Canadian-American hockey star named athlete of the year on 9 January 1982 and nicknamed “the great Gretzky.” Between 1979 and 1999 he played for the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues (briefly) and the New York Rangers.
At 17 he signed a contract for $1.7 million over seven years; at 21, a record breaker in the NHL, he signed a new pact for $21 million over 20 years. In his ten years with the Oilers, he has led his team to four Stanley Cup championships, set 43 NHL scoring records and won the league’s MVP award an astounding eight times. He is considered by many to be the greatest hockey player that has ever graced the ice. He was not only a superstar but one who showed humility, generosity and courtesy. His clean-cut, kid-next-door image was in demand on commercials ads, bringing in another appreciable sum.
In 1993 he moved to California, signing a contract with the Los Angeles Kings that pays him $8.5 million a year, with his wife, actress Janet Jones and four kids. The most recent, Tristan Wayne, made her appearance on 2 August 2000 in Los Angeles to join her brothers, Ty and Trevor, 10 and 7, respectively, with 11-year-old sister, Paulina. For the past five years Gretzky’s mother-in-law has been living with them in compatible family harmony; Gretzky thinks she’s great.
After knocking off 10 scoring titles, 4 championships and 9 MVP awards, Gretzky departed the Madison Square Garden ice as the holder of 61 separate NHL records. His 92 scores in the 1981-82 season broke the record by 16 goals. He completed a glorious career with his retirement on 18 April 1999.
In February 2006, allegations swirled that his wife, actress Janet Jones, had placed approximately $500,000 in bets with an illegal gambling ring that investigators charge was run by one of his assistants.
Gretzky became part-owner of the Phoenix Coyotes on 15 February 2001, and became their head coach on 8 August 2005. He stepped down on 24 September 2009.
Link to Wikipedia biography