sold out.
Gretzky is simply the greatest
A good quote I found...
"he had so many points in his career that had he not scored a single goal in his entire career he would still be the NHL all-time points leader."
thanks for sharing - i grew up in the 80's in Edmonton watching him and am still blown away by some of the things he did. it's like he could close his eyes and still see the entire rink AND know where everyone was going to be next.
he had such a great slap shot - deadly accurate (not necessarily the hardest, but it was fast enough to get the job done.) you don't see a lot of goals like that anymore - pure slap shots picking a tiny spot of unprotected net... thanks for posting this!
Thanks to CZcams to make Gretzky more than some Statistics lost in times........
Gretzky was good in his era and was able to shine with goons to protect his back. In today's game which is more physical, minus the goons, he may not be as dominant. It's every man for himself now, with no goons or fighting to back you up. His 200 point seasons would be approximately 100 point seasons if he would be able to compete in today's league at an all star level.
Gretzky no doubt had terrific vision, great skill, but today is a different game. I don't think he'd have the physical strength to be as dominant. Today players are fighting off 3 defenders, diving, and pretty much flying all over the place, and the goaltenders are making incredible highlight saves. Gretzky seems to be pretty much open for most of these goals with lots of time to react without being defended.
Gretzky himself stated publicly that he was great in his day, but put players like Crosby and Kane in the 80's and they would be just as dominant. Gretzky also stated that he doubts he would be as good in today's league. I think I recall hearing Gretzky saying that Crosby is the best player he ever saw play the game in his lifetime.
No denying that Gretzky dominated his time, but be real, you can't deny the change in today's game and the fact Gretzky's skills back then may be shut out today by the defense. His particular skill set may not suit today's game.
There'll never be another Gretzky. He played a game that no one else played. Somehow he was always in the spot where the puck would end up rather than manically chasing after the puck like most players. His vision, instincts, passing and shooting were all off the charts.
What made him great was his ability to "find a way." If he joined the NHL tomorrow as a rookie I believe he would find a way to be a great player again. His work ethic was amazing too. "Your only as good as your last shift."
Gretzky meant bad fucking. News when he played against your team !!!
He retired to early....could have gotten 3000 pts
He had to retire in 99...the year was for him
Anyone else used to watch this video when they were younger and just came back in the name of nostalgia??
Excellent video. He was truly great. I'm lucky to have seen him play
He just knew the game extremely well and had great accuracy. He knew the weakand spots in the game. Plus it seemed to me there wereno several times in that video alone he should've gotten clobbered but the players just didn't check him. I didn't have the pleasure of watching him but i hope he wasn't a crosby(no one can hit him w.o a penalty), or lebron bein allowed to carry 7 steps to the hoop, etc. But all the things i stated as facts coupled together led to his doninence. Referring to the exceptions for certain skilled players, thats done to increase interest in the sport.
Stats of goals per game show avg 4.9 in 80's and 2.39 in recent seasons. So just about cut his stats in halfan and probably take even more off bc of the physicality of today's game andv yeah...just would notbe bethere able to put up those numbers guaranteed.
they tried...they really tried...but he was like hitting a piece of rope...but more importantly..he never had to look down to see where the puck was on his stick...,that is usually when guys get nailed..check out Lindros..
Gretzky was the only guy that could skate end to end without looking down once...tough to hit a guy like that..
...and yes if you really got out of hand in trying to nail him...there were a few guys that would make you reconsider...
haha they will never too be some kind of a man who name wayne douglas gretzky ! ..greatings from poland :)
I was there for the final game and it was one of the most memorable games ever (even though we lost). There will never be another like him.
i had chills watching this.. i was only 10 when he hung em up. I get to see his statue every time the oil play though. Legendary.
Those who write that goalies were so bad in gretzkys days.why nobody else came up with those numbers that he had if all goalies were crap?
But he has most points in nhl history without scoring a single goal anyway.
Pretty sure there were average players scoring 40 and 50 goals like it was nothing back then, precisely because the goalies and defence were so bad.
Wyatt Barnes he was still 30% points higher than the second leading scorer. That would be like someone averaging 40ppg in the nba while Lebron is only at 30ppg. Your argument is flawed
@@wyattbarnes9641 goalies were not bad. If they were... Tretiak wouldn't have been stealing the Summit Series. The problem with comments like yours is that of course goalies look bad. Look at Mario's dekes around even HoFer Raymond Bourque. Look at Bobby Orr's end to end rushes as if the opposing team wasn't even there. They were geniuses. They always make the opposition look bad.
Goalie technique improved. The butterfly changed goaltending by making garbage goals harder. But it does nothing against a perfect Gretzky pass, a perfect Jagr deke, or a perfect Mario shot.
@@humankirk9196 I mean you can say they were good for that era, it’s all relative. Gretzky was impressive in the era of high flying offense, zero defensive structure and bad goaltending technique. He outpaced every single player in that era. That being said, just with his speed a guy like Darren Helm could’ve put up 40 in the 80’s and that’s not really even a debate. Bad technique makes the goalies bad historically speaking, because the goalies of the last 20 years exist. So, I think Mcdavid doing what he is doing against goalies that put up consistent .920-.930 save percentages is more impressive than Gretzky deking a goalie out of his jockstrap with an nhl leading .870 save percentage. Just my thoughts, feel free to disagree.
Dustiest bender ever...
I can't even post this comment without feeling shame immediately
I wish I had been watching hockey back then and had seen it live. I was very young and wasn't into hockey yet. He is truly is and ever will be, The Great One.
I'm always been more impressed by his assists than his goals. I love that he used to use the glass to see behind him and make "blind passes". No one knew how he did that until he retired, everyone thought he had eyes in the back of his head.
I seriously wonder how guys like gretzky and others from his era like lemieux (early portion of his career) would perform today. I mean both these guys, for example, put up what today are asinine shots per season, like well over 300 each and every season and shot at above 20% clips..... UNHEARD of today. A player today might get close to a 20% shooting percentage one season in his career, but for a career rate no one today who is putting up a ton of shots is exceeding 15%...... some struggle to shoot at a 10% clip. I mean since then defensive schemes changed CONSIDERABLY and goalie pads got bigger I wonder if these guys would be more like Crosby or more like Patrick Kane. I mean watching highlights from the 80s and even early 90s the game is soooooooooo much slower back then. Defenses are primitive at best, and yes, the goalies look like amateurs flailing around in the net..... sure that era produced some solid goalies but not many. I mean the best one to come to mind is Patrick Roy. He is a friggin HOFer. Yet look at how many goals he allowed per game early in his career. Top Goalies today are having GAAs like barely over 2 and if a goalie is over 2.5 he is considered average.... anyone over a 3 GAA is considered pretty shitty. Roy? I'd say his GAA in the 80s and first half of the 90s was closer to 3.00 than 2.50. His career save percentage is .910....... .910 That's pretty mediocre by today's standards, at least compared to someone like Tuukka Rask's percentage so far in his career of .926 (also, his career GAA is 2.15.... yeah). So to say the goalie position and defensive schemes of the 80s and early 90s. or lack there of, didn't play a SIGNIFICANT factor in Gretzky and Lemieux's career numbers is foolish. This is why I have a hard time anointing Gretzky as the clear cut best player to ever play the game. I will say he took advantage of the era he played in by being way ahead of his time, but does that make him the best.... just because he played in a soft era? Finally, for those saying if defenses were so bad and goalies were so pathetic than why did no one else put up insane numbers like Gretsky. First off, guys did put up insane numbers like Gretsky, Lemiuex for one. Second, look at the oilers 81-82 team. On that team ALONE here were their leading point getters: Gretzky 212 points, Glenn Anderson 105 points, Paul Coffey (defenseman mind you) 89 points, Mark Messier 88 points, Jari Kurri 86 points, and Dave Lumley 74 points. (next scorer was another defenseman with 69 stickin points..... two Dmen with forward-like point totals in today's game..... on the same damn team..... see why people say it was a different game now?) That's 6 guys with very solid point outputs by today's standards. Today's standard though are if you can average a point/game you are a stud and bonafide Hart trophy contender. It's not very common a guy today score over 100 points. In the 80s and early 90s though 100+ points was way more common. I mean the oilers had 2 guys do it in 81. And guess what..... in the 82-83 season the Oilers had 4.... FOUR guys with 100+ points. So yeah, people were putting up crazy numbers back then.
i dont know much about hockey, but gretzky also had TONS of assists. maybe look at another team's record and let me know what kind of points they put up. again, i don't know much about hockey. i'm jus saying that gretzky's ability to assist and command the rink could possibly attribute to the high numbers of points his team scores.
you are being fooled slightly..try watching an 80's game with todays camera work and you may see it differently..
there are changes..certainly...but Gretzky for example did what no-one does even today..skate end to end without looking at the puck on his stick once....that is what made him different other then going a 100 miles an hour and stop on a dime.....
I actually love seeing him beat all these amazing goalies. Roy, Brodeur, Vanbiesbrouck, Vernon, Hebert and Richter...probably more.
You forgot Pokey Reddick!
Wayne Gretzky - Above and Beyond VHS
watched this one million times as a youngster
The end of this video got me all emotional... man I miss watching this guy play.. what an inspiration..
To all of those that bash him, grow up and look at the stats. Or as some would say "Scoreboard!". The man made miraculous plays, miraculous goals and was an expert at fundamental hockey. Noone will touch the impact he has had on the sport.
To those that say "Well he played when goalies sucked..etc", why is it that noone before him did the same?
the ending was so epic a lot of feelings bubbled up there for me.!.!.
Wayne Gretzky is a freak of nature - He was put on this earth to do one thing and that was play hockey, Best ever.
Scoring goals galore
Confers world recognition
The Great One indeed
The image of Wayne Gretzky in the blue and orange Oilers uniform is one of the greatest icons in Canadian history.
good job phillergy on this video. really awesome footage. i wish i was a little older during Gretzky's hey day so i could have appreciated his talent then. thnx to videos likes this now i can. ty.
Totally agreed. It is always the second places the ones that use the "should have, could have, would have" line.
Gretzky is the best ever. Anyone else may come close, even really close.
That was a nice tribute, perfect song choice. Thanx for sharing.
Wow after reading these comments half of you must of been born in the 90's and 2000's. What made Gretzky so great was he could read the ice like a chess board he was always 5 moves ahead. 2 he passed better than everyone else in the league and would make Crosby look like Mike Green. 3 He would probably excel in today's league for you youngsters who don't know they made a rule if 2 men get called for roughing it would still be a 5 on 5 this became known as the Gretzky rule. The Oilers who just shit on everyone in 4 vs 4 hockey was just amazing to watch. this rule was then changed back in the 90's.
They were both incredible...nuff said!
There's a video of Gretzky getting hammered, one of the gnarliest hits i've seen
One of the best highlight videos I have ever seen! Great job with the video.
god this is a great video. all of these hockey legends were, well, legendary on the ice
This video brings a tears to my eyes.
Simply the best, better than all the rest!
great video...good song...best player...and above all a great canadian...along with mario...wayne is and always be...Canadian
canadians are the best because are nation was built on people helping eachother and working hard. Gretzky is one of those men.when he moved to the states and on to the kinghts team he showed the greates sport to the rest of the world . we thank you wayne. from: A NATION THAT LOVES HOCKEY
Very very astute answer. Yes there is something to be said about ones ability to avoid injurys over a long career and noting that it is a talent is absolutely true and needs to be takin into account when considering ones greatness. I agree with that statement 100 percent
Wayne Gretzky and maurice,they are the best hockey player ever forever !
Happy 50th Birthday Wayne Gretzky! If you think about it the life of a hockey player (or any professional athlete) is amazingly sweet. Aside from the obvious money doing what you love, you retire SO young. It's funny they talk about the "old guys" in the locker room who are like 37-42 years old. Wayne Gretzky has been around for YEARS and he's still only 50 now? He still has a lot of life left with alot of possibilities, we'll have to wait and see what else he accomplishes in his life time.
No one in hockey ever could make the players around him as great as Gretzky could!
There will never be a Wayne Gretzky player in any other sport. He is simply "The Great One"
love how oversized his jersey is lol, that tucked into 1 side look he had was iconic, not to mention the Jofa helmet LOL!
unreal stats, ultimate playmaker of all time the G.O.A.T .wait another 20 30 years his records will be untouched for a very long time.
greatest athlete of all time. no man has ever dominated a sport like him
Gretzky was the most dominant athlete in his sport, easily. LeBron and Jordan were generational talent, but Gretzky's vision and hands are just one of kind talent. I still believe he'd be the best player today. Jordan and LeBron didn't revolutionize their sport like Gretzky. 99, the great one.
Gretzky was and always will be the great one !
The best ever! He made it look so easy.
Wayne Gretzky was a fantastic hockey player, probably the best ever. Many try to dampen his accomplishments, citing improvements in goal tending and defensive play in the modern NHL. Yet, disregarding his outstanding point totals, Gretzky still would be the greatest player ever. Why? He legitimized hockey in the Western United states. San Jose, Phoenix, Dallas - all those franchises, and thus fans were born largely by him playing in LA. He was my idol growing up as a young player - in SoCal.
The BEST there EVER will BE!
Cool music too ;-)
Good song selection ! And yes Gretzky was king of hockey.
Great video! Thanks for the memories Wayne
Those last moments in the last game must have been epic!!!
Can't believe I had to listen to Bush to watch that, but it was still worth it.
Man, I do miss the days of watching Gretzky play.
He was ahead of his time. What makes him Great is he Played the game with a better understanding of the game. If Datsyuk, Crosby, Nash, Ovechkin, Stamkos, ect... went back to the early 80's they would break his records. BUT without Gretzky these guys wouldn't be as talented to begin with. He raised the bar. He changed the game. Thats Greatness. When the Game has to learn how to play your way that is when you are the Best.
i got goosebumps watching this !! what an awsome job with this video!! go habs go.
All these people comparing Gretzky to crosby... The game has changed so much. If Gretzky had grown up and trained in crosbys era he would still be the best. Smartest player ever.
Wayne Gretzky is one of my all time favorites, but no way he could have that many pts against todays goalies. Goalies now are taller, have much bigger equipment and they are 10 times better. You dont see them out of position all the time and they dont dive for nothing like you see in this video. But still, Gretzky was a amazing player with great vision on ice.
ONE OF MY IDOLS IS WAYNE GRETZKY
I love Hockey, Love the history just as much as the game. Legends of Hockey is a great documentary. I was born in 1997 so I never saw Gretzky play, but reading the history, watching the old games, and listening to his peers talk about him, it's pretty clear that he absolutely dominated, nobody even came close! Also, what's with the game today??? I watch games from the 90's, and all decades before the 90's, and it all seems like better Hockey? IMHO, faster doesn't mean better. Reduce the goalie pad size, put the two line pass back in, and let the players fight more. Let's Go Brandon!
Fantastic, a true Canadian GEM!
my one and only favorite hockey player.
amazing compilation!
Gretzky is the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be
Wayne played here in Sault Ste. Marie in his one and only junior year, before he went pro. Went to highschool here, and though we fill the seats anyway, when he played here, he made sure of it! My cousin still holds one of the only few records that Gretzky didn't smash while he was here. John Tavella still hold the record for most short handed goals in a season.
I think it's because with Gretzky on the team, there were no need for penalties!
Wanna know just how good Gretzky was?
If Wayne had never scored a single goal in his entire career......he’d still lead the NHL in all time points with his assists alone.
Mic dropped.😎
I once saw wayne wait for a play to develop when he was behind the net. The first time his teammate came around it wasn't the right time to pass so he hung onto the puck still behind the net and waited for that guy to go around again in the right fashion. Sure enough... next time round he passed perfectly for the goal. He waited for the play to develop all the while keeping the puck from the other team and mastered the goal to perfection. GRETZKY IS THE GREATEST EVER !!!!!!!!!! *** PERIOD ***
Every sport has its KING!!!
Amen to that. Long live th Great One!
He got ahead because of a brilliant work ethic, and a great mind.
And yet he dominated like no one ever. Part of his ability to score was that no one really saw him coming - he wasn't going through entire teams to reach the net, he was sitting behind it, or coming across the blue line, using the defender as a screen, and blowing it by the goalie in the top corner. He wasn't a "highlight" reel scorer, he was just an efficient one. But his records and his peer dominance all speak for his effectiveness. Most his records will stand forever.
Happy 50th Mr Gretzky!
Man I miss those days. We were riding high. Now... well, what can I say? Amazing dynasty in Edmonton back then though.
Amazing, forever the great one!
Pretty deep insight there; certainly a well thought out, provocative and educated assessment. I thought hockey was the greatest sport in the world for the last thirty years but apparently I was wrong all along. Send me a bill.
I never liked Gretzky at the outset and I have watched hockey since the 70s. My dislike was based on the fact that the NY Islander dynasty lived in his shadow.
As I observed him over the years, it's obvious he is/was a true offensive genius. It does not matter which era he played in. No one could hit him because he read the ice and the position better than anyone else.
He is the absolute greatest. You may as well give him the top 10 spots for all time greats and start everyone else off a #11.