Wayne Gretzky

[Baby Punisher]

Can anyone find the video when Gretz made the sickest assist of all time vs Nashville, when he banked the puck of the side of the net directly to the slot on purpose, I think he set up Kevin Stevens

I used to love when he would score from behind the net by playing the puck off the goalie. So demoralizing for a goalie to be scored on like that.

 

[Brooklyn Ranger]

Being able to watch him day in and day out was amazing. Gretzky knew where a player was going to be before that player knew and when there was no player around to pass to, he simply passed the puck to himself and scored. I had the pleasure of seeing him get assist 1850 and 1851 (passing it back to Ulfie Samuelsson who had no choice but to bury it) and also his last goal, which broke Gordie Howe's total.

I've only bought one player jersey, wore it only once. Won't wear it again until the Rangers play a game where the Stanley Cup is on the line.

 

[Eye of Ra]

Would the Gretzky version of 97 98 99 have a impact today?

 

[NickyFotiu]

Would the Gretzky version of 97 98 99 have a impact today?

Wayne of 97 would likely still be the best player on this Rangers team. Wayne in 99 was still a super smart player but was pushing his body through too much pain.

 

[Edge]

Never got so see Gretzky live considering I was born in '95 but man I feel blessed at the fact that he was a even a Ranger. Would've been cool to see

One of my favorite memories was seeing a game in 1997 against the Pens:

Gretzky, Messier, Leetch, Robitaille, Richter, Lemieux, Jagr, Francis.

Seeing all those players, live, in the same game was amazing.

 

[Edge]

Would the Gretzky version of 97 98 99 have a impact today?

Yes, especially the 97 and 98 versions.

Seeing Gretzky live was a surreal experience, because he wasn't the type that caught your eye. He wasn't the biggest, fastest, or flashiest.

He just saw the ice like no one else. It was almost like the game moved in slow motion for him.

 

[EEDAWGZ]

I'm pretty sure he did this multiple times, one vivid memory for sure is setting up Sundstrom this way against the Devils.

JD's reaction was priceless that game though , I think it was Nashville's first season

"I don't think these people realized what they just saw "-JD

 

[EEDAWGZ]

I used to love when he would score from behind the net by playing the puck off the goalie. So demoralizing for a goalie to be scored on like that.

Hell yea , His office

 

[Baby Punisher]

I remember watching a game with my Father back when the Rangers were really struggling to get into the playoffs post Messier. My Pop's said Gretzky has to stop passing. The guys around him can't finish, they can't handle his passes. You have the greatest goal scorer playing on for you and he is always passing.
Later that game Gretzky buried I mean buried a huge slap shot 5 hole. My Father said there you go Wayne, you could be your own best finisher.

 

[vipernsx]

Gretzky could be skating in any direction and move the puck in any direction around him and it would be a perfect tape to tape pass.

There was one game, he was setup behind the net looking around all the passing lanes were covered, he glances down at the base of the net, looks up around the ice, looks of the pass then passed the puck to a player (i forget who) by bouncing it off the base of the net....in for a goal! You just simply couldn't stop him from distributing the puck.

He was getting older with the Rangers and the only knock I could give him was he was starting to slow down. He used to fly into the zone with speed, backing up the defenders, then spin just inside the blueline and make a play. As he slowed and tried this with his time on the Rangers, often the defender would maintain gap and tight check him leading to a turnover.

 

[Allan92]

check out the goal from 8:00 to 8:14

a perfect example of what made Gretzky so great

everything is there, his vision, positioning and totally unselfish finish

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S90W17tyERg

 

[Allan92]

Shame I never got to see him at his peak in Edmonton, it must have been insane watching him break all those records week after week

 

[rangerlp]

Gretsky was one of those rare players that when you saw him, he would do something you had never seen before...on a game-to-game basis. He was that special, even when he was with us.

 

[Crease]

Gretzky led the Rangers in points all three seasons he was here. By 15%, 45%, and 13% respectively.

Gretzky was far and away the Rangers best skater in the 1997 playoffs. He outscored the second best Ranger by 67%. He finished tied for 7th in scoring in the playoffs despite not reaching the finals. This is a snapshot of the point leaderboard at the end of the 3rd round when the Rangers were eliminated:

Player | Age | GP | G | A | P
Sakic | 27 | 17 | 8 | 17 | 25
Lindros | 23 | 15 | 11 | 12 | 23
Lemieux | 31 | 17 | 13 | 10 | 23
Kamensky | 30 | 17 | 8 | 14 | 22
Gretzky | 36 | 15 | 10 | 10 | 20
Leclair | 27 | 15 | 7 | 11 | 18
Brind'Amour | 26 | 15 | 10 | 7 | 17
Fedorov | 27 | 16 | 5 | 9 | 14

Leclair and Brind'Amour leapfrogged Gretzky during the finals. Fedorov finished tied with him.

Even with a broken back and tired legs, Gretzky stood out in Rangers' franchise history. Now think how good he was in his prime...

 

[Eye of Ra]

Shame I never got to see him at his peak in Edmonton, it must have been insane watching him break all those records week after week

He was awesome in Los Angeles Kings aswell.

 

[Edge]

Shame I never got to see him at his peak in Edmonton, it must have been insane watching him break all those records week after week

Watching 80s hockey in general feels like watching a video game compared to today's product.

You had second line players popping in 35 goals and 90 points in those days.

 

[Baby Punisher]

Watching 80s hockey in general feels like watching a video game compared to today's product.

You had second line players popping in 35 goals and 90 points in those days.

Don't forget that was all with the red line and two line passing. The game still had flow. Guys weren't as big as they are today. The equipment was different and last but not least, no trap, no left wing lock. The game had flow.

 

[CHGoalie27]

Man could you guys imagine if we got Bure a couple years earlier??? I woulda bet my nuts he wouldve gotten Bure to hit triple digits in the G column.

Hell, just goin down to watch the warmups in 96-97 was unreal. All the names...Kovy dont go down, we might not have either.

 

[CharlestownChiefsESC]

Man could you guys imagine if we got Bure a couple years earlier??? I woulda bet my nuts he wouldve gotten Bure to hit triple digits in the G column.

Hell, just goin down to watch the warmups in 96-97 was unreal. All the names...Kovy dont go down, we might not have either.

Still makes me wish they pulled the trigger on the Kovy for Shanahan deal, can you imagine Gretzky and Shanahan together. If we would have done that, kept Verbeek, and pulled the trigger on the Schneider for Karpotsev deal 2 years earlier we might be here talking about 2 cups in the 90s instead of 1.

 

[Edge]

Don't forget that was all with the red line and two line passing. The game still had flow. Guys weren't as big as they are today. The equipment was different and last but not least, no trap, no left wing lock. The game had flow.

All true, though I would also add that the game looks pretty sloppy by today's standards --- especially the goalies. Some of it's equipment, some size, and some technique. But it's night and day to watch.

With that said, for the reasons you mentioned, I am one of those people who advocates for larger nets.

 

[Inferno]

All true, though I would also add that the game looks pretty sloppy by today's standards --- especially the goalies. Some of it's equipment, some size, and some technique. But it's night and day to watch.

With that said, for the reasons you mentioned, I am one of those people who advocates for larger nets.

blech.

im really fine with the way things are..im not a fan of the 9-7 hockey games, i prefer mroe 3-2 type games.

i think goals should be a rarity, it shouldnt be something that happens every few minutes.

 

[Edge]

blech.

im really fine with the way things are..im not a fan of the 9-7 hockey games, i prefer mroe 3-2 type games.

i think goals should be a rarity, it shouldnt be something that happens every few minutes.

I'd probably say my preference is to split the difference. I'd say 1992-96 was the sweet spot for me.

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

I remember Gretzky playing with Niklas Sundstrom a lot and Nicklas was a good player and very good defensively but he was kind of like Jesper Fast when it came to offense---he couldn't get the puck on net. Wayne would be setting him up all the time and Nicklas was muffing shots or his timing would be all off and he'd miss it completely or he wouldn't see the play happening.

Better wingers and Gretzky would have put up even more points.

On the subject of grit and physicality---that wasn't something that Gretzky ever did. He did do his share of whining about calls etc.

Who cares?

 

[Inferno]

I'd probably say my preference is to split the difference. I'd say 1992-96 was the sweet spot for me.

i dunno..when i re-watch the 94 series all I could think of was how much holding, hooking, etc there was...it was obscene the amount of obstruction that went on.

i think there was more scoring then because goalies sucked more then. there are only a handful of teams with crap goalies now...for the most part every team has at least 1 goalie better than any goalie on 80% of the teams back then.

 

[Baby Punisher]

All true, though I would also add that the game looks pretty sloppy by today's standards --- especially the goalies. Some of it's equipment, some size, and some technique. But it's night and day to watch.

With that said, for the reasons you mentioned, I am one of those people who advocates for larger nets.

I forgot to mention the table cloth like jerseys the goalies wore. Gretzky was quoted as saying that some these guys are wearing jerseys so big it was like shooting in to a curtain.

Defensemen in general weren't very mobile. Guys like Buke, Samuleson, Pilon weren't great skaters or passers. They were stay at home savage defensemen that would maul anyone who crossed the blue line or dared stay in front of the net. I miss that part of the era.