Wayne Gretzky Wayne Douglas Gretzky, Order of Canada (born January 26, 1961) is a former professional ice hockey player and is currently part-owner and head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes. Born in Brantford, Ontario and nicknamed "The Great One," Total Hockey: The Official Encyclopedia of the NHL calls Gretzky "the greatest player of all time". He is regarded as the best player of his era and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by sportswriters, players, coaches and fans. Among his many awards and achievements, he is the only player to ever have his playing number, 99, officially retired across the entire National Hockey League. Identified as a hockey prodigy at a young age, Gretzky regularly played at a level far above his peers, eventually becoming a full professional at the age of 17 in the World Hockey Association, leading to a long career in the National Hockey League. He set 40 regular season records (including 9 MVP awards and 10 scoring titles), 15 playoff records, 6 All-Star, and won four Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers. He was the only player to total over 200 points in a season, accomplishing the feat 4 times; in addition he tallied over 100 points in 15 seasons, 14 of them consecutively.
He retired from playing in 1999, becoming Executive Director for the Canadian national men's hockey team during the 2002 Winter Olympics. He also became part owner of the Phoenix Coyotes in 2000 and following the 2004-05 NHL lockout became their head coach.
