Gretzky has more assists than any other player has goals and assists combined. If he had never scored a goal he would still be the all time leader in points. That's domination on a super human level.
The thing that makes me mad about Jaromir Jagr is that he at least could have been the first to have more points than Gretzky's assists if he hadn't left for the KHL for a few years. He could have been the second with 2,000 points.
@@ryans413 he won't break the best one. Most points. You could take away all of Gretzky's goals and he would still be the all time points leader. Most dominant player of any sport.
Gretzky played from 1979 to 1999, so he played the full 80s' and 90s'. His stats were indecent. - You are considered an NHL superstar if you can score 100 points (goals +assists) in a season. Gretzky had more than 100 assists eleven times in a row! The most assists he ever has was a ridiculous 163. - You are considered an elite scorer if you can score 50 goals. He did it 9 times in 10 years, only missing out one season because he missed 15 games due to an injury. His goal record is a ridiculous 92 goals. - With these numbers, you won't be surprised to learn that he scored more than 200 points 4 times, the only player to do so in NHL history. - As for his career stats, he obviously leads in goals, assists and points. Alex Ovechkin is currently chasing his goal totals. No one is even close to the other two. In fact, the most impressive stat might be that if he hadn't score a single goal in the NHL, he would still be the leader in points because of how many assists he had. Some people will point out that it was easier to score in the 80s'. It's true, but the main reason defenses had to get better was to stop Gretzky and the Oilers. He's not only the most dominant hockey player to ever play the game, he's one of the most dominant athlete of any sports, ever.
Well said. The only person comparable in their absolute utter dominance of a sport was prime Tiger Woods. Probably still giving the edge to Gretzky, but, given how hard it is to win a golf tournament, I take that into perspective.
Don Bradman in cricket. His batting average of 99.96 will never be beaten. He is easily 30 or more ahead of the next guy. The English came up with a tactic called Bodyline to stop him. It has been made illegal as it was basically bowling into the body of the batsmen to stop scoring and cause fear and injury. He still averaged 75 for the series.
Wayne Gretzky was so influential that he basically changed forward play forever in the NHL. Every Center & Winger to play in the NHL in the last 20-25 years has adopted puckhandling & shooting techniques that he pioneered. Not just the GOAT of the sport - he turned it into an entirely different game.
Gretzky is the undisputed GOAT of his sport. Where there are debates in other sports, nobody dares argue with Gretzky. Fun fact: On the ice when a player puts the puck through a defenders legs, you could call it a "nutmeg" like in soccer (football), but when you put it through the Goalie's legs, it's called putting it through the "5 Hole" (as the goals are so small, the Goalies padded up are so big, the other 4 holes are simply the corners.
Really? Undisputed? I think not. I will see your Gretzky, and raise you a Mario Lemieux and a Bobby Orr. Gretzky may be the GOAT, but you can make a case for both Lemieux and Orr. I know in my mind, biased as I am toward my Penguins, Orr is definitely the GOAT. He is absolutely the greatest player I've ever seen.
As a hockey fan growing up in the 1980's... I didn't realize it at the time (He didn't play for my team until the end of his career) but it was a privilege and an honor to have seen The Great One play in person. Especially when he was at the top of his game. There was nobody like him before.. and only one who compares to him since is Super Mario
@@Bruhaha9 not even close... when McDavid can break 200 points in a season you can talk Only reason Mario didn't do it was cause Mario missed alot of time due to injury and never played a full 82 game season during his peak.
I had the honor of watching Gretzky 7 times live and hundreds of times on tv. There were games where you thought he had a night off, no impact, but then you'd realise he'd scored twice and set up 2 others.
He has the only number that has been retired league wide in any sport holds over 50 records and started profitable trades in hockey. You cannot fathom how important this man was for hockey and most think without him we wouldn't have the NHL anymore.
For people who haven’t watched hockey very long, it can be quite difficult to follow the rapid movement of the puck, even nowadays with high definition video. Watching grainy footage from the 80’s makes it even more challenging. I’m glad you guys enjoyed the video.
I'm glad they talked about Gretzky's "Office" behind the goal. That wasn't just something that other players said. We fans said, it, too. "He's in his office!"
Fun fact: if Wayne Gretzky never scored a goal (which he is the all time leader in goal scoring) he would still be the all time points leader with assists alone.
Not only is Gretzky amazing on the ice he is a gentleman and an example to all off the ice. My Dad had the pleasure of meeting him a few times and raved about the guy.
Yeah, it’s a different era but Wayne is the greatest for a reason. He was just so smooth and so unbelievably smart. His skating is still what impresses me the most. Nowadays guys throw whole body and head movement to juke guys out. He didn’t have to because his skating was so slick and deceptive. 99 was literally, not joking, literally 10 steps ahead of everyone on the ice. He has records that will never be broken. Ever. That’s why we call him The Great One.
This was a really good video to highlight his individual skills. A lot of what people talk about when they call Gretzky "The Great One" are things like his passing, instinct for the game, and the insane numbers he put up - none of which translate well to highlight films, especially not ones that would impress people who are new to the game. But this does a great job of showing just how individually talented he was. You don't put up almost 900 goals without being a lot better at scoring them than anyone around you.
There have been some incredible hockey players over the years, but Gretzky is the greatest of them all. So much skill....it was scary, impressive to watch.
Gretzky's 1988 trade to the Los Angeles Kings also forever changed the demographics of hockey in the United States. Before, most US players came from "the three Ms" of Michigan, Massachusetts and Minnesota. Gretzky going to Southern California turned a lot of local kids into trying hockey, both informal street hockey games and organized youth hockey leagues in indoor ice arenas. California is now a growing source of American hockey talent, and other Sun Belt states like Texas, Arizona (Auston Matthews) and even Florida are following suit.
Something else changed also. The variety of sports kids can get into exploded in the late 80s. Before that hockey was the only organized sport most kids could join in Canada. The seasons had alot to do with that. I'm 67 played hockey far back as i can remember. I never played on artificial ice till i was 12. We had only 1 indoor rink in town The Pas,Manitoba . All our games were played outside on natural ice. I was a Goalie, and Curtis Gilles was my defenseman for a season. He went on to Captain the Minnesota North Stars. Anyway just ramblin now, nice talkin to you.
@stepperg1, another thing about Gretzky was how graceful he was on the ice. He moved like an ice skater, beautiful sweeping arcs and then in for the kill. He was beautiful to watch.
I live in the Pittsburgh area, and have been a Penguins fan since the day they came into the league. I cannot tell you what a joy it was being able to watch the three greatest players in the history of hockey (in no particular order)....Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Bobby Orr. I was not a fan of the Oilers, but they were just so much fun to watch.
Back in the Edmonton Oiler years it was so much fun to watch Gretzky and Jari Kurri come down the ice on a two on one. Everyone knew they were going to score but not even the opposing Goalie knew if it was going to be Gretzky or Kurri.
I'm only a casual hockey fan, but my favorite move he utilized was setting up a defender with a fake slap shot into a wrister. His slap shot was so nasty that the fake out worked all the time
Growing up on the 80’s, I knew nothing about hockey, but I knew who Wayne Gretzky was. Everyone did whether you were a hockey fan or not. You guys should really watch highlights from the 1980 Olympic game, the Miracle on ice! I think every American alive watched it. It was so tied up with the Cold War and our relationship with Russia. It’s a huge hockey under dog story!
The Great One just toyed with people!!!!!! Amazballs!!!!!!!! I've seen him many times live back in the day when I lived in LA/Culver City. Simply the best with Mark Messier at his side!!!!!! So says Austin Tx. 😎🍸
Someone else already alluded to it, but there is a player stat in the NHL that is called points (points are also awarded for teams for the standings like in soccer except it's 2 for a win and 1 for an overtime or shoot-out loss). A point is awarded for either a goal or an assist. He could have scored no goals and still been the all-time leader in points. As it was, he is still the all-time leader in goals, assists, and points.
I don't think he has a soccer comparison. He had the handling skills of Messi and Maradona, the sniper goal-scoring ability of Ronaldo, Rooney, and Shearer, the passing skills of Scholes and yes even Fabregas, and the ability to carry a team to a championship like Pele.
It may be hard for people new to the game, especially after you check out highlights from some of the best players of the modern era, to appreciate just how dominant and skillful 99 was. Even the best videos related to his accomplishments don't truly pay it justice - because most will not outline what the trophies he won signify. Take a trip over to wikipedia to check out his career stats, awards, AND records. Bare in mind, he did this in an era where skilled players literally needed body guards on the ice because of how brutal the play was. Bare in mind, he didn't benefit from advances in equipment that players of today do (which partially counters the goalie arguments you'll see). Bare in mind, he was actually a smoker too - player health and work-out regalement just weren't what they now are. There is a reason that non hockey fans know the name Gretzky, he . was . that . good.
I have personally seen this guy play when he was a junior for our local team the Soo Greyhounds. This was in the 70s and he was a 15-16 year old playing against 18 to 20 year olds. Even then you KNEW this player was going to be very special.
I was 12 when Gretzky and can remember him breaking in to the NHL and tying for the most points. Over the next few years his point totals were ridiculous. He literally changed hockey. It might seem like a stretch, but I doubt the NHL would have teams across the southern US without him. The NHL is behind the NFL, NBA, Baseball, College Football and at times NASCAR, especially in the 1980s. When he was traded to the LA Kings in ‘88 he changed it. From 91 to ‘99, San Jose, Anaheim, Arizona, Atlanta, Nashville, Tampa Bay, Florida (Sunrise), all joined the league. Further, two northern teams (Winnipeg and Minnesota) were relocated to Arizona and Dallas, respectively. This would not have happened with out Gretzky. The show he would put on were incredible. When asked why he took every game so seriously, he replied that there was probably someone in the stands who had never seen him or a hockey game before and he wanted them to see something remarkable. Most Americans, outside of the die hard hockey fans couldn’t name an NHL player other than Wayne Gretzky.
You might have noticed how often he was unmarked, his favorite saying subsequently used frequently by Warren Buffet, was that he never skated to where the puck was but to where it will be,.
I don't know shit about hockey, but just from watching that video I'm reminded of the true greats in other sports, e.g., Michael Jordan or Lionel Messi, in the sense that they're so good that defenses would foul them as a last resort -- but even that didn't stop them from pulling off a perfect shot or a perfect pass.
The obstruction era was a point in hockey were clutching, and grabbing players, hooking them with your stick wasn’t called as penalties as much as it is today. It gave lower skilled players an advantage because refs weren’t calling the penalties. It lead to the dead puck era of the 90’s and early 2000’s. They enforce those penalties now, to help keep the game more open and the offence going. It’s all about speed and skill in the modern era, which Gretzky has a huge influence on.
Gretzky played from the early 80s and retired in 1999. He played for the Edmonton Oilers , New York Rangers , LA Kings and the Saint Louis Blues. He won 4 stanly cups with the Oilers and his number 99 is retired league wide.
Our hockey coach worked for something like ticketmaster at woodwards and we'd always get free tickets in the nosebleeds for the oilers games from the whl then into the nhl i was there when Gretzky scored his first nhl goal back in 79. For a talk he came to our high school in 81or 82 driving a Ferrari and got hung up on one of the stutter bumps they had in the parking lot to deter rowdy teenage driving behavior. My friend and I pushed him clear. We each got a drive around the school block with the great one. Never forget it. Cheers
If Gretzky was behind the goal with the puck, it was almost guaranteed his team was scoring a goal. Whether he put the puck in the net himself, or got the assist, he was DEADLY behind the net.
I don’t think there’s any North American sport that has as clear of a defined GOAT has hockey with Gretzky. His number #99 is retired league wide due to his greatness. In hockey, assists and goals are combined in a “points” stat. Gretzky has more assists alone than any other player has points.
Football is too much a team sport with guys who have specialized jobs. You can't say "So and so was the BEST FOOTBALL PLAYER EVER". Guys who play offense DO NOT play defense in Football. How can you say someone is BEST EVER when they only play half of the game? Baseball is much the same, the only players who should be in the conversation for BEST BASEBALL PLAYER EVER are Babe Ruth and Shohei Ohtani.. They both pitch(ed) and hit and in their time were(are) among the best in the sport in each. Basketball has too many names being thrown around as GOAT... Jordan, Jabbar, Bird, Kobe, LeBron... and if you ask me there can be a valid argument for each of them being named BEST BASKETBALL PLAYER EVER... With Hockey there is only one name. Gretzky.
Most dominant player in the history of any sport. Nobody owned their respective sport like the great one. So damn good the entire league retires your jersey is just too cool.
Wayne Gretzky went undrafted in 1978 but he signed with a minor league team and after a year was in the NHL he played from 1978 to 1999 with the Edmonton oilers 1978-1988, the las Angeles kings 1988-1996, the St Louis blues 1996, and the New York rangers 1996-1999. He won 4 Stanley cups with the oilers he won 9 MVPs which is the most by any player all time he won 8 in a row with the oilers 1980-1987
Gretzky never had a chance to be drafted in the NHL, because he signed with the WHA at age 17. The WHA wasn’t a minor league, it was a pro league that competed for players with the NHL. He was signed by the Indianapolis Racers in the WHA, but they traded him to the Edmonton Oilers (because the Racers were going defunct) where he played 1 year in the WHA, and then the league merged with the NHL the following year.
Just to add to all the other comments around here, Gretzky is so far beyond anyone else that even the entire NHL recognised this. Many teams will retire the number of great players that represent them historically, but Gretzky has the honor of having the NHL retire number 99 for everyone. This is an honor I don't think I've seen in any other sport, but just a testament to how great he truly was.
100% That’s unreal (and amazing) that 99 has been completely retired across the NHL. Appreciate the comment and info. We were so “fresh” to Hockey when we did this video, I look forward to doing another on Gretzky as our knowledge of Hockey has grown a lot.
Gretzky was the first hockey player to use the space behind the goal to view and set up his offense. This is done more now, but he was the first to do it. One story that I had about him stands out from the others. He beat a goalie, near side, and the goalie had most closed the space with his pads. A reporter asked him how he did it, and Gretzky said he that he would have put the puck on its side and shoot it that way for it to go in. HE WAS GOOD ENOUGH TO TURN THE PUCK ON ITS SIDE AND STILL SHOOT IT WITH 100% accuracy.
i remember watching them play here in Edmonton. I was only about 7 at the time but I still remember what it felt like to hear the coliseum erupt when Gretzky scored.
I’m not sure what part of the UK you guys are from, but we have hockey over here too, obviously not as top tier as the NHL but hockey is hockey at the end of the day. The locations: EIHL (top league) Cardiff, Guildford, Coventry Manchester, Nottingham, Sheffield, Glasgow, Fife, Dundee, Belfast. NIHL National (second tier) Bristol, Swindon, Basingstoke Bees (play out of Slough) Romford, MK, Peterborough, Telford, Sheffield, Leeds, Hull. NIHL D1 (third tier) South division: Solent (gosport), Romford 2, Streatham, Invicta (Gillingham), Chelmsford, MK, Oxford, Slough North Division: Deeside, Nottingham, Blackburn, Sheffield, Widnes, Solihull, Whitley Bay (Newcastle), Billingham, Solway (Dumfries). NIHL D2 (fourth tier) South Division: Bristol 2, Guildford 2, Peterborough 2, Invicta 2, Swindon 2, Streatham 2, Chelmsford 2, Oxford 2, Solent 2, Basingstoke 2, Cardiff 2, Haringey, Lee Valley. North Division: Hull 2, Telford 2, Coventry 2, Sheffield 3, Nottingham 3, Altrincham (Manchester 2), Bradford, Sutton (plays out of Sheffield) SNL (top and only major/dedicated Scottish league) Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Dundee (comets), Paisley, Dundee (tigers), Kirkcaldy, Kilmarnock, North Ayrshire. If you want any more information about the leagues and teams then please don’t hesitate to ask. Hockey over here obviously and understandably isn’t as big as footy or other sports but we have a good friendly and awesome community. In Nottingham the IIHF DIVISION ONE GROUP A TOURNAMENT is being held and as writing this (2/5/23) today is day 3. The teams are: GB, Italy, Korea, Lithuania, Poland and Romania.
The thing about Gretzky is that in his prime Americans rarely got to see him cause the major broadcast networks gave up showing hockey in the 80s save for the Olympics. At times even cable networks didn't show the playoffs, just local channels. All we could do was look at the standings & stats in the papers to see how "The Great One" got his name & how Edmonton dominated the NHL.
Living in Edmonton, I had the privilege to watch Gretzky live where he made some moves that made these look boring in comparison! But they were not filmed...which is a shame. And now watching McDavid on the same team is a real treat. Go Oilers Go!
You have to realize, when an amazing player like Gretzky is on the ice, he makes others look silly. His play looks easy to HIM but considering those around him, it was crazy. He is a freak of nature lol.
Watched him with my dad all the time. It was different game. He rarely was touched because teams still had enforcers back then. Goalie equipment was much smaller, players were smaller. His line was a scoring machine. Fun
I thought you guys were gonna be reacting to the NHL playoffs ??? You should react to the highlight videos of each playoff game going on. NHL playoffs are the most exciting insane event sports has to offer . Worth watching
Love the idea - maybe too many games going on right now to do them every night. Maybe a weekly highlight reel? Or a review of each series once they conclude?
As the story goes, he started skating earlier than everyone else & his father taught him how to *observe where the puck was going* Him getting traded to the LA Kings after 3 or 4 Stanley Cup wins in Edmonton was a HUGE disgrace in Canada that no joke helped grow the game in America
Gretzky was so great that he played against full grown men as a young teen and they still could not stop him. He played in the NHL from 1979 to 1999. He's called the "Great One" for a reason. He isn't that big either-- only 6 feet tall and 185 pounds. He was so great that his 99 number is retired in the entire league. No one can ever wear 99 again.
Some facts: The Gretzky led Oilers were so dominant they changed the rules to make it harder for them by offsetting conincidental minors to continue with 5 on 5 play. Prior to the change, it was 4 0n 4 and it was an automatic goal with Gretzky on the ice. He revolutionaized the game with his vision and his ability to create space for himself and his teammates and set records in points by surpassing past marks by more than 30%. But it was really his on ice IQ tha set him apart. Also, keep in mind that he was slight for the time and the NHL allowed the game to be slowed down with clear infractions that went uncalled and he still managed to lead in every cataegory even when the game favored larger, slower players like Mario Lemieux. A good documentary to watch about great athletes is "In Search of Greatness" (Gretzky, Pele, Jerry Rice).
If he had never scored a single goal in his NHL career,he still has the most points over all by almost 1k in assists alone. He also holds the record for holding the most NHL records.
Gretzky wasn't the most flamboyant, he wasn't big, he was more like a agile chess player. You should look at a video about his career, all the massive records he still holds, some of which will probably never be beaten. He is so humble, greatest ambassador hockey could ever dream of. He's the singular reason why there are NHL teams on the west coast of the US. Before he was traded to the LA Kings (where he won the Stanley Cup and saved the team), it was unthinkable to have teams in San Jose, or Anaheim. They're both very successful.
In NHL personal player points are Goals+Assists. Gretzky had 894 goals, The next nearest is Alexander Ovechin who has 822, and is unlikely to reach Gretzky's mark, But its in assists where Gretzky is absolutely untouchable, with an everlasting 1963 assists. The next nearest in assists was Ron Francis(who played 300 more games than the Great One) who only had 550 goals which is why Gretzky's Points total of 2857 has an enormous 936 point gap between him and Jaromir Jagr(1921 points) and this is why Gretzky's points total is completely unassailable.
I'm in the middle of watching the video, so I don't know if they're going to bring it up, but here's really the only stat you need to know about Gretzky: In hockey (for stats) you get a "point" either for scoring a goal or getting an assist (obviously for the game they only count who scores the most goals, but for the stats an assist or a goal counts as a "point"). Gretzky is currently the all time leader in BOTH goals AND assists. The stat that's most often mentioned is that "if Gretzky had not scored a single goal in the NHL, he would STILL be the all time leader in points". He played in an era where the goalies weren't nearly as good as the goalies are today (better techniques and better gear). His number is retired LEAGUE WIDE, and he played his final game in 1999. Incidentally, if you want to live react to a game, Sunday night will be a game 7 (the decisive game) against the Bruins and Panthers. The Bruins just set the NHL record for most wins in a season, so the fact there was even a need for a 7th game is remarkable.
Perhaps the craziest stat to his name is he's the only player ever to score 200 points in a season and did it FOUR times. Lemieux had a 199 point season and missed games though so he would've had a 200 point season. He was even on a point per game pace to break the 215 point record.
Here's the single stat line that marks Wayne as the greatest: Even if he had never scored a single goal in his entire 20 year career, his assists ALONE would still make him the greatest points scorer of all time. He has more assists than the next guy behind him (Jaromir Jagr) has points in his entire career!
So for those who are learning hockey, players get one point for a goal, and one point for an assist. So if you had a goal and an assist in a game, you had 2 points in the game. And good to great players could wind up with 80-120 points in an 82 game schedule. Gretzky is the all time leader in points, with 2,857 points. He also is the all time leader in goals with 894 and assists with 1963. The amazing thing with him is, if you take away all of his goals, he’d still be the all time leader in points due to his 1963 assists. So if he ONLY had assists, he’d be the all time leader in points, because the 2nd place guy had 1921 points (goals and assists added together). He also won 3 Stanley Cups as the captain of the Edmonton Oilers, also is the holder of 61 NHL records. The only player to ever score 200 points in a season (did it 4 times), the only player to score 90+ goals in a season. Far and away the greatest player in NHL history. Though the Oilers are not my team, the number 99 is in my email address because of my respect for Gretzky. Im an Islander’s fan, hated Gretzky for a bit because he won his 1st Stanley Cup vs my Islanders, but man do I love the guy and respect him so much. He helped change the game so much. When he got traded to the Los Angeles Kings in 1988, the game of hockey grew in California because of his greatness, kids wanted to learn to play hockey, and now there are players from California in the NHL. Besides his unmatched greatness, his influence in the game was HUGE.
when brett hull says, "he used the worst stick in hockey", he's referring to the white & red "titan tpm 2020". the titan sticks weren't that bad at all, many greats used them. it was only after the trade to los angeles that gretz switched to the "easton aluminum".... same stick used by brett hull.
Watching Wayne play in Edmonton when I was a young man live was amazing so many times the Collisium would break out laughing the stuff he did to the other team was hilarious records he holds will never be touched greatest of all time
Gretz is the GOAT. Simply called "The Great One." He owns something like 60 NHL records. Some of these numbers will give you an idea of how dominant he was (in hockey, players get 1 point for a goal and 1 point for an assist): Career Points: 2857. The next highest is 1921. Career Assists: 1963. The next highest is 1249. Career Playoff Points: 382. The next highest is 295. Career Playoff Assists: 260. The next highest is 186. He's the only player to ever score 200 points in a season (82 games), and he did it 4 times. If you make a list of the top-scoring seasons by a player, Gretzky has 9 of the top 11. He owns the top-2 single season goal totals. He owns 11 out of the top 12 single season assist totals. He has the top-3 season playoff scoring seasons. Total dominance. Also, he wasn't that big, and he played in a much tougher era. On the other hand, it's worth noting that goaltenders and defensemen are MUCH better today. Even so, nobody has come anywhere near his numbers. (don't @ me with Ovi)
BTW, all you really need to look at is that first number - career points. In what other sport is the career leader 49% ahead of the number 2 player. Worth noting that Nos. 2-5 on the list all played more games than Gretz.
I think the music was to prevent the RUclips copyright protection... The Edmonton Oilers of the 80s was phenomenal team ... Even back then, we knew that the top 2 lines would all be in the hall of fame... Wayne Gretzky, Jarri Kurri, Mark Messier, Glenn Anderson, Paul Coffey, Grant Fuhr, Andy Moog... All greats...It was a well oiled machine... Look for the 1980s playoff games - Oilers VS NY Islanders, Boston Bruins... Great games ... The obstruction era - wasnt just about Wayne Gretzky but also Mario Lemeuix ... The penalties for Hooking, Holding and obstruction - have always been penalties but they were called infrequently at the referee's discretion ... Wayne Gretzky was a great player but he was not an all round player - he was a goal scorer and setup man - he was not a defensive player at all... Not to take away from his greatness, but he wasn't perfect.
It was a very interesting time in hockey when Gretzky started to the time he retired in the scope of the NHL's skill & equipment... Hockey really transformed & evolved into a different game... It got faster, more complex strategies, better skates & sticks & goalies took a huge leap forward... The game will keep on evolving in small increments, but nothing like the big jump in evolution of the gameplay in that 20 years Gretzky was in the league...
It was described of Gretzky there seemed to be trap doors hidden all over the ice. Wayne would disappear then reappear somewhere else in the rink. And, no he is not playing anymore 1979-99.
Gretzky has more assists than any other player has goals and assists combined. If he had never scored a goal he would still be the all time leader in points. That's domination on a super human level.
That stat really illustrates how dominant he was.
I was going to post that stat too. It's almost unbelievable
@@19MichaelDixon I agree. When I first heard that, I thought that's crazy, I must have misheard what they said.
The thing that makes me mad about Jaromir Jagr is that he at least could have been the first to have more points than Gretzky's assists if he hadn't left for the KHL for a few years. He could have been the second with 2,000 points.
@@MDK2_Radio Did he choose money over the record book? I could see how someone might. Because the best he could hope for was to be second.
I think the most amazing thing about Gretzky is, he hasn't played since 1999 and he still holds or shares 61 records.
Ovi close to breaking one those records
@@ryans413 he won't break the best one. Most points. You could take away all of Gretzky's goals and he would still be the all time points leader. Most dominant player of any sport.
@@ryans413 The people who are breaking any of Gretzky's record have taken much longer to do it than how long it took him to set them.
@@brandocalrissian3294 Ovi close to breaking the goal record. Not saying total points but he’s close to Gretzky goal record
@@ryans413 Ovechkin should've been kicked from the league 2 years ago.
Gretzky played from 1979 to 1999, so he played the full 80s' and 90s'. His stats were indecent.
- You are considered an NHL superstar if you can score 100 points (goals +assists) in a season. Gretzky had more than 100 assists eleven times in a row! The most assists he ever has was a ridiculous 163.
- You are considered an elite scorer if you can score 50 goals. He did it 9 times in 10 years, only missing out one season because he missed 15 games due to an injury. His goal record is a ridiculous 92 goals.
- With these numbers, you won't be surprised to learn that he scored more than 200 points 4 times, the only player to do so in NHL history.
- As for his career stats, he obviously leads in goals, assists and points. Alex Ovechkin is currently chasing his goal totals. No one is even close to the other two. In fact, the most impressive stat might be that if he hadn't score a single goal in the NHL, he would still be the leader in points because of how many assists he had.
Some people will point out that it was easier to score in the 80s'. It's true, but the main reason defenses had to get better was to stop Gretzky and the Oilers. He's not only the most dominant hockey player to ever play the game, he's one of the most dominant athlete of any sports, ever.
Well said. The only person comparable in their absolute utter dominance of a sport was prime Tiger Woods. Probably still giving the edge to Gretzky, but, given how hard it is to win a golf tournament, I take that into perspective.
You forgot the season he got 50 goals in 39 games, nobody will ever do that again.
Don Bradman in cricket. His batting average of 99.96 will never be beaten. He is easily 30 or more ahead of the next guy. The English came up with a tactic called Bodyline to stop him. It has been made illegal as it was basically bowling into the body of the batsmen to stop scoring and cause fear and injury. He still averaged 75 for the series.
to show you how badass Gretzky was, his #99 jersey was retired league-wide by the entire NHL 🤘😎
and the game he played away from home they painted 99 behind both goals. they called it gretskey office.
Wayne Gretzky was so influential that he basically changed forward play forever in the NHL. Every Center & Winger to play in the NHL in the last 20-25 years has adopted puckhandling & shooting techniques that he pioneered. Not just the GOAT of the sport - he turned it into an entirely different game.
Gretzky is the undisputed GOAT of his sport. Where there are debates in other sports, nobody dares argue with Gretzky. Fun fact: On the ice when a player puts the puck through a defenders legs, you could call it a "nutmeg" like in soccer (football), but when you put it through the Goalie's legs, it's called putting it through the "5 Hole" (as the goals are so small, the Goalies padded up are so big, the other 4 holes are simply the corners.
Really? Undisputed? I think not. I will see your Gretzky, and raise you a Mario Lemieux and a Bobby Orr. Gretzky may be the GOAT, but you can make a case for both Lemieux and Orr. I know in my mind, biased as I am toward my Penguins, Orr is definitely the GOAT. He is absolutely the greatest player I've ever seen.
@@russs7574 Orr. Gretzky. Lemieux.
@@noseeyou Agree!!
No way is Gretzky undisputed goat. Orr Lemiux and Crosby all have a claim and Mcdavid is coming as well. Personally I rank Gretzky 4th
@@russs7574 Howe is the most well rounded player though.
As a hockey fan growing up in the 1980's... I didn't realize it at the time (He didn't play for my team until the end of his career) but it was a privilege and an honor to have seen The Great One play in person. Especially when he was at the top of his game. There was nobody like him before.. and only one who compares to him since is Super Mario
And McDavid
@@Bruhaha9 not even close... when McDavid can break 200 points in a season you can talk
Only reason Mario didn't do it was cause Mario missed alot of time due to injury and never played a full 82 game season during his peak.
I had the honor of watching Gretzky 7 times live and hundreds of times on tv. There were games where you thought he had a night off, no impact, but then you'd realise he'd scored twice and set up 2 others.
He has the only number that has been retired league wide in any sport holds over 50 records and started profitable trades in hockey. You cannot fathom how important this man was for hockey and most think without him we wouldn't have the NHL anymore.
The number 42 is retired across the entire MLB because of Jackie Robinson. Unfortunately Gretzky has to share that accomplishment.
For people who haven’t watched hockey very long, it can be quite difficult to follow the rapid movement of the puck, even nowadays with high definition video. Watching grainy footage from the 80’s makes it even more challenging. I’m glad you guys enjoyed the video.
Yes it’s not easy sometimes 😂 thanks for the comment Jim, appreciate it!
I'm glad they talked about Gretzky's "Office" behind the goal. That wasn't just something that other players said. We fans said, it, too. "He's in his office!"
Fun fact: if Wayne Gretzky never scored a goal (which he is the all time leader in goal scoring) he would still be the all time points leader with assists alone.
Not only is Gretzky amazing on the ice he is a gentleman and an example to all off the ice. My Dad had the pleasure of meeting him a few times and raved about the guy.
He's the GOAT. In hockey, points are goals + assists. If Gretzky never scored a goal in his career, he's still be #1 in points.
Yeah, it’s a different era but Wayne is the greatest for a reason. He was just so smooth and so unbelievably smart. His skating is still what impresses me the most. Nowadays guys throw whole body and head movement to juke guys out. He didn’t have to because his skating was so slick and deceptive. 99 was literally, not joking, literally 10 steps ahead of everyone on the ice. He has records that will never be broken. Ever. That’s why we call him The Great One.
This was a really good video to highlight his individual skills. A lot of what people talk about when they call Gretzky "The Great One" are things like his passing, instinct for the game, and the insane numbers he put up - none of which translate well to highlight films, especially not ones that would impress people who are new to the game. But this does a great job of showing just how individually talented he was. You don't put up almost 900 goals without being a lot better at scoring them than anyone around you.
AND HE MADE IT LOOK EASY!
There have been some incredible hockey players over the years, but Gretzky is the greatest of them all. So much skill....it was scary, impressive to watch.
Gretzky's 1988 trade to the Los Angeles Kings also forever changed the demographics of hockey in the United States. Before, most US players came from "the three Ms" of Michigan, Massachusetts and Minnesota. Gretzky going to Southern California turned a lot of local kids into trying hockey, both informal street hockey games and organized youth hockey leagues in indoor ice arenas. California is now a growing source of American hockey talent, and other Sun Belt states like Texas, Arizona (Auston Matthews) and even Florida are following suit.
Something else changed also. The variety of sports kids can get into exploded in the late 80s. Before that hockey was the only organized sport most kids could join in Canada. The seasons had alot to do with that. I'm 67 played hockey far back as i can remember. I never played on artificial ice till i was 12. We had only 1 indoor rink in town The Pas,Manitoba . All our games were played outside on natural ice. I was a Goalie, and Curtis Gilles was my defenseman for a season. He went on to Captain the Minnesota North Stars. Anyway just ramblin now, nice talkin to you.
In the second highlight clip, the year 1978 is displayed on the screen.
When Wayne moved to the Los Angeles Kings I was able to see him twice a week when the Kings were home. He was electric! Super human!
@stepperg1, another thing about Gretzky was how graceful he was on the ice. He moved like an ice skater, beautiful sweeping arcs and then in for the kill. He was beautiful to watch.
I live in the Pittsburgh area, and have been a Penguins fan since the day they came into the league. I cannot tell you what a joy it was being able to watch the three greatest players in the history of hockey (in no particular order)....Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Bobby Orr. I was not a fan of the Oilers, but they were just so much fun to watch.
Back in the Edmonton Oiler years it was so much fun to watch Gretzky and Jari Kurri come down the ice on a two on one. Everyone knew they were going to score but not even the opposing Goalie knew if it was going to be Gretzky or Kurri.
I'm only a casual hockey fan, but my favorite move he utilized was setting up a defender with a fake slap shot into a wrister. His slap shot was so nasty that the fake out worked all the time
Gretzky is the goat , Connor Mcdavid is the guy to watch for sure , nice reaction
Growing up on the 80’s, I knew nothing about hockey, but I knew who Wayne Gretzky was. Everyone did whether you were a hockey fan or not.
You guys should really watch highlights from the 1980 Olympic game, the Miracle on ice! I think every American alive watched it. It was so tied up with the Cold War and our relationship with Russia. It’s a huge hockey under dog story!
I think you guys should check out Pavel Datsyuk. His moves would break the defenses ankles.
ya great highlights, 'Datsyukian' is an adjective in hockey
Gretzky, who played from 1979-99, leads the way with 894 regular-season NHL goals.
The Great One just toyed with people!!!!!! Amazballs!!!!!!!! I've seen him many times live back in the day when I lived in LA/Culver City. Simply the best with Mark Messier at his side!!!!!! So says Austin Tx. 😎🍸
BTW the goal he scored at 1:50 was when he was 16 and playing against 20 year olds in the Wold Junior Championships. He dominated everyone.
Goals and assists are worth 1 point each for players' in-game scoring. He hold the NHL scoring record on his ASSISTS alone.
The evolution of both hockey and AV capability doesn't do him justice. Smartest athlete of all time. The GOAT.
Someone else already alluded to it, but there is a player stat in the NHL that is called points (points are also awarded for teams for the standings like in soccer except it's 2 for a win and 1 for an overtime or shoot-out loss). A point is awarded for either a goal or an assist. He could have scored no goals and still been the all-time leader in points. As it was, he is still the all-time leader in goals, assists, and points.
I don't think he has a soccer comparison. He had the handling skills of Messi and Maradona, the sniper goal-scoring ability of Ronaldo, Rooney, and Shearer, the passing skills of Scholes and yes even Fabregas, and the ability to carry a team to a championship like Pele.
It may be hard for people new to the game, especially after you check out highlights from some of the best players of the modern era, to appreciate just how dominant and skillful 99 was. Even the best videos related to his accomplishments don't truly pay it justice - because most will not outline what the trophies he won signify.
Take a trip over to wikipedia to check out his career stats, awards, AND records.
Bare in mind, he did this in an era where skilled players literally needed body guards on the ice because of how brutal the play was.
Bare in mind, he didn't benefit from advances in equipment that players of today do (which partially counters the goalie arguments you'll see).
Bare in mind, he was actually a smoker too - player health and work-out regalement just weren't what they now are.
There is a reason that non hockey fans know the name Gretzky, he . was . that . good.
I have personally seen this guy play when he was a junior for our local team the Soo Greyhounds. This was in the 70s and he was a 15-16 year old playing against 18 to 20 year olds. Even then you KNEW this player was going to be very special.
I do love Wayne but my favorite is Bobby Orr. As a defenseman he revolutionized the game. Love the videos. Love the variety! Thanks guys!
Thank you Mark, really appreciate it! Have got Orr on our list to watch too.
Check out Bobby Orr from the Boston Bruins, He was a Great player also.
I was 12 when Gretzky and can remember him breaking in to the NHL and tying for the most points. Over the next few years his point totals were ridiculous. He literally changed hockey.
It might seem like a stretch, but I doubt the NHL would have teams across the southern US without him. The NHL is behind the NFL, NBA, Baseball, College Football and at times NASCAR, especially in the 1980s. When he was traded to the LA Kings in ‘88 he changed it. From 91 to ‘99, San Jose, Anaheim, Arizona, Atlanta, Nashville, Tampa Bay, Florida (Sunrise), all joined the league. Further, two northern teams (Winnipeg and Minnesota) were relocated to Arizona and Dallas, respectively. This would not have happened with out Gretzky. The show he would put on were incredible. When asked why he took every game so seriously, he replied that there was probably someone in the stands who had never seen him or a hockey game before and he wanted them to see something remarkable. Most Americans, outside of the die hard hockey fans couldn’t name an NHL player other than Wayne Gretzky.
You might have noticed how often he was unmarked, his favorite saying subsequently used frequently by Warren Buffet, was that he never skated to where the puck was but to where it will be,.
the GOAT of GOATS
I don't know shit about hockey, but just from watching that video I'm reminded of the true greats in other sports, e.g., Michael Jordan or Lionel Messi, in the sense that they're so good that defenses would foul them as a last resort -- but even that didn't stop them from pulling off a perfect shot or a perfect pass.
You guys need to watch Pavel Datsyuk (Magic Man) highlights as well!! He played for the Detroit Redwings. He is a human highlight reel
Datsyuk was magic with the puck on his stick. Amazing to watch
I am glad you played this. I don't know if there will be anyone else like him to come along. I feel lucky that I saw him play in person.
Yes, an all-around player!!
PAVEL DATSYUK!!!!!!!!! High light machine. This guy will make anyone love hockey
The obstruction era was a point in hockey were clutching, and grabbing players, hooking them with your stick wasn’t called as penalties as much as it is today. It gave lower skilled players an advantage because refs weren’t calling the penalties. It lead to the dead puck era of the 90’s and early 2000’s. They enforce those penalties now, to help keep the game more open and the offence going. It’s all about speed and skill in the modern era, which Gretzky has a huge influence on.
Gretzky played from the early 80s and retired in 1999. He played for the Edmonton Oilers , New York Rangers , LA Kings and the Saint Louis Blues. He won 4 stanly cups with the Oilers and his number 99 is retired league wide.
One of the coolest things about the best in any game i think is listening to the people that were around them ,in the trenches
Our hockey coach worked for something like ticketmaster at woodwards and we'd always get free tickets in the nosebleeds for the oilers games from the whl then into the nhl i was there when Gretzky scored his first nhl goal back in 79. For a talk he came to our high school in 81or 82 driving a Ferrari and got hung up on one of the stutter bumps they had in the parking lot to deter rowdy teenage driving behavior. My friend and I pushed him clear. We each got a drive around the school block with the great one. Never forget it. Cheers
If Gretzky was behind the goal with the puck, it was almost guaranteed his team was scoring a goal. Whether he put the puck in the net himself, or got the assist, he was DEADLY behind the net.
I don’t think there’s any North American sport that has as clear of a defined GOAT has hockey with Gretzky. His number #99 is retired league wide due to his greatness.
In hockey, assists and goals are combined in a “points” stat. Gretzky has more assists alone than any other player has points.
Football is too much a team sport with guys who have specialized jobs. You can't say "So and so was the BEST FOOTBALL PLAYER EVER". Guys who play offense DO NOT play defense in Football. How can you say someone is BEST EVER when they only play half of the game? Baseball is much the same, the only players who should be in the conversation for BEST BASEBALL PLAYER EVER are Babe Ruth and Shohei Ohtani.. They both pitch(ed) and hit and in their time were(are) among the best in the sport in each.
Basketball has too many names being thrown around as GOAT... Jordan, Jabbar, Bird, Kobe, LeBron... and if you ask me there can be a valid argument for each of them being named BEST BASKETBALL PLAYER EVER...
With Hockey there is only one name. Gretzky.
Most dominant player in the history of any sport. Nobody owned their respective sport like the great one. So damn good the entire league retires your jersey is just too cool.
@@brandocalrissian3294 take all of his goals away and he's STILL the all time leader in points!
The great ones final game was away from home, but 99 was painted behind both goals in respect to show his office.
Yeah, I think it is a universal truth that he is the G.O.A.T.
When he retired he held 61 records and some of them will probably never be broken.
Wayne Gretzky was the fastest player to get a 1000 points in NHL history. The second fastest? That is Wayne Gretzky hitting 1000 points a second time.
Wayne Gretzky went undrafted in 1978 but he signed with a minor league team and after a year was in the NHL he played from 1978 to 1999 with the Edmonton oilers 1978-1988, the las Angeles kings 1988-1996, the St Louis blues 1996, and the New York rangers 1996-1999. He won 4 Stanley cups with the oilers he won 9 MVPs which is the most by any player all time he won 8 in a row with the oilers 1980-1987
Edmonton benefited from the greatest timing in sports history with the NHL/WHA merger
Gretzky never had a chance to be drafted in the NHL, because he signed with the WHA at age 17. The WHA wasn’t a minor league, it was a pro league that competed for players with the NHL.
He was signed by the Indianapolis Racers in the WHA, but they traded him to the Edmonton Oilers (because the Racers were going defunct) where he played 1 year in the WHA, and then the league merged with the NHL the following year.
@@paranormalskeptic3893 thanks 👍👍
Wayne Gretzky started skating at the age of 3.
He was already being noticed for his exceptional talent before he was 10 years old.
Just to add to all the other comments around here, Gretzky is so far beyond anyone else that even the entire NHL recognised this. Many teams will retire the number of great players that represent them historically, but Gretzky has the honor of having the NHL retire number 99 for everyone. This is an honor I don't think I've seen in any other sport, but just a testament to how great he truly was.
100% That’s unreal (and amazing) that 99 has been completely retired across the NHL. Appreciate the comment and info. We were so “fresh” to Hockey when we did this video, I look forward to doing another on Gretzky as our knowledge of Hockey has grown a lot.
Out of the 4 major sports leagues, this is the only unanimous undisputed goat
Gretzky was the first hockey player to use the space behind the goal to view and set up his offense. This is done more now, but he was the first to do it.
One story that I had about him stands out from the others. He beat a goalie, near side, and the goalie had most closed the space with his pads. A reporter asked him how he did it, and Gretzky said he that he would have put the puck on its side and shoot it that way for it to go in. HE WAS GOOD ENOUGH TO TURN THE PUCK ON ITS SIDE AND STILL SHOOT IT WITH 100% accuracy.
Best childhood ever. To be canadian and have a team like these boys growing up. They win i win. Have to remember. He wasnt even drafted
What nobody talks about is that Wayne was the greatest skater...like a figure skate ...total ballerina
When the news anchors announced that he'd left the Oilers, you'd thought PM had died. They were choking back tears.
@counselthyself Yea, that's right. Forgot about that.
The Great One !!!! That's his nick name for a reason 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
lol, their faces the whole time 😮
Wayne Gretzky, Jari Kurri and Mark Messier formed the most powerful offensive attack in NHL history at Edmonton. Breathtaking in its heyday.
i remember watching them play here in Edmonton. I was only about 7 at the time but I still remember what it felt like to hear the coliseum erupt when Gretzky scored.
The comparison to Futbal is Ronaldinho. Just everything packed into 1 person
I’m not sure what part of the UK you guys are from, but we have hockey over here too, obviously not as top tier as the NHL but hockey is hockey at the end of the day.
The locations:
EIHL (top league)
Cardiff, Guildford, Coventry Manchester, Nottingham, Sheffield, Glasgow, Fife, Dundee, Belfast.
NIHL National (second tier)
Bristol, Swindon, Basingstoke Bees (play out of Slough) Romford, MK, Peterborough, Telford, Sheffield, Leeds, Hull.
NIHL D1 (third tier)
South division: Solent (gosport), Romford 2, Streatham, Invicta (Gillingham), Chelmsford, MK, Oxford, Slough
North Division: Deeside, Nottingham, Blackburn, Sheffield, Widnes, Solihull, Whitley Bay (Newcastle), Billingham, Solway (Dumfries).
NIHL D2 (fourth tier)
South Division: Bristol 2, Guildford 2, Peterborough 2, Invicta 2, Swindon 2, Streatham 2, Chelmsford 2, Oxford 2, Solent 2, Basingstoke 2, Cardiff 2, Haringey, Lee Valley.
North Division: Hull 2, Telford 2, Coventry 2, Sheffield 3, Nottingham 3, Altrincham (Manchester 2), Bradford, Sutton (plays out of Sheffield)
SNL (top and only major/dedicated Scottish league)
Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Dundee (comets), Paisley, Dundee (tigers), Kirkcaldy, Kilmarnock, North Ayrshire.
If you want any more information about the leagues and teams then please don’t hesitate to ask. Hockey over here obviously and understandably isn’t as big as footy or other sports but we have a good friendly and awesome community.
In Nottingham the IIHF DIVISION ONE GROUP A TOURNAMENT is being held and as writing this (2/5/23) today is day 3. The teams are: GB, Italy, Korea, Lithuania, Poland and Romania.
The thing about Gretzky is that in his prime Americans rarely got to see him cause the major broadcast networks gave up showing hockey in the 80s save for the Olympics. At times even cable networks didn't show the playoffs, just local channels. All we could do was look at the standings & stats in the papers to see how "The Great One" got his name & how Edmonton dominated the NHL.
Living in Edmonton, I had the privilege to watch Gretzky live where he made some moves that made these look boring in comparison! But they were not filmed...which is a shame. And now watching McDavid on the same team is a real treat. Go Oilers Go!
You have to realize, when an amazing player like Gretzky is on the ice, he makes others look silly. His play looks easy to HIM but considering those around him, it was crazy. He is a freak of nature lol.
Watched him with my dad all the time. It was different game. He rarely was touched because teams still had enforcers back then. Goalie equipment was much smaller, players were smaller. His line was a scoring machine. Fun
I thought you guys were gonna be reacting to the NHL playoffs ??? You should react to the highlight videos of each playoff game going on. NHL playoffs are the most exciting insane event sports has to offer . Worth watching
Love the idea - maybe too many games going on right now to do them every night. Maybe a weekly highlight reel? Or a review of each series once they conclude?
Greatest and most dominant team sport athlete of all time.
HE WON 9 OF 10 MVP AWARDS FROM 1980-89 AND ONLY MARIO LEMIEUX BEAT HIM FOR THE THE OTHER TIME.
As the story goes, he started skating earlier than everyone else & his father taught him how to *observe where the puck was going*
Him getting traded to the LA Kings after 3 or 4 Stanley Cup wins in Edmonton was a HUGE disgrace in Canada that no joke helped grow the game in America
It's not one of the greatest...it's The Greatest.!!!!!!
Gretzky was so great that he played against full grown men as a young teen and they still could not stop him. He played in the NHL from 1979 to 1999. He's called the "Great One" for a reason. He isn't that big either-- only 6 feet tall and 185 pounds. He was so great that his 99 number is retired in the entire league. No one can ever wear 99 again.
i didnt remember how goofy these Gretzky highlights looked, game has definetly evolved a lot since he was playing.
Why are they goofy?
Some facts: The Gretzky led Oilers were so dominant they changed the rules to make it harder for them by offsetting conincidental minors to continue with 5 on 5 play. Prior to the change, it was 4 0n 4 and it was an automatic goal with Gretzky on the ice. He revolutionaized the game with his vision and his ability to create space for himself and his teammates and set records in points by surpassing past marks by more than 30%. But it was really his on ice IQ tha set him apart. Also, keep in mind that he was slight for the time and the NHL allowed the game to be slowed down with clear infractions that went uncalled and he still managed to lead in every cataegory even when the game favored larger, slower players like Mario Lemieux. A good documentary to watch about great athletes is "In Search of Greatness" (Gretzky, Pele, Jerry Rice).
If he had never scored a single goal in his NHL career,he still has the most points over all by almost 1k in assists alone.
He also holds the record for holding the most NHL records.
He was like a sniper he knew where things were going to be when he was shooting or passing.
Gretzky holds all the records and they are probably the most likely records in sports never to be beaten. Like took Brady having 7 Superbowl rings.
He was so great that every single team retired the #99
Gretzky wasn't the most flamboyant, he wasn't big, he was more like a agile chess player. You should look at a video about his career, all the massive records he still holds, some of which will probably never be beaten. He is so humble, greatest ambassador hockey could ever dream of.
He's the singular reason why there are NHL teams on the west coast of the US. Before he was traded to the LA Kings (where he won the Stanley Cup and saved the team), it was unthinkable to have teams in San Jose, or Anaheim. They're both very successful.
Edmonton '79-88
L.A. Kings '88-96
St. Louis '96
N.Y. Rangers '96-99
2857 career points
In NHL personal player points are Goals+Assists. Gretzky had 894 goals, The next nearest is Alexander Ovechin who has 822, and is unlikely to reach Gretzky's mark, But its in assists where Gretzky is absolutely untouchable, with an everlasting 1963 assists. The next nearest in assists was Ron Francis(who played 300 more games than the Great One) who only had 550 goals which is why Gretzky's Points total of 2857 has an enormous 936 point gap between him and Jaromir Jagr(1921 points) and this is why Gretzky's points total is completely unassailable.
The great one! The best to ever do it!
I'm in the middle of watching the video, so I don't know if they're going to bring it up, but here's really the only stat you need to know about Gretzky:
In hockey (for stats) you get a "point" either for scoring a goal or getting an assist (obviously for the game they only count who scores the most goals, but for the stats an assist or a goal counts as a "point"). Gretzky is currently the all time leader in BOTH goals AND assists. The stat that's most often mentioned is that "if Gretzky had not scored a single goal in the NHL, he would STILL be the all time leader in points". He played in an era where the goalies weren't nearly as good as the goalies are today (better techniques and better gear). His number is retired LEAGUE WIDE, and he played his final game in 1999.
Incidentally, if you want to live react to a game, Sunday night will be a game 7 (the decisive game) against the Bruins and Panthers. The Bruins just set the NHL record for most wins in a season, so the fact there was even a need for a 7th game is remarkable.
Perhaps the craziest stat to his name is he's the only player ever to score 200 points in a season and did it FOUR times. Lemieux had a 199 point season and missed games though so he would've had a 200 point season. He was even on a point per game pace to break the 215 point record.
Lemieux scored 199 points in 76 games. Gretzky once scored 205 points in only 74 games (which is a 2.77 PPG average, the best ever).
Here's the single stat line that marks Wayne as the greatest: Even if he had never scored a single goal in his entire 20 year career, his assists ALONE would still make him the greatest points scorer of all time.
He has more assists than the next guy behind him (Jaromir Jagr) has points in his entire career!
So for those who are learning hockey, players get one point for a goal, and one point for an assist. So if you had a goal and an assist in a game, you had 2 points in the game. And good to great players could wind up with 80-120 points in an 82 game schedule.
Gretzky is the all time leader in points, with 2,857 points. He also is the all time leader in goals with 894 and assists with 1963. The amazing thing with him is, if you take away all of his goals, he’d still be the all time leader in points due to his 1963 assists. So if he ONLY had assists, he’d be the all time leader in points, because the 2nd place guy had 1921 points (goals and assists added together).
He also won 3 Stanley Cups as the captain of the Edmonton Oilers, also is the holder of 61 NHL records. The only player to ever score 200 points in a season (did it 4 times), the only player to score 90+ goals in a season. Far and away the greatest player in NHL history.
Though the Oilers are not my team, the number 99 is in my email address because of my respect for Gretzky. Im an Islander’s fan, hated Gretzky for a bit because he won his 1st Stanley Cup vs my Islanders, but man do I love the guy and respect him so much.
He helped change the game so much. When he got traded to the Los Angeles Kings in 1988, the game of hockey grew in California because of his greatness, kids wanted to learn to play hockey, and now there are players from California in the NHL. Besides his unmatched greatness, his influence in the game was HUGE.
@counselthyself I stand corrected.
when brett hull says, "he used the worst stick in hockey", he's referring to the white & red "titan tpm 2020". the titan sticks weren't that bad at all, many greats used them. it was only after the trade to los angeles that gretz switched to the "easton aluminum".... same stick used by brett hull.
THE GOAT
Watching Wayne play in Edmonton when I was a young man live was amazing so many times the Collisium would break out laughing the stuff he did to the other team was hilarious records he holds will never be touched greatest of all time
He broke 70 records, but he still has 61 records not broken yet, since 1999.
Gretz is the GOAT. Simply called "The Great One." He owns something like 60 NHL records. Some of these numbers will give you an idea of how dominant he was (in hockey, players get 1 point for a goal and 1 point for an assist):
Career Points: 2857. The next highest is 1921.
Career Assists: 1963. The next highest is 1249.
Career Playoff Points: 382. The next highest is 295.
Career Playoff Assists: 260. The next highest is 186.
He's the only player to ever score 200 points in a season (82 games), and he did it 4 times.
If you make a list of the top-scoring seasons by a player, Gretzky has 9 of the top 11.
He owns the top-2 single season goal totals.
He owns 11 out of the top 12 single season assist totals.
He has the top-3 season playoff scoring seasons.
Total dominance. Also, he wasn't that big, and he played in a much tougher era. On the other hand, it's worth noting that goaltenders and defensemen are MUCH better today. Even so, nobody has come anywhere near his numbers. (don't @ me with Ovi)
BTW, all you really need to look at is that first number - career points. In what other sport is the career leader 49% ahead of the number 2 player. Worth noting that Nos. 2-5 on the list all played more games than Gretz.
I think the music was to prevent the RUclips copyright protection... The Edmonton Oilers of the 80s was phenomenal team ... Even back then, we knew that the top 2 lines would all be in the hall of fame... Wayne Gretzky, Jarri Kurri, Mark Messier, Glenn Anderson, Paul Coffey, Grant Fuhr, Andy Moog... All greats...It was a well oiled machine... Look for the 1980s playoff games - Oilers VS NY Islanders, Boston Bruins... Great games ... The obstruction era - wasnt just about Wayne Gretzky but also Mario Lemeuix ... The penalties for Hooking, Holding and obstruction - have always been penalties but they were called infrequently at the referee's discretion ... Wayne Gretzky was a great player but he was not an all round player - he was a goal scorer and setup man - he was not a defensive player at all... Not to take away from his greatness, but he wasn't perfect.
It was a very interesting time in hockey when Gretzky started to the time he retired in the scope of the NHL's skill & equipment... Hockey really transformed & evolved into a different game... It got faster, more complex strategies, better skates & sticks & goalies took a huge leap forward... The game will keep on evolving in small increments, but nothing like the big jump in evolution of the gameplay in that 20 years Gretzky was in the league...
It was described of Gretzky there seemed to be trap doors hidden all over the ice. Wayne would disappear then reappear somewhere else in the rink. And, no he is not playing anymore 1979-99.