Why is gretzky the great one

To put the Gretzky stats in perspective, a player would need to average just under points per year for 20 years to break his mark. The odds of a player in the NHL recording points in any season are slim to none. So imagine the likelihood of a player accomplishing this feat three seasons in a row.

Gretzky, who amassed or more points in a year four times during his career, accomplished this feat between the and seasons, when he recorded , , and points, respectively. Also, consider the fact the Art Ross Trophy winners from the past five years averaged points per year. Gretzky started this run on opening night of the season, and totaled an astounding 61 goals, 92 assists, and points.

But it will take a special player with the right timing — and quite frankly luck — to eclipse this record. Although you could make the case that any one of these records listed in the top ten could be considered number one on this list, 50 goals in 39 games is the record that Gretzky has repeated that he takes the most pride in, and has said on record that it will be the toughest to break.

Gretzky makes a habit of breaking his own records, when in he sets new marks for assists and points in a single season. Ties an NHL record for most assists in a game with seven on Feb. Washington; also tallies seven assists at Chicago on Dec.

Notches a point in 77 of the 80 games in the season. Gretzky scores his 37th career three-goal-game on Jan. Vancouver goaltender Troy Gamble , becoming the 13th player to reach that plateau.

Establishes a new mark for career hat tricks during the season when No. On April 9, , Gretzky tallies his th career playoff point vs. Leads the League in postseason scoring with 34 points, helping the Oilers win their third championship in four years. Gretzky notches his 1,th career assist vs. His 31 assists during the Stanley Cup playoffs remain the most by any player in a single postseason.

Gretzky captures his second Conn Smythe Trophy as the Edmonton Oilers win their fourth championship in five years.

On Aug. Makes his Kings debut on Oct. Detroit and records his first point on his first shot. Captures the Hart Trophy for the ninth time in , becoming the first Kings player to ever win the award.

Registers his th NHL goal on Nov. Notches seven points, including his 1,th career point, with two goals and five assists on Feb. Sets a Los Angeles club record for assists and points in a single season during the campaign. Moves past Marcel Dionne into second place on the all-time scoring list in a game at Hartford on Jan. Becomes the all-time leading scorer on Oct. His 1,th point comes on a goal tying the game with 53 seconds remaining in regulation.

He also scores the game-winning goal in overtime. Tallies his 1,th point with an assist on Dec. Garners his eighth Art Ross Trophy and leads the League with assists in , extending his own record of consecutive or more assist season to During the Stanley Cup Playoffs, "The Great One" ties a Kings record for points in a single playoff game with five one goal, four assists. The season sees Gretzky win his second consecutive Art Ross Trophy and ninth all-time.

His assists leads the League in and sets a Kings club mark for helpers in a single season. Becomes the only player in NHL history to register 2, career points after recording an assist on Oct.

During the season, Gretzky has four games in which he accumulates five or more points, increasing his career total to Moves into first place on the all-time playoff goal-scoring list, surpassing Jari Kurri , with Wins his second consecutive and third overall Lady Byng Trophy in Notches his 13th consecutive point season.

Scores his nd goal on Dec. Detroit and moves past Marcel Dionne into second on the all-time scoring list. He scored 50 goals in 39 games one year. But this is the point: The NHL has fundamentally changed. This happens in sports. No one has hit. So, when you try to define Gretzky, you have to dig deeper than his extraordinary numbers.

These days, goals are much harder to score for various reasons. Goalie pads are bigger probably too big. Goaltenders are better. Defenses are tighter. Fewer penalties are called. Now, teams average about 2. Hockey, on the whole, has been a bit more reluctant to dive into the advanced numbers that baseball analysts thrive on the NHL website, for instance, has recently made a bit of a mess with its enhanced numbers.

But there are hockey analysts who try to put numbers in the context of their time. When looking at adjusted points, his four point seasons adjust down to , , , — still great but no longer singular totals. You could, of course, talk about the aesthetics of Gretzky. He was such a beautiful player to watch. He seemed to glow on the ice as if he had been touched by a yellow highlighter.

He would slide in and out of raging defense, with the puck glued to his stick, and then precisely at the right instance he would flip a shot into the tiniest crack of light. But aesthetics are a matter of personal taste. Some might prefer the bruising grace of Lemieux or Mark Messier, the elegance and blinding speed of Bobby Orr on the break, the rifle shot of one of the Hulls, the violent wonder of Gordie Howe, the sheer gall of Sidney Crosby.

There are a hundred others too, and in my experience when you start talking about how beautiful a player Gretzky was, well, someone always points out that he was protected by teammates and referees?

As I suspected, they came at the challenge in very different ways.