Canadian Icy Hockey Player - Wayne Douglas Gretzky - Report Example

Wayne Douglas Gretzky is a retired Canadian icy hockey player and a part-owner, head of hockey operations and head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "the great one", he is thought by many to be the best ice hockey player of all times (Falla, n.d; Falla, n.d; Huber, 1999). Upon his retiring in April 18th, 1999, he held forty regular-seasons records, fifteen playoff records and six All-Star records. He is also the only NHL player who totaled over 200 points in one season. After his retirement he gained a place in the hockey hall of fame ("NHL Records…", n.d) This fantastic and appreciated player has tremendous leadership abilities as well as a talent for hockey and other sports. In several groups in which he played he was captain and was able to lead the group to stunning and brilliant victories over their opponents, while boosting their morale and keeping them focused on the game and on their objectives. In fact, it is even claimed by some that he single-handedly led those groups to win a lot of games, partly because of his good leadership skills and ability to motivate the players and get them to work together as a cohesive unit. This was rumored to be the reason why they would win a lot during his time as captain. Gretzkys ancestors came from Europe, his grandfather Tony being from Belarus and his grandmother from Poland. They arrived at Canada via the United States, at the beginning of the 20th century. They came from a humble background and owned a vegetable farm in Canada. The farm was a second home to the family, and where they would often watch hockey games on television (Redmond, 1993; Kukushkin, 2007; Jones, 2008). Growing up, Gretzkys father taught him how to play the game in their backyard and the kid showed a remarkable talent. He started playing in a group when he was 14, and at age 17 he was already signed to the Indianapolis Racers. He quickly achieved his first record against Dave Dryden of the Edmonton Oilers. However, he only played in the group for eight games, and then, due to financial losses of the team, he was told that he would be moved and given the choice between Edmonton and Winnipeg. He chose the former, in which he was from 1979 to 1988. After winning the Stanley Cup in 1988, he found out that the group is about to sell him to another group. In an arrangement referred to as "the trade", he agreed to move to the Los Angeles Kings with Marty McSorley and Mile Krushelynski, which were traded for three other players (Matheson, n.d). In the new group Gretzky was named captain and performed very well, except for a regular season between 1992-3, when he had a back injury. In 1996, he was sold to the St. Louis Blues at his request, where he was also captain. But he didnt click with the others and that same year moved to New York Rangers. He had many achievements and even broke the professional total goal-scoring record. Gretzky was considered by some to be too short and light to be in the NHL, his height being 6 feet and his weight 160 pounds. But his notable intelligence and ability to read the game were skills that helped him advance quickly in the game. He was said to have eyes in the back because he could anticipate where every player is going to be even if the player wasnt in his field of vision ("Ordinary Guy", 1977) After his retirement, he was inducted at the Hockey Hall of Fame on November 22, 1999, without the needed three year waiting period. He was the tenth and last player to be awarded with that honor without waiting for that period of time. He was also inducted to the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2000 ("Induction Showcase", n.d). A short time after he had retired, several groups approached him about an ownership role. He eventually bought a 10% stake in the Phoenix Coyotes. He also convinced his long-time agent Michael Barnett to become the General Manager of the team. And in 2005 he became the head coach of the team. Gretzky was Executive Director of the Canadian mens hockey team at the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympics, and again in Italy in 2006 ("Gretzky Returns", 2006) In 2003, he attended the Oilers 25th anniversary in the NHL. The heritage classic was the first game played outdoors. Off the ice, Gretzky also has a family. He met his wife, actress Janet Jones, when he was a judge on "Dance Fever". They later got married and now have 5 children. Gretzky also took part in several business ventures. He bought the Hull Olympiques of the Major Junior Hockey League in 1985, and in 1991 he purchased the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. In May 2008, his restaurant, "Wayne Gretzkys", opened. Finally, he was also a partner in First Team Sports, a maker of sports equipment ("Tied by…", 2006) In 2006, Gretzkys assistant coach was charged for operating an illegal operating ring. Gretzky and his wife were suspected of gambling, but denied any wrong-doing and were never charged with anything ("Gretzky Wife", 2006) Gretzkys transactions include being signed as a free agent in the Indianapolis Racers in June 12, 1978; traded by the Indianapolis Racers, with Peter Driscoll and Edie Mio for 700,000$ in November 2, 1978 ; traded by the Edmonton Oilers with Mile Krushelynski and Marty McSorley in exchange for Jimmy Carson and Martin Gelinas August 9, 1988; traded by the Los Angeles Kings to St. Louis Blues in exchange for Roman Vopat, Craig Johnson and Patrice Tardif in February 27, 1996; signed off as a free agent with the New York Rangers in July 21, 1996. During his playing career, Gretzky has broken several records. In the season of 1981-2, while in the Edmonton Oilers, he scored 92 goals. Then, in 1984-5 in the playoff season he scored 47 points. Later in 1985-6 he achieved 163 assists and 215 points! He also won some medals in his international play. In the years 1984, 1987 and 1991 he won gold medals, in 1981 and 1996 he won silver medals and in 1978 and 1982 he won bronze medals. Finally, his coaching record shows that he has succeeded in leading the Phoenix team to 67 to 83 points between 2005 and 2008. the team was in the 5th or 4th place among all groups. Undoubtedly, Wayne Gretzky is a man of many talents which has, from a young age, been involved in hockey and good at the field. After being given a break in one of the teams when he was just 17 (and in spite of the fact that teams didnt sign players under the age of 20), he advanced in his games and abilities on the ice ring, sold to better groups and continued to pursue more wins, titles and championships. Along the way he has won many medals and was even named the best player of all times. And as can be seen by the evidence, he was a good captain in several of his teams and led them to great achievements. Therefore, his leadership abilities and skills in the game cannot be argued over- Wayne Gretzky was, without a doubt a good leader. Also, it was his determination and fortitude that led him on and on to transfer to better teams, play under the guidance and supervision of better coaches and also to win more and more games and championships. It was his desire to continue to improve himself, to become better at the game and to continue playing. As can be seen, even after his retirement, he proved that he wasnt going to bow down and do nothing- he continued to follow his passion and be involved in the ice hockey sport. He bought or partnered a couple of groups and even coached them later on. Plus, he also had a few business ventures, among which was one of a sports store which provided players with different sports equipment. In summation of his lifes work and achievement and of his character in general, we can say about Wayne Gretzky that his unyielding love and passion for the sport has kept him going on to evolve in this field, and his leadership skills turned him into a fine captain that led his fellow teammates to many victories. Wayne Gretzky is a fighter and a winner in every caliber and imaginable way. References "Family Comes First" (2008, February 13). Jones, T. "From Peasants to Laborers: Ukranian and Belarusan Immigration from Russia to Canada" (2007). Kukushkin, V. "Gretzky is a bargain" (1980, January 11). Metheson, J. The Sporting News. "Gretzky Wife Addresses Gambling Allegations" (2006, February 10). Retrieved July 21, 2008. http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2325295 "Gretzky Returns with Five-Years Extension" (2006, May 31). The Sports Network. "Induction Showcase- Wayne Gretzky" (n.d). Retrieved July 20, 2008. http://www.legendsofhockey.net/html/ind99wg4.htm "NHL Records Held or Shared by Wayne Gretzky", National Hockey League. Retrieved July 24, 2008. http://www2.nhl.com/hockeyu/history/gretzky/61records.html "Ordinary Guy with Extraordinary Talent" (1977, November 8). Canadian Broadcasting Corporation "The Greatest?" (1999, April 17). Huber, J.Sports Illustrated. "The Greatest One Bar None" (n.d.), The Top 100 NHL Players of All Time, p. 16. "Tied by Great Expectations" (2006, December 18). Toronto Star via the New York Times. "Total Gretzky" (n.d). MacGregor, R. p. 19-20. "Wayne Gretzky: Greatness Ascendant" (n.d). Falla, J. Retrieved July 23, 2008. http://www.nhl.com/hockeyu/history/gretzky/greatnessascendant.html "Wayne Gretzky: The Great One" (1993). Redmond, G. Read More