Wayne Gretzky
As the greatest talent to ever skate in the NHL, Wayne Gretzky has transcended the ice to become a globally known star. When your name is synonymous with greatness, you know you've done something right.
And the Great One more than cleared that bar.
In addition to winning four Stanley Cups and taking home a truckload of individual awards, he rewrote the NHL record books. More than 20 years after his retirement, many of his high-water marks remain untouchable.
Thanks to that talent, Gretzky pushed into popular culture, appearing in commercials, selling his own wine, and even earning a reference in The Office. He's also entered the media, playing a role in TNT's NHL coverage.
- Birthday: January 26, 1961
- Hometown: Brantford, Ontario, Canada
- Spouse: Janet Jones (m. 1988)
- Children: Paulina Gretzky, Ty Gretzky, Trevor Gretzky, Tristan Gretzky, and Emma Gretzky
- Jersey: No. 99
- Number of NHL championship wins: four
- Nicknames: The Great One, Mr. Douglas, Mr. Waynederful, and Doc
Every NHL player has their fair share of rituals and routines. For Wayne Gretzky, that included multiple changes of undergarments.
In his prime, Wayne Gretzky was hard to hit. At the end of his career, he was avoiding physical contact for another reason.
While Keith Yandle eventually developed into a pretty good player, he still had an early encounter with Wayne Gretzky.
While “The Great One” is a pretty awesome title, a young Wayne Gretzky also went by a more colorful nickname.
While Wayne Gretzky rightfully earned a place in hockey history, his athletic abilities weren't limited to the ice.
While Wayne Gretzky has some perspective to share with Dustin Johnson, don't expect him to be secretly coaching his son-in-law behind the scenes.
While Wayne Gretzky is an NHL legend, he would have preferred to spend his time on the baseball diamond rather than the ice.
Wayne Gretzky's scoring touch was out of this world. His pregame diet, however, sounds a bit less than ideal.
We've all seen an unfamiliar phone number and debated whether we should pick up the call. Fortunately for Connor Bedard, he didn't send the Great One to voicemail.
Think you know the lyrics to “The Star-Spangled Banner” and “O Canada”? Wayne Gretzky begs to differ.
