The Coyotes were in the process of being sold and Ellman convinced Gretzky to come on board, averting a potential move to Portland, Oregon.

After a memorable check by long-time Kings defenceman Mark Hardy on Montreal's Mike Keane, the Kings fired back to tie the game in the second period on goals by Robitaille, Tony Granato, and Gretzky.

On the advice of his agent, Gretzky picked Edmonton, but the move was not that simple.

Gretzky rejected a three-year deal worth $ 15 million with the Blues, and on July 22, he signed with the New York Rangers as a free agent, rejoining longtime Oilers teammate Mark Messier for a two-year $ 8 million ( plus incentives ) contract.

After the 1996 – 97 season, Mark Messier signed a free agent contract with the Vancouver Canucks, ending the brief reunion of Messier and Gretzky after just one season.

Gretzky had converted his personal services contract with Pocklington into a standard five-year player's contract with the Oilers in the summer of 1987 with an option to declare himself an unrestricted free agent after the 1988 – 89 season.

Although public sentiment sided with Messier, as he led the team to two first-place regular season finishes and the Stanley Cup, General Manager Neil Smith figured out that he had Gretzky and Pat LaFontaine as top centermen, and he came close to signing Joe Sakic from the Colorado Avalanche At 36 years old, Messier signed with the Vancouver Canucks to a high-priced free agent contract, where he would be reunited with Mike Keenan, who was the Rangers ' head coach in 1994, who would be hired as the Canucks ' general manager and head coach early in the 1997 – 98 season.

* Mike Barnett, Former NHL player agent ( represented Wayne Gretzky ), Former GM of the Phoenix Coyotes ( 2002 – 2007 ).

Skalbania offered to play a game of backgammon with Winnipeg owner Michael Gobuty, the stakes being if Gobuty won, he would get Gretzky and if he lost, he had to give Skalbania a share of the Jets.

But Gretzky himself dispelled the rumor at the end of one grueling season with the Edmonton Oilers, in which he had suffered a mild concussion as a result of what writer Michael Benson called a " cheap shot " from Winnipeg Jets star centre Dale Hawerchuk.

In a poll of sports fans conducted by ABC Sports, Thorpe was voted the Greatest Athlete of the Twentieth Century out of 15 other athletes including Muhammad Ali, Babe Ruth, Jesse Owens, Wayne Gretzky, Jack Nicklaus, and Michael Jordan.

Some are known from their accomplishments in sports, including Peyton Manning, Lebron James, Deion Sanders, Michael Phelps, Derek Jeter, Wayne Gretzky and Tom Brady.

* Jarrett is an avid golfer and has a 2 handicap in golf and in 2003 was once featured in a commercial with Phil Mickelson, Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky where they were golfing at Doral Golf Resort & Spa.

He also brought in skill players such as, Jim Duhart, who led the UHL in scoring the previous season, former National Hockey League ( NHL ) player Brent Gretzky, and Michael Rupp, who played for the team during the 2004 – 05 NHL lockout.

In its first year, Quite Frankly guests included Senator John McCain, President Jimmy Carter, Tim Wise, Allen Iverson ( the show's first guest, appearing for an hour-long interview ), Shaquille O ' Neal & Deion Sanders ( who are the only two guests to have appeared three times ), Kobe Bryant, Pete Rose, Wayne Gretzky, Donald Trump, Lawrence Taylor, Michael Strahan, John Thorn, and Jerry Bruckheimer.

Gretzky informed McNall that his prerequisites for a deal to take place were that Marty McSorley and Mike Krushelnyski join him as teammates in Los Angeles.

After the Cup-clinching game, Gretzky implored his teammates, coaches, trainers, and others from the Oilers organization to join at centre ice for an impromptu team photo with the Stanley Cup.

On May 1, 2007, the Staples Center sports arena announced that a bronze statue of Oscar De La Hoya would join similar tributes to Los Angeles sports stars Magic Johnson and Wayne Gretzky at Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles.

This jersey was also a basis for the uniforms worn by Wayne Gretzky's team of NHLPA All-Stars, nicknamed the " 99ers ", for their exhibition tour in Europe during the 1994 – 95 NHL lockout ; a picture of Gretzky in this jersey was used for the cover art of a video game bearing his name.

Gretzky became executive director for the Canadian national men's hockey team during the 2002 Winter Olympics, in which the team won a gold medal.

Gretzky's first team, at age six, was a team of ten-year-olds, starting a pattern where Gretzky always played at a level far above his peers through his minor hockey years.

Marie Greyhounds selected Gretzky, even though Walter Gretzky had told the team that Wayne would not move to Sault Ste.

Gretzky, goaltender Eddie Mio and forward Peter Driscoll were put on a private plane, not knowing where they would land and what team they would be joining.

The Oilers were a young, strong team featuring, in addition to Gretzky, future Hall of Famers including forwards Mark Messier, Glenn Anderson and Jari Kurri, defenceman Paul Coffey, and goaltender Grant Fuhr.

Two hours after the Oilers won the Stanley Cup in 1988, Gretzky learned from his father that the Oilers were planning to deal him to another team.

Gretzky was sidelined for much of the 1992 – 93 regular season with an upper back injury, the only year in which he did not lead his team in scoring.

After winning the first game of the series by a score of 4 – 1, the team lost the next three games in overtime, and then fell 4 – 1 in the deciding fifth game where Gretzky failed to get a shot on net.

The next season, Gretzky broke Gordie Howe's career goal-scoring record and won the scoring title, but the team began a long slide, and despite numerous player and coaching moves, they failed to qualify for the playoffs again until 1998.

Long before then, running out of time and looking for a team with which he could win again, Gretzky had been traded from the Kings at his request.

Gretzky ended his professional playing career with the New York Rangers, where he played his final three seasons and helped the team reach the Eastern Conference Finals in 1997.

Gretzky made his first international appearance as a member of the Canadian national junior team at the 1978 World Junior Championships in Montreal, Quebec.

Gretzky debuted with the Team Canada's men's team at the 1981 Canada Cup.

In 2005, rumors began regarding Gretzky becoming the head coach of the team, but were denied by Gretzky and the Coyotes.

Bidders for the club had indicated that Gretzky would no longer be associated with the team after it emerged from bankruptcy, and on September 24, 2009, Gretzky stepped down as head coach and head of hockey operations of the Coyotes.

Gretzky was Executive Director of the Canadian men's hockey team at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Gretzky again acted as Executive Director of Canada's men's hockey team at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, though not with the success of 2002 ; the team was eliminated in the quarterfinals and failed to win a medal.

In addition to being its greatest scorer, Gretzky was the most gentlemanly superstar in the modern history of the NHL.

Gretzky was its captain from 1983 – 88.

Also in Edmonton, the local transit authority assigned a rush-hour bus route numbered No. 99 which also runs on Wayne Gretzky Drive for its commute.

Brantford further inducted Gretzky in to its " Walk of Fame " in 2004.

He also oversaw the city's recovery after 1987's Edmonton Tornado and expressed the city's sadness over the Edmonton Oilers ' trading Wayne Gretzky ( the hockey team had won its first four Stanley Cups during Decore's time as mayor ).

Skechers makes an effort to maintain a trendy and stylish brand image by using celebrity-driven advertising, and has promoted its product with singers Brandy, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, The Black Eyed Peas, Ashlee Simpson, Carrie Underwood and David Cook ; actors Robert Downey Jr., Rob Lowe and Matt Dillon ; athletes Joe Montana, Karl Malone, Rick Fox and Wayne Gretzky ; and TV personalities Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner and Brooke Burke.