Wayne Gretzky

The Great One — the only player whose assist totals alone exceed any other player's combined points total.

Wayne Douglas Gretzky was born in Brantford, Ontario in 1961. He is the only player in NHL history whose points total from assists alone (1,963) exceeds the combined points total of every other player in hockey history. His career total of 2,857 points is 1,016 more than the second-highest total — a margin so large it defies comprehension. He scored 894 goals — also the NHL record. He won nine Hart Trophies as MVP (1980–1987, 1989) and ten Art Ross Trophies as scoring champion. He won four Stanley Cup championships with the Edmonton Oilers (1984, 1985, 1987, 1988). He holds or shares 61 NHL records. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1999 — the eligibility waiting period was waived specifically for him. His trade from Edmonton to Los Angeles in 1988 is credited with establishing hockey as a viable sport in the American Sunbelt, leading to the expansion teams that transformed the NHL. He was named the greatest North American athlete of the 20th century by multiple publications. The NHL retired his number 99 league-wide — the only player in history to receive that honour. He is not just the greatest player in hockey history; the gap between him and second place is larger in hockey than in any other team sport.

• Stanley Cup 4x (1984,1985,1987,1988)
• Hart Trophy 9x
• Art Ross Trophy 10x
• Conn Smythe 2x
• Hall of Fame (1999)
• NHL 100 Greatest Players