Add Springfield to the list of places where Wayne Gretzky has starred.
The leading scorer in NHL history, who played in Edmonton, Los Angeles, St. Louis and New York, will appear on the Dec. 11 episode of "The Simpsons." As Homer Simpson's boss Mr. Burns would say, "Excellent."
"We reached out to him," said Al Jean, who has been an executive producer of the show since 1998. "We were looking for heroes of the winter like Santa Claus and Jack Frost, and there couldn't be a bigger hockey hero than Wayne Gretzky."
Gretzky, the NHL leader in goals (894) assists (1,963) and points (2,857), played for 21 seasons with the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers from 1979-99.
"People argue about a lot of things, but they never argue about who's the greatest hockey player. It's always him," Jean said of Gretzky, who recorded his part this summer. "I don't think there is anybody better at anything that Gretzky is as a hockey player. He had a lot of great stories and it was a real pleasure to meet him."
Pre-Game Talk: Oilers vs. Canucks - time to make Vancouver rainier than usual
Post-Series Talk: Boston Bruins Defeat Toronto Maple Leafs (win 4-3)
