Hockey player Wayne Gretzky: biography, personal life, sports career

Wayne Gretzky's name is known not only to every Canadian. Students play hockey and dream to become a little bit like him, and the world's rare to meet someone who has not heard about this famous hockey player. Although Canada and Russia are rich hockey talent, this person stands alone. Many say that true talents appear in the world once in a hundred years. But such talent as Gretzky, there is much less common. And hockey horizon has not yet risen like a star.

Hockey player Wayne Gretzky: biography, personal life, sports career

Childhood hockey

Wayne was born in a family of emigrants in the second lap. At the beginning of the last century, his grandfather Terence emigrated from Russia to Canada. And in Canada, I found a wife, also a native of the former Russian Empire, Maria. This family was engaged in farming. And in her later born Wayne Douglas Gretzky - it sounds so full name of the hockey player.

Grandfather Terence was very close to the small Wayne and encouraged his class hockey. Often he and my grandmother watched the progress of the training and the first hockey successes grandson. Wayne Gretzky has grown quite tall and strong boy. And witnesses say he used to play hockey with the boys, who for several years have been his senior.

Hockey player Wayne Gretzky: biography, personal life, sports career

But it is absolutely not embarrassed. At the age of five, he played for the hockey team of his native city, which claims a six-year guys. And in the age of ten he was speaking in a children's hockey league, where in the season scored 378 goals, which is an absolute record until today.

While he is constantly guided by his idol, Gordie Howe, who was then still shone on the ice. And in the 14 years the teenager goes on the ice against the already twenty years of boys and playing so that journalists call it a rising star by comparing his career Hou career.

Wayne Gretzky WHA and

Already at that time, a young hockey player Wayne Gretzky come to the attention of coaches various youth teams. At the age of fourteen he defended the colors of Team Canada at the international tournament in Quebec City, where he received the highest honors. Beginning next year, Wayne Douglas Gretzky leaves his hometown to pursue a professional career. The first youth team, with which he concludes the contract, has been "Greyhounds" of Ontario. It is there that he spent his first professional season, and at that point, it should be noted, he was only sixteen years old, and scored seventy goals in the opponents' goal. He gets on the World Junior Championships in Montreal in 1978, and together with a team wins it. In this case, a talented hockey player is not only the youngest member of the championship, but his best scorer.

Like any kid in Canada, Wayne Gretzky wants to play in the NHL. But according to the laws of this organization the players have to be over 18 years, and Wayne was only 17. Therefore, hockey player enters his first professional contract in adult WHA.

The club with which the hockey player Wayne Gretzky signed its first contract in a hundred thousand dollars, was "Indianapolis". But this month its exchange to another club WHA - "Edmonton". With him hockey player holds his first season, scoring 46 goals and is recognized as the best rookie WHA. A year later merge the WHA and NHL teams. Four WHA teams gets in the NHL league, and among them, "Edmonton".

The first steps in the NHL

In 1979, the "Edmonton" and three of his brother in the WHA carried out his first season in the NHL. Along with "Edmonton" first season holds and Wayne. At the end of this season hockey player wins his first title "Hart". That is the title of the most useful player of the NHL. The question of how many goals scored Wayne Gretzky got his wonderful answer. Scoring this season, fifty-one goal, Wayne became the youngest athlete who managed to overcome the barrier of fifty goals. At that time he was only nineteen years and two months.

Hockey player Wayne Gretzky: biography, personal life, sports career

The following year, Gretzky just starts churning out records. And records Gordie Howe, who appeared before the sky-high peaks, start to fall one by one. In his second season hockey player earns the same prize "Hart" and adds to it the prize "Art Ross Trophy" which is awarded to the hockey player, who scored the most goals of the system "goal + pass". What is surprising, for one game factor greater than two. For all the time in the NHL had only two players who have a factor greater than two. Besides Gretzky, this result sought only Mario Lemieux.

hockey player ID

It is surprising, but the players are very distrustful athletes. And the number that they wear a sweater to play a significant role for many. As already stated above, young Wayne was a fan of talent Gordie Howe. And of course, like his idol, he would have the number "9".

In his first team "Greyhounds" young players just wanted to choose this number. But unfortunately, he was busy with another player. Then the athlete tried the number "19" and it played a few matches. And then, on the advice of the manager, I chose "99", by which is remembered to all hockey fans.

It was a kind of talisman with which to end a career parted Wayne Gretzky. Number of stars on a sweater that you can see in the photo, is now in the Museum of hockey glory and as a sign of respect to the merits of the great athlete permanently assigned to him.

Hockey player Wayne Gretzky: biography, personal life, sports career

Gretzky and "Edmonton Oilers"

History Gretzky and "Edmonton Oilers" are closely related to the period of ten years. It began when a hockey player bought the "Indianapolis" in 1978 and ended in 1988, when a player has been sold in the "Los Angeles Kings". All of the major achievements of "Edmonton" are connected with the name of Gretzky. Neither before nor after this command did not reach such sports tops. All the more strange was the host club's decision after a ten-year cooperation period, decide to sell hockey in Los Angeles.

This exchange was the star name of The Trade. There were fifteen million dollars, and two selections in the NHL Entry Draft in the following years. The only thing that was able to negotiate a hockey player - a partner who went along with him. Wayne Gretzky, whose career has changed abruptly, from a cold to a warm Edmonton hockey and hockey is not Los Angeles.

Winning the Stanley Cup

Stanley Cup - a prize that wants to rise above his head every Canadian boy. And for some time, most young players in different parts of the land and dream about it. Wayne was no exception to the rule. But if the majority of the dream remains a dream and then Wayne Gretzky, whose biography and so full of different events, boasts four such outstanding moments. All winning the Stanley Cup are associated with "Edmonton Oilers". It is with this team, he was able to celebrate a great victory in 1984, 1985, 1987 and 1988.

Hockey player Wayne Gretzky: biography, personal life, sports career

In hockey was another run for the Cup, but with another team - "Los Angeles Kings" - in 1991, but in the final of "kings" will give way to the Cup Montreal. Thus, as stated in regard to the Wayne Gretzky Statistics, the famous hockey player participated in five finals, four of which he won.

Records Gretzky

Talk about the records of hockey in Canada can not be waged without mentioning such a person as Wayne Gretzky. Records make it an increasing number from all available. So, now, according to statistics, hockey player owns 61 record. 40 of them are found in the "regular season", fifteen - in the "playoffs" and six - in the category "NHL All Stars".

Most of these records will not be beaten in the foreseeable future. Here are just some of them:

  • The main indicator of a striker is the number of goals he scored. Thus Grettski scored washers 894, playing games 1487 twenty five seasons. Coming in second place Gordie Howe, who had long finished his speech and he is no longer alive, he scored 801 goal, but it took him 2186 games in thirty five seasons.
  • In addition, as already stated above, in many seasons Gretzky scored more than two goals (goal + pass) for the game. This figure could be repeated only one hockey player, but the last time it was twenty years ago.

Of course, hockey fans are looking forward to the time when the new Wayne Gretzky appears on the hockey rink, which will be able to review all the established first records (and there are more than 60), but as long as Wayne can feel relatively calm - his fame and records no and there is no threat.

from Los Angeles Ice "kings"

Since 1988, for eight seasons hockey player he played for the team from Los Angeles. If until Gretzky in this city its residents very little imagined what hockey and why you need to buy tickets for the matches of his team, with the arrival of Gretzky in Los Angeles tastes of its residents have changed considerably. Due to the hockey player, who at that time acquired the title of The Great One, which means "the Great", tickets for the stadium, which previously was filled with only thirty percent, became the same problem, as well as tickets for your favorite basketball team, "Lakers."

International career Wayne

If we talk about international hockey career, it started early enough and very well - to win ice hockey world championship among juniors. In the adult hockey successes Wayne is much more modest. Goals Wayne Gretzky continued to delight fans of the Canadian team, but the titles won by this team, almost was not.

Thus, the national team along with hockey player won three Canada Cup and once ranked second. And at the World Hockey Championship in Finland, she was able to win only the third place - it's all the successes of Team Canada with Wayne Gretzky. That is why many fans of Hockey Canada made to a conclusion that the players more value on the regular season and Stanley Cup than the honor to defend the colors of his team. Wayne Gretzky, quotes from an interview which often appear in the press, apparently, shared this attitude of the Canadian hockey team to the meetings on the international scene.

Janet Jones - Gretzky's wife

Many fans of hockey claim that family life Wayne both American and Canadian standards of developed very successfully. Even at the age of twenty-three athlete she met a young actress, her same age. Wayne Gretzky's wife Janet Jones started acting in movies about the same time as her future husband began to engage in professional hockey. By the time of their first meeting, she was shot for over a decade.

The most famous film, in which it may be remembered not only movie fans, but also fans of hockey, was the "Police Academy", the fifth part. Four years later the wedding was played after the first meeting. After marrying Wayne leaves class hockey and Janet continues to act in films to this day. Wedding photo of the couples you can see in this article.

Hockey player Wayne Gretzky: biography, personal life, sports career

From this it is clearly evident that Wayne be happy. And this attitude in family life, the athlete remains today.

Children and grandchildren Wayne

Famous hockey player was rezultativen not only on the ice NHL field. Wayne Gretzky family life set as many records. But the most important of them is that after the wedding of Wayne and Janet will soon be twenty years.

Hockey player Wayne Gretzky: biography, personal life, sports career

At this couples five children. In the photo, the proposed article, you can only see three senior heirs stars. His first daughter was named Paulina was born in late 1988. Eighteen months later, in mid-summer, she was born her brother Tai. And two years later, I was born another son - Trevor. This is exactly the part of the family, which is visible in the photograph. All of these children were in the family of the current hockey.

The two younger children were born after the end of a professional career. In the summer of the year two thousand - Tristan. By the way, the difference between the third and fourth child is almost eight years. But this is not hockey family calmed down, and a few years later appeared on the last date the child - daughter Emma.

For a while Gretzky family led a quiet measured a happy family life. But things change, and in 2015, Wayne became a grandfather. Now, it is likely to start a new round of development of this happy family.

The end of a hockey player's career

End of career hockey player - it's always sad, especially if it's a great athlete. After the eight seasons in Los Angeles, and losing the Stanley Cup final team slipped to the bottom of the standings and is no longer enter the stage of the playoffs. Thereafter Wayne pleaded with the club to trade him in a stronger team. This exchange took place, and hockey player moved to the "St. Louis Blues".

Then he played only one season in hockey. Wayne Gretzky did not find any understanding with the management team or with their partners. It was the worst season in the history of hockey. For him, he played eighteen matches and scored just eight goals. Wayne begins to search for a new club and eventually finds him. It would be surprising if a hockey player, rightfully named after the great, was not able to find a club where he could continue his career. So the club was the "New York Rangers" in which the athlete spends in the last three seasons of his life in the NHL. Although great strides Wayne during these three seasons are not achieved, however, he played nearly two hundred and fifty matches and scored more than fifty goals. Many of his records he or broken, or installed in these seasons.

The introduction of a hockey player in the NHL Hockey Hall of Fame

After his career Gretzky was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. What is interesting, it has existed for many years, and have been introduced here the most wonderful players who have made a huge contribution to the development of the said sport in Canada and abroad.

The hall is located in the city of Toronto. Usually, it accepted the players already finished his career. Moreover, the time period, after which begins the consideration of candidates is at least three years. Sometimes the organizers make for the most outstanding athletes exceptions. And all of these exceptions was ten.

Wayne Gretzky was inducted into the Hall named after the seven months after the end of his sports career. This was done in 1999, and after almost twenty years of such an honor - an early introduction to the Hall of Fame - did not receive any hockey player. No wonder one of his friends, Mark Messier, was of the opinion that such great players emerge on the world stage, even rarer than once in a thousand years.

It was formed and the so-called symbolic team of the century - Centennial All-Star Team, which included all the greatest hockey players of the twentieth century. The only representative of the North American hockey, which came into the national team, was Wayne Gretzky. Of those six, four really great players represented the Soviet Union, one - and one Sweden - Canada.

Interestingly, the attacking unit looks like this: Center attack - Wayne Gretzky with wingers Makarov and Kharlamov. Protection organized Fetisov and Börje Salming and gates defended the famous Tretiak. It is this team, according to hockey experts, reflects the grandeur of hockey excellence for a century.

The modern life and business Gretzky

Although Gretzky ceased to be valid, a professional hockey player, though he had not parted with hockey. And probably impossible, if you stand on skates with four years, more than twenty five years of professional playing hockey and imenueshsya great in an instant to throw it all out of my life.

Just a year after the end of a professional career, Wayne becomes a co-owner of one of the NHL, which is called "Phoenix Coyotes" and for nine years participates in the life of the club. In the past four years, Gretzky was his coach. Thus, he tried all the specialty hockey is hockey rink. And in 2002 he was invited to the general manager of Team Canada Hockey Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, where the team won.

But Gretzky has a lot of talent out of the sport. He is not only a happy family man, but also a successful businessman. Probably, the popularity of which he has, not only in Canada but around the world, helping him and his family own the restaurant. Many visitors, staying close to this institution, with pleasure his visit because it owns the famous Wayne Gretzky, whose biography is known to many. line of men's clothing under its brand is also available.

Thus, Gretzky became great not only because it excellently played hockey, but also because it could change the image of the NHL, which to him is usually represented with the big man knocked out a tooth washer. Currently, NHL symbolizes open smile Gretzky, and indeed by the great Canadian hockey striker acquired a human face.