Tuesday, Jun. 16, 2009
Wayne Gretzky Becomes NHL's All-Time Leading Scorer
In mid-October, "The Great One" Wayne Gretzky surpassed Gordie Howe's total of 1,850 points — and it only took him a third of the time to do it. By the time of his retirement ten years later, Gretzky's roll call of achievements was simply immense: he held forty regular-season records (fifteen in the playoffs) and six All-Star records. He's the only NHL player to total over 200 points in one season — and he did this four times. Unsurprisingly, Gretzky's #99 has been retired by all teams in the National Hockey League. Gretzky's one of only two athletes to have earned this honor in a major professional sport — the other being baseball's pioneering Jackie Robinson, who famously wore #42.