Wayne Gretzky

[Zucc36]

Where do you think he would be in points if he played today? I don´t think his stats would be possible in today´s hockey (not taking anything away from him, he is for sure the greatest of all time)

 

[NYRKindms]

Where do you think he would be in points if he played today? I don´t think his stats would be possible in today´s hockey (not taking anything away from him, he is for sure the greatest of all time)

He put up the points he did on the rangers in modern hockey, with clutch and grab, no 2 lines passes at the end of his career etc I don't think he would really have trouble all things considered. He would also have the benefits of all the modern EQ and training. Add to that all the powerplay time he would get from all the soft holding calls etc we see today.

people who didnt see him play just dont understand how dominant he was.

 

[JanErixon20]

He put up the points he did on the rangers in modern hockey, with clutch and grab, no 2 lines passes at the end of his career etc I don't think he would really have trouble all things considered. He would also have the benefits of all the modern EQ and training. Add to that all the powerplay time he would get from all the soft holding calls etc we see today.

people who didnt see him play just dont understand how dominant he was.

There are some great Youtube videos of old, early/baby Oiler games that were crazy, like 11-9. They'd play games where they were losing 6-1 and come back and win 10-8.

 

[mrhockey193195]

Where do you think he would be in points if he played today? I don´t think his stats would be possible in today´s hockey (not taking anything away from him, he is for sure the greatest of all time)

Honestly? In his prime, he'd be hitting 150 EASILY. Gretzky as a 37 year old, in the dead puck era, with a destroyed back, and his best offensive teammates being a broken down Adam Graves and past-his-prime John Maclean, managed to score 90 points and was pacing with Forsberg, Kariya, Selanne in their primes.

There is no doubt in my mind that Gretz in his prime is scoring 150, 160, 170 points a season - even in the modern game.

 

[mrhockey193195]

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.

That Kovy for Shanahan deal reportedly included Richter for Joseph. Long term, Joseph had the better career, but up until 1998 I'd rather have Richter (though Joseph in STL is one of the most underrated goalies in my lifetime).

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

Honestly? In his prime, he'd be hitting 150 EASILY. Gretzky as a 37 year old, in the dead puck era, with a destroyed back, and his best offensive teammates being a broken down Adam Graves and past-his-prime John Maclean, managed to score 90 points and was pacing with Forsberg, Kariya, Selanne in their primes.

There is no doubt in my mind that Gretz in his prime is scoring 150, 160, 170 points a season - even in the modern game.

Yeah, I think he'd be scoring 130+ points a season at least.

 

[KOVALEV022473]

I'll never forget seeing a photo of Gretz from his Oilers days, three feet above the ice, parallel to the ice surface, almost as if he's flying, stick fully extended with the puck just leaving the blade, and those piercing blue eyes focused like a laser on an object out of view from the lens of the camera, but both, you and he knew right where that puck was going!

Does anyone else recall having seen this photo as well or information on where I might find it? It was probably the most amazing photo I've ever seen. Gretzky, in my opinion, is the greatest athlete of any sport, ever!

 

[vipernsx]

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.

Rangers are always a couple years too late on guys and have been doing it since the dawn of time.

They even manage to do it for guys that are on their team, i.e. Nedved & Kovalev.

 

[redfzn]

He was awesome in Los Angeles Kings aswell.

who?

 

[Brooklyn Ranger]

who?

The player being discussed in this thread.

 

[CharlestownChiefsESC]

That Kovy for Shanahan deal reportedly included Richter for Joseph. Long term, Joseph had the better career, but up until 1998 I'd rather have Richter (though Joseph in STL is one of the most underrated goalies in my lifetime).

I heard different, I heard it was Kovalev and Matteau for Shanahan.

 

[MSG*]

He was still great for us, especially in 96-97 playoffs he had 2 hat tricks (one incredibly memorable one against Florida and one against Philly). I also remember the game-winning goal he set up Robitaille for when Gretzky was in his office for like 10 seconds and waited for Robitaille to go all the back up near the blue line and come back and one-time a perfect pass home to win the game.

His vision, hockey IQ, and ability to anticipate where the puck was going to end up was second to none. I still haven't never seen anyone with that level of hockey IQ and amazing intuitive vision. He was truly a masterful player. I'm so grateful I had the privilege of watching him play.

Hard to take this post for real. Wayne is not just the best player but also a phenomenal person. As Canadians , Terry Fox and Wayne.

 

[CHGoalie27]

That Kovy for Shanahan deal reportedly included Richter for Joseph. Long term, Joseph had the better career, but up until 1998 I'd rather have Richter (though Joseph in STL is one of the most underrated goalies in my lifetime).

Up until 98? Even if Richter made the ASG with horrid D?
Didja miss his performance in the 2002 Olympics?

**** I dont take anyone but Hank over him in the clutch.

...though, it is a MF crime that Cujo aint in the Hall yet. Richter and Beezer too.

 

[KreiderHouseRules*]

Honestly? In his prime, he'd be hitting 150 EASILY. Gretzky as a 37 year old, in the dead puck era, with a destroyed back, and his best offensive teammates being a broken down Adam Graves and past-his-prime John Maclean, managed to score 90 points and was pacing with Forsberg, Kariya, Selanne in their primes.

There is no doubt in my mind that Gretz in his prime is scoring 150, 160, 170 points a season - even in the modern game.

Yup. 100%.

But it's an impossible question really. It's almost paradoxical, because you would never have Sidney Crosby or Patrick Kane without Gretzky coming before them.

Gretzky saw and thought the game at such a different level and in such a different, more intuitive and thoughtful way than anyone before him.

Without Crosby, Kane, etc growing up watching Gretzky (and Lemieux and the other greats), they never would've become what they are today.

Just like Lebron wouldn't be who he is it he didn't grow up watching Michael Jordan.

The all-time greats like Gretzky and Jordan actually change the game because they do things never tried or even thought of before. It forces defenders to try new things to combat it. It forces goalies to cut angles and it created a whole new generation of much more athletic goalies (although we now have BIG FAT GOALIE syndrome with guys like Bishop who just hope the puck hits their huge fat pads).

Every generation is built on the one before it. Connor McDavid wouldn't be who he is without Crosby before him, and Crosby the same without Gretzky.

I think Gretzky wouldn't be AS far ahead today but that's only because today's best players had the benefit of growing up watching and learning from HIM! So that's the paradox. If Gretzky hadn't been born until 1990, and assuming he still became who he is/was, he'd be dominating just as much if not more with today's more offensively-included rules (2-line pass, less physical/dirty, no clutch and grab), but Gretzky always said he modeled his game after guys like Bobby Clarke who liked to play behind the net and was great at knowing where the puck was GOING to be, but maybe if he grew up in a different era watching different players, he wouldn't have been the same: for better or worse, we'll never know.

All I can say for sure is that with his vision and hockey IQ, a prime Gretzky today would still be winning Art Ross's every year. And with the fitness, science and medicine of today, maybe he ends up being an even more physically dominant player or is able to play a few extra years. If his back wasn't so broken, he could've played a few more years at a near PPG pace IMO.

 

[KreiderHouseRules*]

Up until 98? Even if Richter made the ASG with horrid D?
Didja miss his performance in the 2002 Olympics?

**** I dont take anyone but Hank over him in the clutch.

...though, it is a MF crime that Cujo aint in the Hall yet. Richter and Beezer too.

Cujo isn't? Wtf?

He absolutely should be.

Richter is close, but my homer ass would vote yes.

Beezer is close also. Did he ever win a Cup? I don't think he did. He took a Panthers (the year of the rat) team with Mellanby to the SCF finals but they lost to COL in 4 games (still remember Uwe Krupp's point shot that snuck by to win The Cup).

CUJO should absolutely be in already though.

 

[fredrikstad]

I remember the first time I saw him play at MSG for the Oilers early in his career. Nothing much had happened, Rangers led 3-0 in the middle of the second period. I thought "what's all the fuss about this Gretzky?". Ten minutes three goals and two assists later, I knew.

For the Rangers, he was certainly well past his prime, but he was still a great player.

Had the privilege to see him live in Oslo,Norway back in 94? with "Ninety Nine All Stars Tour" during the 94/95 HL lockout.
For us Norwegian that was a famous rooster:
Goalies
Grant Fuhr
Kelly Hrudey
Defensemen
Rob Blake
Paul Coffey
Todd Gill
Charlie Huddy
Al MacInnis
Marty McSorley
Forwards
Pat Conacher
Russ Courtnall
Sergei Fedorov
Doug Gilmour
Tony Granato
Wayne Gretzky
Brett Hull
Jari Kurri
Steve Larmer
Mark Messier
Kirk Muller
Warren Rychel
Rick Tocchet
Steve Yzerman
Coaches
Doug Wilson (head coach)
Walter Gretzky (assistant coach)
They won 6-3 over a Norwegian all star team, I think former NHL players Espen Knutsen and Anders Myrvold played there.

 

[fredrikstad]

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.

But they also has much larger equipment now. I have to say I enjoyed the game more back in the 80`s and t the mid 90`s

World Championship with epic games with Sweden, Canada and The big Red Machine with Krutov, Larionov, Makarov - Kasatonov and the great Fetisov. Those guys and #99 got me into hockey And a honorable mention to Czechoslovakia. And Oilers with The Great One, Kurri and Tikkanen. Those where the days for me. Most of the time I had to settle for Norwegian hockey which was a different sport . What stood out the most for me, those where tough guys, not whining soccer players .

 

[fredrikstad]

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.

Me too

 

[ChrisKreider20]

I was very young when he played on the Rangers, but Gretzky is why I became a Rangers fan. I was 9 years old. My most vivid memory is him getting laid out in the playoffs against Philly.

So in the interest of fun...

 

[chosen]

Yup. 100%.

But it's an impossible question really. It's almost paradoxical, because you would never have Sidney Crosby or Patrick Kane without Gretzky coming before them.

By that logic, I could say that without Orr, there's no Gretzky, but it's a kind of silly way to analyze.

Orr remains by far the best I ever saw, with Gretzky second. Orr had every skill Gretzky had and he was an even better skater, and Orr was sometimes very physical.

 

[The Mouth]

Myself and Jim did an interviewed with him and way back in 2010. We talked about his time with the Rangers

Blueshirt Underground Radio

 

[sbjnyc]

This thread reminds me of when I was at a White Sox game in Chicago maybe 5 years ago. They had a stall where they were selling all sorts of memorablia, mostly chicago as you'd expect. But there was an enormous framed, signed photo of gretzky in his last game with the rangers.

I shouldn't have let the size of the thing or the logistical details of getting it back to my hotel, and then home to nyc prevent me from buying it.

 

[Captain Lindy]

Where do you think he would be in points if he played today? I don´t think his stats would be possible in today´s hockey (not taking anything away from him, he is for sure the greatest of all time)

Who knows..... but watching Gretzky do things behind the opponent's net was magic. He was so much fun to watch. I've never seen anyone who could do anything like he did.

P.S. Crosby can't carry Gretz' jock.

 

[One Winged Angel]

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.

I have a connection that's been in the Garden in a high up position for years and years and he said that if they had gotten Bure in 99, there was a chance that Gretzky would have reconsidered retiring.

 

[One Winged Angel]

Cujo isn't? Wtf?

He absolutely should be.

Richter is close, but my homer ass would vote yes.

Beezer is close also. Did he ever win a Cup? I don't think he did. He took a Panthers (the year of the rat) team with Mellanby to the SCF finals but they lost to COL in 4 games (still remember Uwe Krupp's point shot that snuck by to win The Cup).

CUJO should absolutely be in already though.

Cujo is 3rd or 4th all time in wins. How he isn't in there, I don't know.