Tim2020_WayneGretzky

Wayne Gretzky [|Wayne Gretzky Website]

Wayne Gretzky Born January 26,1961 in Bradford, Ontario, Canada Married an actress named Janet Jones. Wayne and his wife had 5 kids. Is considered the best NHL player to ever play. Is currently the Head Coach of the Phoenix Coyotes. ‘The Great One’ Was Truly Great The player that holds the most single season, post season, and career records in the National Hockey League is Wayne Gretzky. My person is Wayne Gretzky because he was the best all around player in the history of the NHL and has done amazing things to help the league. Wayne Gretzky had eight straight Hart Trophies (league MVP award), which is the most of all time for a NHL player. Wayne Gretzky never gave up in the play and he always played his heart out. He played every game he could even when he had broken or bruised bones. Wayne Gretzky also single handedly made the sport of hockey more popular in the NHL. The moment Wayne Gretzky was traded from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings he raised their ticket sales and the attendance number for every game. Wayne Gretzky has a very interesting background. Wayne Gretzky was born January 29, 1961, in Brantford, Ontario, Canada (“Wayne Gretzky" Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2008). Wayne Gretzky started playing hockey when he was just two years old. He started playing at the ten year old level when he was just six years old (Taylor, Jim. Page 15). In a single 60 game season Wayne Gretzky got 318 points as a kid in Pee Wees (Taylor, Jim. Page 18). Wayne Gretzky is now married to an actress named Janet Jones. Wayne and his wife have five children and they all play numerous sports (“Wayne Gretzky" Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2008). Wayne Gretzky is currently the head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes. Wayne Gretzky has done many things to become the greatest hockey player that the league has ever seen. Wayne Gretzky is the all time greatest hockey player to ever play in the National Hockey League. Wayne Gretzky earned eight straight Hart trophies for a total of nine in his career; both are NHL records (Taylor, Jim. Page 93). “Wayne Gretzky is the best in the game. Ever” (Taylor, Jim. Page 105). In one season of 80 games in the NHL Wayne Gretzky got an NHL record of 92 goals, 163 assists, and a total of 215 points (Doeden, Matt. Page 102). Wayne Gretzky was also part of four Stanley Cup teams. He had three with the Edmonton Oilers and one with the Los Angeles Kings. “In a tribute to Wayne Gretzky in his last game in the league the NHL retired the number 99. Meaning no other person to play in the NHL could ever wear it” (“Wayne Gretzky” Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia 2008). Wayne Gretzky was inducted into the Hall of Fame the year of his retirement in 1999. Wayne Gretzky also had many traits that you just can’t teach a kid. They had to find it somewhere inside themselves. Wayne Gretzky also gave it his all for every shift and was dedicated to every team that he ever played for. “Every coach that Wayne played for was proud to be his coach and if they ever said something needed work he would go and work on it for hours in the backyard” (Walter Gretzky, Wayne’s dad). Wayne Gretzky was the captain of the Los Angeles Kings because of his great determination on and off the ice. He was also captain because of his great leadership. Wayne was also the hero of many kids that were growing up and watching him play (Taylor, Jim. Page 47). Wayne Gretzky played every shift just like it was his last and he always wanted to be on the ice (Jeff Basset. Wayne’s Junior B team owner). “Wayne was out most nights in the backyard playing hockey until I forced him to come in and go to bed. The next morning I would wake up and he would be right back outside” (“Walter Gretzky.” Taylor, Jim. Page 72). Wayne Gretzky also single handedly raised the popularity of hockey in the United States. Wayne Gretzky brought many more viewers to every game that he played in and it didn’t matter if it was a home game or an away game (Taylor, Jim. Page 85). “Wayne Gretzky was the one player in the NHL to make the sport more popular” (Sports Magazine, “The Great One”). Wayne Gretzky boosted the income for every home game he had with the Los Angeles Kings and they never dropped as long as he was playing. Wayne Gretzky also had people, who couldn’t go to the game, watching it on the television and raised the number of viewers. “Lets face it America, Gretzky made this game what it is today” (Sports Magazine, “Gretzky”). Wayne Gretzky was an amazing athlete and changed the game of hockey right before our eyes. Wayne Gretzky was the best player to ever play the game and changed how the people of America saw the sport. He was an amazing leader and had the dedication that nobody else in the NHL had (Taylor, Jim. Page 153). Wayne Gretzky was the best because he got eight straight MVP titles and had a total of nine. My person is Wayne Gretzky because he was the best to ever play the game and lived up to his nickname, “The Great One.” Wayne Gretzky had a NHL record of setting 61 individual records during his 20 seasons in the league to make him the best player the NHL has ever seen.

The importance of this research paper was how I learned more about Wayne Gretzky. It was important that Wayne Gretzky be recognized as being the best player in the National Hockey League. He did many good things for the league that people should know about and should have a better appreciation for Wayne because of what he did.