There’s always one guy that redefines his sport; someone who will never be duplicated. Players of that skill level may come along, but no one will have that special something that he possessed. No one else will have that “it” factor. When someone says basketball you automatically think Michael Jordan a.k.a. “His Airness,” or when someone mentions golf Tiger Woods immediately stands out to you. Hockey also has a player of that caliber; Wayne Gretzky, The Great One.

Gretzky was born to be on the ice. At 2-years-old he skated on the farm of his grandparents in Canning, Ontario, Canada. At 6 he was playing in a league with 10-year-old boys and dominating.

In Gretzky’s first NHL season in 1979-80, playing for the Edmonton Oilers, received the Hart Memorial Trophy, which is the league’s Most Valuable Player award. He would continue to win the Hart Memorial Trophy for the next seven years in a row proving he was the best player in National Hockey League.

Gretzky was a team leader in every way possible. He made everyone around him better, leading the Edmonton Oilers to Stanley Cup victories in 1984, 1985, 1987 and 1988. He could lead the team with his scoring, assist others for goals or control the pace of play. Gretzky was the epitome of what a perfect hockey player looked like. He was a leader but soft-spoken. He led by example.

Gretzky holds or shares an astounding 61 NHL records. Most notably he holds the all-time record for most points in a career with 2,856 (894 goals, 1,962 assists).

There will never again be another Wayne Gretzky. There are some outstanding players in the NHL right now like Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, but the level of play Gretzky exhibited and his consistency of that caliber will not be matched by anyone. That’s why they call him The Great One.