It seems only natural that No. 99 -- the Great One -- would bow out gracefully from the National Hockey League in 1999, his legendary number retired with the man who revolutionized the game and popularized it in America.
There will never be another Wayne Gretzky. His gentlemanly, artistic skills helped lead hockey out of Canada to points south. He became a household name in the United States, even among those who wouldn't recognize a slap shot if a knuckle puck hit them in the teeth.OK, so the knuckle puck bit is out of Disney's "Mighty Ducks," but that's the point. The move toward mainstream acceptance of hockey and big-money support -- including vast expansion into the United States by the NHL -- is largely attributable to Gretzky. A game once confined to the frozen north, or at least the Northeastern United States, has spread to places like Florida, Nashville, Dallas, Phoenix and Southern California. The Great One deserves much of the credit.
He was artistry on ice, a gentleman in a rough sport and a dignified ambassador for hockey everywhere he went. Having played from age 2 with his father on a frozen river, the game was his life. But he balanced it with a successful family and good citizenship. The only other players considered his peers on skates are the legendary Gordie Howe and Bobby Orr.
It is not only Gretzky's record-setting numbers -- 894 goals, 1,963 assists, 2,857 points and four Stanley Cup championships -- that made fans marvel, it was his remarkable talent and fluid style that made the game look so easy.
Stepping aside at age 38, he established a scoring benchmark that may never be broken. Gretzky set 61 league records and is the only player to score 200 points (goals and assists) in a season. He did it four times.
Skating amid ruffians, his lightning-fast, ballet-like approach encouraged emulation and helped remove the excessive emphasis on fighting from the early NHL days.
Gretzky dominated his sport perhaps more than any other athlete. As NHL commissioner Gary Bettman noted, "He is Babe Ruth, Michael Jordan and Muhammad Ali all rolled into one."
His legacy includes ice rinks and expansion franchises and many thousands of American kids on skates. He is the Great One -- an original class act.