On January 26, hockey fans celebrate the birthday of Wayne Gretzky, truly deserving of the nickname “The Great One.”
Jan. 26 is a day every NHL fan should celebrate, especially those fans who are fans of teams in California. The special day is the day Wayne Gretzky was born. Gretzky, known simply as “The Great One”, forever changed the game of hockey for the better. While the debate over whether he or Mario Lemieux is the greatest hockey player of all-time rages on, what’s undeniable is the influence No. 99 had on the game. To this day, Gretzky is the only hockey player to have his jersey number universally retired by the NHL. There will literally never be another No. 99.
He is best known for his time with the Edmonton Oilers. Before the Miami Heat of the 2010s, New York Yankees of the 1990s, and New England Patriots of the 21st century ruled their respective leagues, the Oilers were a super team back in the 1980s. They were far from the first, as the Montreal Canadiens dominated for three decades. The New York Islanders would have been one if it wasn’t for Edmonton. But the Oilers were the first truly popular NHL super team.
Led by Gretzky and Mark Messier, Edmonton blew away their opponents. The NHL had never seen anything like the Oilers, who played with incredible skill. Before the 1980s, the league was defined by the Philadelphia Flyers “Broad Street Bullies” teams who pummeled their opponents into submission. Sure, the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins were great as well, but they didn’t dominate the way Edmonton did with Gretzky. Not even the Bruins with Bobby Orr or the Canadiens with Maurice Richard or Guy Lafleur dominated like the Oilers.
