Wayne Gretzky’s Life and Career in the Hockey Rink

Known as “The Great One,” Wayne Douglas Gretzky made NHL history over his twenty-one-year career and set himself apart as one of the most accomplished professional athletes. Born in Brantford, Ontario, Canada, Wayne started playing junior hockey at a young age. At age seventeen, the World Hockey Association drafted Wayne for the Indianapolis Racers; the WHA eventually folded, and Wayne’s next team, the Edmonton Oilers, joined the National Hockey League.

After playing for the Oilers for a decade and breaking NHL records, the league traded Wayne to the Los Angeles Kings, and he played for them from 1988–1996. In 1996, he played for the St. Louis Blues before heading to the New York Rangers as a free agent. He gave three years to that team before ending his superstar NHL career. Heralded as one of the best ice hockey players of all time, the Hockey Hall of Fame admitted Wayne upon retirement in 1999, having led his teams to four Stanley Cup championships. Wayne was the head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes, where he broke multiple scoring records. He also worked on numerous Winter Olympics hockey teams.

Throughout his long career, Wayne Gretzky consistently led his teams to playoffs and Stanley Cup finals, breaking records and earning status as one of the greatest hockey players ever. The NHL retired his jersey number, 99, before the 2000 NHL All-Star Game. Here are some fast facts:

1. 1. At first, he was small for a pro hockey team. Wayne was on the lighter side for an NHL player. When he started, he was 160 pounds, compared to the average 189 pounds at the time. Still, he quickly showed his dexterity, agility, and intelligence on the ice, performing in his first year as a top scorer. Goalies were often surprised by how strong his shots were.
2. 2. He broke assists and points records. Across his NHL seasons, Wayne broke Bobby Orr's record for assists in a single season and Gordie Howe's career goal-scoring record. Wayne broke a single-game playoff record with five assists in the first game of the 1981 Stanley Cup playoffs against the Montreal Canadiens. He also holds the record for the most goals scored across an NHL career in the regular seasons: 894.
3. 3. He was MVP his first NHL season. For his first season in the NHL, from 1979–1980, the league awarded Wayne the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's Most Valuable Player. Wayne won this award nine times in his career.
4. 4. He won the Art Ross trophy for seven consecutive seasons. From 1980–1987, the NHL awarded Wayne the Art Ross trophy, an award for the hockey player who leads the league in points at the end of the regular season.
5. 5. He worked with the Winter Olympics. Wayne served as executive director of the Canadian men's hockey team at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, and in the 2006 games in Turin, Italy. He was also Special Advisor to Canada's men's hockey team at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, Canada.

The record-setting Conn Smythe Trophy–winning, World Cup- and all-star-game-playing hockey legend has an incredible work ethic. You can expect these five highlights and more from his class on the athlete’s mindset, available exclusively on MasterClass:

1. 1. Expect the unexpected. Gretzky’s career was full of big moves; he moved from country to country, city to city, to play for new teams at various stages. “Like any other job, transferring or moving to a different city or a different job is a part of life,” he says. “And so you sorta look in the mirror, and you pick up the pieces and say, ‘All right, I gotta go forward.’”
2. 2. Get into a routine. Maintaining a rigorous practice schedule is essential to achieve physical and mental health as an athlete. “The greatest thing that we do as athletes is we don’t change our routine,” Wayne says. “Routine becomes a part of our life. Some people say, ‘Oh, that's superstition.’ The fact of the matter is, it’s more routine. And you get into a routine that you’re comfortable with and believe in, which puts your mind at ease. It’s a physical, demanding, and mentally demanding sport, and if you’re not at 100 percent, that’s when injuries occur.”
3. 3. Hard work is priceless. You don’t become one of the greatest hockey players resting on laurels. Wayne’s work ethic is more important than his impressive records. “Statistics are statistics, and that’s great. I’m very proud of it,” Wayne says. “I feel much more accomplished when young players, people, or fans come up and say, ‘I didn’t realize how hard you worked.’ That’s a great compliment to me.”
4. 4. Share your success. Hockey is a team sport, and success requires teamwork. “Our biggest thing was to show up, work hard, and be as unselfish as possible,” Wayne shares. “But also to push the guy beside you to be better each and every night. . . . It was part of being sort of family, that we expected it from each other. And that’s what made this organization and this team so unique.”
5. 5. Stay enchanted by what you love. As you build a career and succeed, remember your early passion for the sport. “My first NHL hockey game was in 1967. It was the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Oakland Seals. My grandmother and I sat in the very last row of the arena. We sat there, we got there at 7:15 for an 8:00 game,” Wayne recalls. “And I just wanted to sit and look at the arena, ‘cause I’d only seen it on TV. And it looked so much better and nicer in person. I took it all in because I never thought ever that one day I would get into Maple Leaf Gardens. I just thought it was always going to be just a dream, something that I would chase down one day.”

For additional perspectives on developing an athlete’s mindset and coaching champions, consider the following classes:

1. 1. Coach K on value-driven leadership: Mike Krzyzewski, known as Coach K, led Duke University’s basketball team to five national titles. Watch Coach K’s class to learn his tips on building leaders and giving feedback.
2. 2. Geno Auriemma on leading winning teams: Geno Auriemma is a legendary head coach of the University of Connecticut Huskies women's basketball team. Watch Geno’s class to learn how to be a resilient leader and how to deal with failure.
3. 3. Simone Biles on gymnastics fundamentals: Simone Biles is a gold-winning Olympic gymnast. Watch Simone’s class to learn about goal setting and how to overcome fear and sports anxiety.

Building a solid work ethic on and off the ice is key if you dream of holding the Stanley Cup one day. Discover Wayne Gretzky’s approach to developing an athlete’s mindset, maintaining a routine, and coaching a championship team when you sign up for the MasterClass Annual Membership.