Wayne Gretzky spent his whole skilled hockey profession (20 seasons within the NHL and one within the WHA) rewriting the document books. When ‘The Nice One’ retired following the 1998-99 season, he held 61 NHL data.
Gretzky’s stats have set the benchmark so excessive that it seems that many — if not all — of his data seem like unbreakable. Here’s a countdown of 10 Gretzky data that won’t be damaged:
10. Most Artwork Ross Trophies in a Profession (10)
Profitable the Artwork Ross Trophy because the NHL’s main level scorer in a single season is a spotlight in any participant’s profession. Effectively, Gretzky led the league in factors for half of his profession.
In every of the years that Gretzky received the award, he amassed at the very least 130 factors throughout the season. The Nice One averaged 195.5 factors per season within the years that he was the recipient of the Artwork Ross Trophy.
Gordie Howe has received the second most Artwork Ross Trophies in a profession with six. Jaromir Jagr has the very best whole amongst lively gamers with 5.
9. Most Objectives in a Season (92)
Within the 1981-82 season, Gretzky broke Phil Esposito’s document for objectives in a season by amassing 92 over 80 video games. Based mostly on the numbers that at this time’s superstars put up, the document is secure in the meanwhile.
Steven Stamkos had an incredible season with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2011-12, reaching the 60-goal plateau for the primary time in his profession. Nonetheless, if Stamkos had been to match Gretzky’s single-season document, the Lightning ahead would wish to common one other 0.42 objectives per recreation all through the course of the season.
8. Most Assists in a Season (163)
Even for Gretzky, 163 assists had been excessive, contemplating his second-highest help whole in any marketing campaign was 135. Right here’s a stat to place Wayne’s 163 assists — which got here within the 1985-86 season — into perspective: the participant who completed that yr second in factors, the Penguins’ Mario Lemieux, recorded 141 factors.
With at this time’s main level scorers averaging wherever between 100-110 factors in a single yr, amassing 163 assists is greater than only a lofty purpose.
7. Most Skilled Objectives in a Profession (1,072)
Most of the data that Gretzky broke all through his illustrious profession had been set by his boyhood idol, Gordie Howe. The Nice One’s final NHL purpose in 1999 broke a tie that he had with “Mr. Hockey.”
Gretzky’s 1,072 skilled objectives think about his objectives from the NHL common season, the NHL playoffs, the WHA common season, and the WHA playoffs. With no person in hanging distance of Wayne’s NHL common season document of 894 objectives, topping 1,072 in a profession will even be a troublesome feat to perform.
6. Most Assists in a Profession (1,963)
In baseball, a telling stat about Hank Aaron’s greatness is that if you happen to took away all of his 755 dwelling runs, he would nonetheless have amassed 3,000 hits in his profession.
Effectively, an equally telling stat is that if you happen to took away all of Gretzky’s 894 NHL objectives, he would nonetheless be the NHL’s all-time main scorer. Mark Messier, Gretzky’s longtime pal and teammate with each the Edmonton Oilers and New York Rangers, is second all-time in factors with 1,887.
5. Most Hart Trophies in a Profession (9)
Much like The Nice One’s document for many Artwork Ross Trophies, the variety of occasions that Gretzky received the Hart Trophy is staggering, particularly contemplating that he received all 9 within the first 10 years of his profession.
To not point out that if it wasn’t for an injury-plagued 1987-88 season — and the rise of Mario Lemieux — it may have simply been ten MVP Awards in 10 seasons for Wayne.
Amongst present gamers, Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, and Connor McDavid are the one ones to have been chosen greater than as soon as because the league’s greatest participant in a season.
4. Most Profession Factors (2,857)
Gretzky, the one participant to have greater than 2,000 factors, has 970 extra factors than the runner-up Messier (and the latter performed in 269 extra video games). The lively chief in factors, Jaromir Jagr, has 1,653 factors.
The truth that gamers like Messier and Jagr, one already within the Corridor of Fame and the opposite a first-ballot Corridor of Famer, who’ve had lengthy and productive careers and are properly in need of this document is mind-boggling.
To place the Gretzky stats in perspective, a participant would wish to common slightly below 143 factors per yr for 20 years to interrupt his mark.
3. 3 Consecutive 200-point Seasons
The chances of a participant within the NHL recording 200 factors in any season are slim to none. So think about the chance of a participant carrying out this feat three seasons in a row.
Gretzky, who amassed 200 or extra factors in a yr 4 occasions throughout his profession, achieved this feat between the 1983-84 and 1985-86 seasons, when he recorded 205, 208, and 215 factors, respectively.
Additionally, contemplate the very fact the Artwork Ross Trophy winners from the previous 5 years averaged 110 factors per yr.
2. 51-Recreation Level Scoring Streak
“The streak” is hockey’s equal to Joe Dimaggio’s 56-game hitting streak in baseball, and it is usually a hallowed benchmark in hockey historical past.
Gretzky began this run on opening night time of the 1983-84 season, and totaled an astounding 61 objectives, 92 assists, and 153 factors. Mario Lemieux got here near Gretzky’s document with a 46-game level scoring streak in 1989-90, and one prolonged streak in current reminiscence was Sidney Crosby’s 25-game streak in 2010.
However it is going to take a particular participant with the best timing — and fairly frankly luck — to eclipse this document.
1. 50 Objectives in 39 Video games
Though you may make the case that anybody of those data listed within the high ten might be thought-about primary on this checklist, 50 objectives in 39 video games is the document that Gretzky has repeated that he takes essentially the most pleasure in, and has mentioned on document that will probably be the hardest to interrupt.
During the last three seasons, solely six gamers have scored 50 objectives in a whole season. To attain 50 objectives in half as many video games appears preposterous based mostly on these numbers. It’s a document that might take a constant, unimaginable scorching streak that’s unimaginable.
Effectively, unimaginable for everyone not named Wayne Gretzky.
We’ve got pulled this gem from the THW Archives, written by former THW contributor Michael Rappaport and initially printed Oct. 19, 2012.
