Listen, everything I have in my life is because of the NHL and because of hockey, and I love the game and I loved every minute of being a player, I loved coaching, I loved being involved in the NHL.

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But Gretzky’s skill as an athlete was not all mental. Gretzky was sidelined for much of the 1992–93 regular season with an upper back injury the only year in which he did not lead his team in scoring. It was with the Greyhounds that Wayne first wore the number 99 on his jersey.

He is the leading point-scorer in NHL history with more assists than any other player has points and is the only NHL player to total over 200 points in one season – a feat he accompliWayne Gretzkyd four times. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Gretzky captured nine Hart Trophies as the most valuable player ten Art Ross Trophies for most points in a season five Lady Byng Trophies five Lester B.