How Good Was PRIME Wayne Gretzky Actually? 

In his prime, most hockey pools had a “no Gretzky” rule because it was the only way to keep things fair. Otherwise, whoever had Gretzky would win the pool. One variation of this was that some pools would split Gretzky into two parts: one person could have his goals, another his assists. Even then, his assist totals were so crazy it could throw the pool off.

I actually had a very cool encounter with Wayne Gretzky. It was on November 21, 1998. It was the last time he played against the San Jose Sharks in San Jose. After the game, I went to the glass and asked him for an autograph. He said he couldn't sign because he had an interview. As I walked away, I heard banging on the glass. He called me over, handed me his stick AND THEN TOOK HIS JERSEY OFF AND GAVE IT TO ME. Wayne is still a classy guy. 😢

In his prime, he was a point a game player. Let me clarify that: a point a game MORE than anyone else.

What's missing is his personal life. Athletes are often caught up in drugs, arrests, infidelity, etc. The Great One was just ad dedicated to his wife, family, and overall reputation off the ice. That, people, is commendable.

I saw this man play live once. My life is complete.

They listed his prime as from 1981 to 1989, which I think is pretty accurate. For a sense of how amazing his prime was, outside that prime range he had seasons of 164 and 163 points, which would be the 3rd and 4th highest totals of all time (Lemieux 199 and 168) if you don't count his prime totals.

As a Canuck fan back in the day I was very nervous every single time the puck was on his stick.

i used to visit his father once a year in brantford a wonderful man. he told wayne, go to where the puck is going, not where it is. great advice.

4 x 200 point seasons... nobody else has broken the 200 point barrier (the closest ever being Mario Lemieux, with 199); then there's the iconic 92 goal season- that season, he scored 50 goals in 39 games! Another stat that a couple of players have come close to (I believe it was Brett Hull and Teemu Selanne, both with 86)- still, nobody has ever scored 90 goals in a season. Uncanny! But my favourite part of the Great one's game that is so often overlooked-- and you had to have been watching games at the time, NOT just highlight videos years later- was the assist game; a lot of people like to say that Gretzky "slowed down" and stopped scoring goals etc. I beg to differ. If you watched those Kings games and see how many players he was setting up, he wasn't merely passing the puck to the open player for the "perfect pass'.... he was literally banking the puck off of their sticks into the net..! So in essence, he was scoring goals off of their sticks and giving them the goals. I guess he figured "I got called a puck hog for long enough, so these guys can score. As long as we win, I'm good- I still get points (assists)"..! Just un-freaking-believable and you had to have been alive and watching at the time to really get a feel for just the type of player he actually was. Truly the greatest scorer in every sense of the word and the fact that his number is retired league wide, is a testament to that.

Gretzky to Lemieux Canada Cup 1987...shivers...The 2 undeniable best players ever. It is worth noting the era allowed for such high scoring which is only being seen again now in 2024 - but still, compared to his colleagues, he still is a living legend.

You did one on Gretzky and one on McDavid. PLEASE do one on Mario Lemieux. The only other player who approached the 200 pts mark in a single season.

I saw him play a few times. He was so good you never took your eye off of him. He had a sixth sense. He could anticipate a play and make it happen. When he was in his office, you were probably doomed.

I saw, in person, Gretzky score goal number 802 to break the record!!

My favourite Gretzky moment is the assist to Mario Lemieux in the Canada cup game

I have watched hockey, regularly since 1978. Nobody in my 45 years of viewing, all thru the different eras is even close to Wayne's vision and how much he got out of the talent he was given.

Starting high school in ‘81, and being a big sports fan until kneeling started, I got to see Gretzky, Lemieux, Jagr, Bird, Magic, Jordan, Maddux, Ryan, Marino, Montana, Sanders, Barry & Deion, Rice, Moss and a bit of Bo. Didn’t suck, but looking back I didn’t realize how amazing a time that was.

99 is the only number nobody should wear in hockey anywhere in the world at any level. Unless of course you are Wayne Gretzky.

Hes not just the goat of hockey but the GOAT of ALL team sports.

I coached two of Wayne’s kids in youth hockey Ty and Paulina. One of the most amazing players I have ever know. One time at this youth game a scorekeeper didn’t show up. Guess who said I’ll keep score. Yes Wayne kept the scoring for both teams. One amazing man with total humility unsurpassed by anyone else I have ever known and I have coached my NHL players kids.

Great video! Gretzky is a superstar in Canada and means so much to us. Thank you for sharing his greatness and continuing on the legacy

My first time seeing 'the Great One' was in Philadelphia, 1983, when the Flyers were still the Broad Street Bullies. Gretzky made a goal from behind the back line, No deflection and not off the goalie, truly unbelievable! Still have no idea how it went in. Saw him every time after that when the Oilers came to Philly. Amazing to watch how smooth and fast he was, not to mention the ability to see everything on the ice.

They changed the rules on coincidental minors just for him. He was so good at 4 on 4 that they kept 5 a side to make it fair. After he retired they switched the rule back. If he played today they couldn’t keep the 3 on 3 overtime. He’s the most dominant team sport player of all time.

Another stat that's mostly overlooked. The L.A. Kings in the 87/88 season had the 4th worst record in the league. For the 88/89 season (after acquiring Gretzky) they had the 3rd BEST record.

I used to work with this guy at a veal processing plant. Awesome dude, Brian, best mullet ever, and he told me over lunch one day that his dad`s backyard connected with Walter Gretzky`s backyard in Brantford. They - the dads - would always chat when out mowing the lawn, or having beers in the back, or whatever. Brian had met Wayne many times, but what he found most remarkable, when they were doing a BBQ and shooting shit, Wayne was waaaay more interested in what was going on in their lives, instead of talking about his own. Wayne`s humbleness humbled him. Like how fucking lucky are you to have the BEST hockey player EVER, drinks beers and chew hamburgers together, all-the-while the GOAT is taking a personal, natural interest in your life!?

Averaging 196 points per season for 9 years is absurd. That stat is Cy Young level in its impossibility for modern NHLers to achieve.

I don't ever recall Wayne getting injured when he was with the Oiler's, he had protector's and many opponent's said he was hard to hit. He was amazing to watch in his prime it was truly insane, never seen anyone so far above the other player's and he always led the scoring race, it was like there was the rest of the league and then Gretzky . a once in a life time talent.

Having being an Edmontonion and a bartender all through the Oilers dynasty and watching this video the first thing that came to my mind is his establishing his "Office", behind the opponent's net! Just one of many great memories.

Once saw Guy Lafleur , Larry Robinson and Bob Gainey all Hall of Famers chasing Gretzky in a corner trying to get the puck from him and they couldn't , it was unbelievable to see.

Great video...of The Great One! My hometown (Kitchener) is near Brantford...I'm a child of the 80's (born '78) - so you'd better believe Gretzky was a household name! We all wanted to be/play like him! To all those detractors that called him a selfish player, then HOW do you explain, if he was so selfish and a puck hog, that if he never scored a goal in his career, he'd still have more points than the next highest player had total!! (Jaromir Jagr), and by a hefty 42 points ahead! He was the ultimate opportunist - if any teammate had a better chance at scoring, you better believe it would make it to their stick! THAT was his hockey sense & read of the game! His vision was certainly unparalleled! He was truly The Great One!

He has more career assists than the 2nd place all time player has points. Think about that. If a player played 14 seasons and got 200 points each season, he would still be 57 points short. 17 seasons of 50 goals and you are still not catching him, Ovi is close but not there yet. I've never seen anything like it in any sport, ever.

If Lemieux played a full 20 year career I think the goat discussion would be a huge debate between the 2. Lemieux was the most skilled Gretzky was the smartest in my opinion.

He broke records like Babe Ruth and Wilt Chamberlain. 100 points was of a great season before this guy came along and doubled that. The distance that he created between next best player in the league was extraordinary

Great video, I'm liking this series. Would love to see Lemieux and others!

No question. Best ever.. No debate..

I'm not trying to reach here, but I swear I see some Bedard in certain angles and mannerisms from Wayne in this video

I feel so blessed to have been able to watch him throughout his brilliant hockey life.

In the history of team sports, three players have shown such utter dominance versus their peers that they belong on the Mt Olympus sports immortals. Babe Ruth Wilt Chamberlain Wayne Gretzky The stats these three put up vs their peers is just unworldly. They were head and shoulders better than their peers of their day!

Working 3-11 shift in the 1980's i would come home turn on the tv & find replays on the usa network of hockey games - almost always edmonton oilers - most exciting & entertaining team ever in my book - rarely watch the nba & mlb anymore as the nhl is now my favorite - thanks to glenn anderson , mark messier , marty mcsorley , wayne gretzky , jari kurri etc, etc, for showing me the light

Never had the pleasure to meet Wayne but I did get to meet Walter at Gretzky's in Toronto. Shame that place is gone now.

The interesting thing to me about Gretzky is that unlike many other dominant scorers, he often looked pretty inconspicuous on the ice aside from when he set up behind the other team's net. No Hull-like slapshot. No Ovechkin-like deadly one-timers. No McDavid-like speed. No Mario-like combo of size with puckhandling skill deking defenders out of their shorts. None of these really obvious things. He just always seemed to be where the puck went to, somehow his shots seemed to go exactly where the goalie wasn't, and somehow he was able to always find the open teammate to get a them a good scoring chance. It was ridiculous. When the game was over you would just be asking yourself "How the heck did he get 5 points that game?" because he didn't dominate the play or do much flashy at all.

Funny story. My family moved from Pittsburgh to Edmonton in the early 70s. The WHA was just getting started a few years later and there was an exhibition game between Edmonton and Pittsburg when Edmonton was a the new WHA team. I was there to see Pittsburgh (as a fan of the Penguins) when Gretzky skated up to me and talked to me where I was next to the team's box. I could care less though because I thought of NHL as 'real' hockey (the WHA as an amateur league), Pittsburgh was my team, and had no idea who Gretzky was at the time (remember, I was a kid). That is one moment in time I wish I could take back!

4 200+ point seasons is greatest nhl record ever!

Awesome videos. Been keeping up with the series. You should do Henrik Lundqvist for one of these videos! Keep up the great work. Love from CT

0:11 Went to see the legendary Wayne with my mother. We had end zone seats and he scored the only two goals at the other end. But did see him rush the net on one play and his skating speed was amazing. On ice he has the eyes of an eagle, laser focused on the goalie and net. It was my mother's first ever NHL game. What an amazing night just to see the Great One. He did not disappoint.

He and I are weeks apart in age so I was massively jealous and yet realistic in recognizing him as something special. His highlights were something to see...EVERY DAY! Just like Jordan...come to think of it I have been blessed to have witnessed it.🙏🇨🇦👍

Gretzky's assist records are unthinkable almost. 163 assists in a season is more than anyone has ever scored points except Lemieux. He led the league in assists 16 times in 20 years, and the ones he didn't were usually because of injury. More career assists than anyone else has points. No one will ever come close to most of these marks. I love that this video really spoke about his ability to raise his teammates, because to me that was his greatest attribute.

Just checked. Gretzky wasn't drafted into the WHA. In 1978, the WHA draft broke down, and any team could scout any unsigned players as free agents.

He was only captain of the Rangers when Leetch was injured. He wasn't their actual captain.

He is truly the greatest of all time

Jagr referred to Gretzky as a Ferrari built 30 years ahead of his time. Gretzky and Lemieux were the 2 that he truly respected.

My favorite fun fact is that Wayne and Brent Gretzky are the point leader brothers in the NHL. Brent contributes only 4 points to that.

I grew up in Edmonton. As a kid I knew (felt) something was different with him than the other monsters of sport at the time. Montana, Jordan, etc. Northlands Colosseum felt unique, and I still believe it all these years later, when his skates hit the ice. It was a surreal, almost scary feeling and volume of noise. It was loud, but not what you'd think all these years later. It was more of a cheer combined with absolute laser focus of everyone in the stands staring intently at someone who they knew was special to be seeing in person. I remember conversations abruptly stopping. Like "Sshhhh! He's here." I'm sure Catholics feel a similar way when they see the Pope in person.

Greatest statistical sports star of all time.

I'd argue hes not just the best hockey player ever, hes the greatest athlete ever

Let’s get real here: it was the Jofa helmet and gloves. They are OP and anyone who wears them is immediately granted God-tier skills and abilities which is why the league eventually had to ban them.

What made Gretzky so great and helped him score so many goals on brakeaways than anyone.i. History he wasnst around the puck ,he was always where the puck was going to be

I met him at a charity baseball game in Edmonton as a kid, I did get an autograph... But long gone. I do have Messier's a couple times, He would talk to me in the parking lot of the Coliseum, when the had the black Porsche 911, I even gave him a drawing of his car that I drew, he put it on the seat. I wonder if he kept it? It was really good

We love his goal scoring ability but his incredible hockey sense, situational awareness and the unerring accuracy of his passing. He saw the ice in a way nobody ever matched.

Gretzky never wanted to be the team captain. It took his teammates to convince him that it was needed for him to do it. That alone says so much.

Conner just turned 26 and Wayne has over a 100 four-point games on McDavid.

Gretzky was so good in his prime, I found out the LA King years when I was a young kid were not his prime and couldn’t understand how that was possible

You had to have watched him play and show the class he did to really understand how special he was. Peter Puck saw how he could change and expand hockey before anyone.

215 points is just ridiculous. Gretzky was just so much better than everyone else. What a joy to watch. The NHL has seen some great players since but nobody has even come close to 99.

I loved his dedication to his teammates, especially Grant Fuhr! Said he was the worlds best goalie(Fuhr is my all time favourite goalie), and even at the last alumni game he told Fuhr who has knee replacements and cannot play , that if he didn’t go..none of them would! Of course, Grant showed up…just like when needing to keep the other team from scoring that last goal. Such a great player #99 Wayne Gretzky was! Most of those records would stand. The two line pass was removed in 2005, but had it been done in 1980…his totals would /or could be much bigger imho. Thank, enjoyed this, and liked and subbed! ❤

Even compared to Jordan, Lebron and any other superstar from other leagues, Gretzkys accomplishments compared to the rest of his peers shows that there is no equal. And never will be.

9:42 absolutely not. Never ever gonna happen. Jordan may be the goat of hoops and brady may be the goat on the grid iron... .. wayne is the goat of team sports.... ... period.

I was fortunate to have watched Gretzky play from when he first joined the OIlers in the last year of the WHA, and watched that team rise to domination in the NHL. Tickets in those days were so cheap I went to many games over the years at Winnipeg arena while working low paying jobs. What I recall most about him was how he saw the game as if he were high on the arena catwalk looking down on the entire ice surface - he seemed to know where everyone was, where they were going, and made passes and maneuvers that seemed almost impossible - time and again he would make a deek or a pass that literately made the entire crowd gasp, and when he got the puck near the net the goalie had little chance to survive.

Most viewers will have heard of this anecdote, but for those that have not, here goes: Oiler Shaun Van Allen got hit and the trainer reported to the head coach.(Ted Green) that Allen could not remember who he was. Green said: "Tell him he's Wayne Gretzky". :p

Saw him in Detroit. As with many young hockey players, he was my Son's favorite!

Gretzky would have been great in today's NHL, I feel fortunate to have watched him play, being a Ranger fan and him playing mostly on the west coast, we didn't see him often so u couldn't get an appreciation for how good he was. When he came to the Rangers it was a big eye opener, his vision and passing skill was other worldly, I remember his ability to avoid big hits was another highlight, back in the 90's the league had many great players and even an older Gretzky stood out, he could have easily played another 3-5 yrs when he finally hung them up....

This man is a inspiration Wayne Gretzky is a living legend

My father now 84 watched hockey religiously - even when company was over- he would sneak away and flip on a game- didn't matter the team. Naturally, names like Neely, Messier, Coffee, Bourque and of course Gretzky were all you heard coming from the TV. It was a golden era - a better vanished time I miss so very much and was happy to be alive to see those games live and have my old man and his love of hockey to thank.

Wayne Gretzky is the most dominant athlete of all time. No one in any sport will ever accomplish what he did. His records will never come close to being broken.

There was a five year period in the early 80's when he could've stopped playing halfway through the season and still won the scoring title. Just a little perspective. Until Mario came along, nobody was even in the same universe.

Old Gretzky was better than just about everyone else. Prime Gretzky was on an island, alone.

He’s was amazing his good scoring but his passes were even better made everyone better

It was funny to hear my dad talk about Gretzky, he had season tickets to blackhawks games from 84-94 and it was crazy to me how much he used to hate him back then. Oilers always ended up meeting the hawks and next thing ya know they’re Eliminated by the Oilers. Afterwards he definitely grew an admiration and respect for Gretzky, he found himself lucky he got to see the great one play as much as he did.

Correction: In his second season he scored 55 goals and 109 assists with a total of 164 points. It was in his third season he scored 92 goals and 120 assists and totalling 212 points.

One more season he would have reached two significant milestones: 900 goals and 2000 assists.

100 assists in a season has only been done 14 times in NHL history 11 of those by A prime Gretzky so i would say he was damn good in his Prime.

My favorite moment is after accepting the Cup, he gave it straight to Smith to get the party started. Smith took a lot of heat from the press that year. Great leader.

The Hockey Vault needs to do a video on PRIME Bobby Orr!!! To me, Orr is the absolute GOAT of hockey! Dominated on defense, dominated on assists and dominated on goals all in the same season!! While players dove at his knee for the only way to slow him down! Orr did it all! He even fought like a champ and was never afraid to throw punches with the best of them!

He was so good that the year he scored 92 goals only 9 other guys in the league even had 50, a league of 500 guys…he was so good he’s the only guy age 35-36 to get 100 points and that was during the low scoring trap league years that allowed hooking and holding.

His parents lived 10 houses away from me. All amazing and gamble beyond your imagination. They never bragged. My dad knew Walt for approx 5 years and Walt never once brought it up. I had to tell my dad who he was

He scored 92 goals in his third season in the NHL, not his second. And he was 18 when he debuted in the league, not 17.

So good that he doesnt need goals to be the all-time point leader.

I was lucky enough to watch a lot of the oilers dynasty games at the coliseum as a kid. Didn’t know what I was actually watching at the time!

My favorite moment and I believe his best skill was his skating. I don't remember the particular game or who the Oilers were playing, but I remember they were shorthanded by 2. Gretz went out on shift, intercepted a pass and proceeded to evade the opposing team and kill both penalties single-handed! He just kept stickhandling the puck, and weaving back, back, back and then forward - often between the attacker's legs, evading him all the way back to center ice, then starting all over again. He never used the same pattern twice and always evaded the attackers - they could never catch him or even lay a glove on him! He had an awareness of his surroundings that nobody could match, then, before, or since.

Man I would have loved to have seen him stay with the Blues for at least a year. He and Brett Hull would have been a great combo. 4/20/24, 8:23 p.m.

Strange.. almost every thing he said about him was the same way Tom Brady was. Elevated his team, controlled the game, etc..

I’ll never sell my Gretzky Rookie card… Legend

Love that Gretzky only agreed to be traded to LA if Marty McSorely went as well 🔥 No bodyguard, no trade 🔥

Gretzky was so good and dominant that when at his prime my friends and I were doing a playoff pool Gretzky could Not be picked because it was unfair if you were not the first to pick!

Look at the all-time point totals of all players to ever play. Gretzky is in a league of his own, nobody even remotely close. What is the spread, like 800 or more points? It's insane.

That's my cousin that doesn't know I exist lol. Truest 🐐 of 🐐

Him and Eric Lindros were the best to ever do it. Had it not been for Eric’s brutal career destroying concussion(s) season it would have been an interesting GOAT debate!! But it wasn’t meant to be, Gretzky is the undisputed GOAT.

I was an actor in 1993 and Wayne Gretzky had a video game out called everyone's Gretzky. I just happen to be 510 175 pounds like him so I was at the photo shoot and he came up behind me and asked me if all this equipment was mine and I just I froze I said I can't believe the great one is actually speaking to me

No Mark Messier video? You guys really need to get on that. First player to do a video on who completely exemplifies hockey is Mark Messier, Then Gordie Howe and finally Gretzky.

If he played today, in his prime, 200 points, every season

He is called "the great one"enough said.there was a huge gap in skill during his time.17 year old kid dominating the game. His records will never be broken because the NHL now is on a level playing field.if you look side by though the game is so much faster than the 80's and 90's.210 points in a season will not be broken.the back of the net is still called Gretzky's office.gretzky was not the best overall player.he was to small to play physical and that is part of the game.if you even attempted to hit him you would be met with 3 enforcers looking to put you out of the game.i would love to see his trophy room.the day after he retired he was driven to the NHL hall of fame.