Gretzky Over Rated

[zumpano21]

Gretzky had some faults for sure, the most glaring of which is not asking for more cash in an era where the owners bled the players dry and Gretzky was the gold standard salary.

But one thing no one has mentioned yet is that Gretzky was the SMARTEST player ever. Period. No questions asked. Lemieux was more talented. Richard had more drive. Messier was a better leader. No arguments there, it's just a question of what you value in a player.

One of the best sport books I have ever read was Gretzky's autobiography written with Rick Reilly. There's one chapter in there that will blow your mind and give you insight into why he was so successful on the ice.

[jetsniper]

You know that Alex Rodriguez will sign a contract in the coming weeks for $25-$30 million a year right??

The NHL's pretty reasonable when you look at the Big 4 for average salary actually. NBA's is 5 mil, MLB is 3 mil while NHL is down at 1.7 with the NFL at a meager 1.1

[JoeLassister]

You know that Alex Rodriguez will sign a contract in the coming weeks for $25-$30 million a year right??

yeah but baseball teams play like 80 home games with 30 000 places stadiums... and I heard a part of his salary will be in team parts.

[Pierre the Great]

There is no way you could convince me that Wayne Gretzky's collective effect on the NHL is negative. Given, the fact that he went to a big U.S. market is destined to irritate a lot of Canadian "traditionalists," you're letting that cloud your view. Without #99, hockey is somewhere between bowling and Soccer in popularity, never gets an ESPN contract in the first place (and they'll return to ESPN), and remains a niche sport played in 15 different pro/semi-pro leagues across Canada.

San Jose

Anaheim

Phoenix - Winnipeg

Atlanta (second time)

Raleigh - Hartford

Florida

Tampa

Columbus

Nashville

All those teams are only in existence because "the great one" went to Hollywood.

His move was not good for the NHL.

If he hadn't of gone to LA the NHL would be better off.

[ch_nl]

"Hey look at me Im Gretzky"

I wonder how many time that phrase has been uttered in ponds in Canada, USA. Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Finland and Switzerland.

I wonder how many kids wanted to play hockey after have seen Wayne Gretzky score a goal. In Edmonton and in LA.

I wonder why kids in Europe today thinks that Lord Stanleys cup is more valuable than the World Championships.

I wonder when the NHL became the whole worlds leauge.

I wonder if anybody in Canada will ever realize why Gretzky is larger than both Orr and Super Mario.

[markierung]

before Gretzky got to the NHL, the league was widely considered the best in the world. This was mainly due to the 1972 summite series win. It's not because of him that the NHL got popular around the world. The most popular team in Russia was the Habs.

And about the comment on A-Rod, i was trying to say that NHL players are the best paid hockey players in the world, not athletes. They were still the best paid athletes b4 Gretzky got there and Europeans were flocking to the NHL long before he arrived

"Hey look at me Im Gretzky"

I wonder how many time that phrase has been uttered in ponds in Canada, USA. Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Finland and Switzerland.

I wonder how many kids wanted to play hockey after have seen Wayne Gretzky score a goal. In Edmonton and in LA.

I wonder why kids in Europe today thinks that Lord Stanleys cup is more valuable than the World Championships.

I wonder when the NHL became the whole worlds leauge.

I wonder if anybody in Canada will ever realize why Gretzky is larger than both Orr and Super Mario.

I know that in Quebec, lots of kids wanted to be Richard. In pensilvania, they wanted to be Mario. In the 1970's people wanted to be Bobby Orr.

[brobin]

I personally think Gretsky is the greatest, and better then Orr.

Orr was not the first offensive defenseman in the league, but he was the best at the time. I would probably rate him 2nd or 3rd. Orr didn't change the position anymore they guys like Roy changed goaltending, for example.

I watched Gretzky play and he was unbelievable. He was light years a head of anyone around him, including Messier. (Messier was a great leader for sure, but on balance, he was no Gretzky). Gretzky only has one season where he failed to score over a point a game, including through the 90s on some horrible teams.

Gretzky changed the way the game was played so much their put in rules to contain him and refer to behind the net as "Gretzky's office".

Some people say things like "if Mario had played as long" or "if Orr could have played as long". The fact is, they didn't. Perhaps they had the potential, but they couldn't adapt their style to allow their bodies to keep up with them. Gretzky changes from a pure goal scorer to a visionary setup man. He was a flea weight guy who managed to stay reasonable healthy even though he was a target for years. He got hooked all over the place. He was held. He was obstructed.

Sure, he had protection so people didn't fight him, but the real reason you couldn't hit him was he was crafty. He knew where people were and where the hits were coming from, so he could avoid them. It was not for a lack of trying.

What is really scary is that Gretzky sacrificed his stats for the marketing of the game in the US. Can you imagine what his stats would be if he could have stated in Edmonton, or gone to Detroit in the early 90s? Yikes.

[markierung]

I personally think Gretsky is the greatest, and better then Orr.

Orr was not the first offensive defenseman in the league, but he was the best at the time. I would probably rate him 2nd or 3rd. Orr didn't change the position anymore they guys like Roy changed goaltending, for example.

But Roy and Orr did change the game completely. It's because of Orr that defensemen are now expected to produce offensively. Roy basically revolutionized goal tending by perfecting the butterfly. It's because of Roy that goalies now rely more on positioning than being big and making miraculous saves.

I agree completely that Gretzky was amazing and that his point totals are riduculously impressive.

But why is Richard today not credited as being the greatest of all time when in his day, he set ALL the records while having to deal with people swinging sticks at his head. I know Gretzky was crafty and had great vision, but don't tell me he was so good that he could avoid being slashed in the head.

[markierung]

And once again, i can't stress it enough that i trully beleive that Gretzky played his prime years in an Era where the NHL goalies were far less talented in relation to offensive players than at any point in history. He played in an era where the curved stick and better skates were introduced while goalies still had to play with relatively small equipment.

When guys like Richard played, the playing feild was more level because the sticks we flat, and the skates were all crap. Today, i think the goalies have the advantage with ridiculously huge equipment. This is why I belive that 50 goals in the 1950's and 50 goals in the year 2007 are far superior to 50 goals in the 1980's.

[Mont Royale]

San Jose

Anaheim

Phoenix - Winnipeg

Atlanta (second time)

Raleigh - Hartford

Florida

Tampa

Columbus

Nashville

All those teams are only in existence because "the great one" went to Hollywood.

His move was not good for the NHL.

If he hadn't of gone to LA the NHL would be better off.

Let's keep in mind that his move to LA was not voluntary. But even if it had been, yes, shame on him for trying to increase the popularity of the game!

[markierung]

Stating the mistake of Gretzky going to LA is not a means of demonizing him for trying to make the game popular, the statements were simply to make a point that he did do more harm by going to LA than good, even if his intentions were good.

[Fanpuck33]

When guys like Richard played, the playing feild was more level because the sticks we flat, and the skates were all crap.

And the goalie equipment was small and the goalies were just starting to use masks. Goalies almost never went down on their knees to make saves, they played goalie standing up. The game has come a long way, but not only for the scorers.

Gretzky is the best purely offensive player to play the game. Howe and Lemieux both had size and strength on their side, attributes that aided them a lot in terms of winning one-on-one battles and getting into great positions to score. I would call both better all-around hockey players. But when it comes to creating offense, Gretzky is the best. His vision and anticipation were far superior to anyone else's. He truly did make players around him better, basically because he knew what they were going to do before they did. If you've ever heard some of his teammates interviewed, they are the first to say this. He had an innate understanding of the offensive game that simply cannot be explained.

That innate understanding, however, is one reason I think he is a poor head coach. Hockey came very naturally for him. He never needed the x's and o's to be successful. I think this is true for a lot of star players who become poor coaches in sports. Things came so naturally to them that they are unable explain what they know, because they never really had to learn it themselves. Most former players who become good coaches are the ones whose success came through hard work and knowing the game inside and out, guys who couldn't rely just on innate ability.

[jetsniper]

Stating the mistake of Gretzky going to LA is not a means of demonizing him for trying to make the game popular, the statements were simply to make a point that he did do more harm by going to LA than good, even if his intentions were good.

What intentions?

Gretzky didn't have any say in the matter, Pocklington decided he was going to be a cheap a-hole and sold Gretz off to the highest bidder. All Gretzky did was earn his paycheque. You guys make it sound like he went to management and told them he wanted out of Edmonton.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Gretzky/gretzky_janet_speaks.html

Pocklington forced him out of Edmonton. You want to place the blame of harming the game on someone, put it on Peter Pocklington.

[Fanpuck33]

What intentions?

Gretzky didn't have any say in the matter, Pocklington decided he was going to be a cheap a-hole and sold Gretz off to the highest bidder. All Gretzky did was earn his paycheque. You guys make it sound like he went to management and told them he wanted out of Edmonton.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Gretzky/gretzky_janet_speaks.html

Pocklington forced him out of Edmonton. You want to place the blame of harming the game on someone, put it on Peter Pocklington.

Interesting, I'd never heard any other side of the story.

[Mils]

San Jose

Anaheim

Phoenix - Winnipeg

Atlanta (second time)

Raleigh - Hartford

Florida

Tampa

Columbus

Nashville

All those teams are only in existence because "the great one" went to Hollywood.

His move was not good for the NHL.

If he hadn't of gone to LA the NHL would be better off.

You're confusing your opinion with fact.... again. Surprise surprise.

Just because you sit wherever you are and foster a bias that says, "Any place with sunshine and decently attractive women doesn't deserve a hockey team," doesn't have any bearing on whether Wayne Gretzky was responsible for expansion, or whether expansion was good or bad for the NHL.

Wayne Gretzky was not the only factor in expansion. Indeed, I would argue he wasn't even the biggest factor. Here's why:

1.) The 1994 New York Rangers, and the 1995 New Jersey Devils were largely responsible for drawing American interest to hockey. The "cursed" 1994 New York Rangers won the stanley cup amid a ton of fanfare, a "guarantee," and a glut of media attention, simply because they were in New York. New Jersey is New York, just smaller and stinkier, for all intents and purposes.

2.) Sports Illustrated, in a column that I don't have the time or the energy to look up, said in 1994 that hockey would become bigger than basketball in the next 5 years. While this never happened, it woke up a lot of American viewers to check it out. Once they saw the ticket prices, and the quality of play from 1995-2004 (the period of Bettman's expansion and the neutral zone trap), though, they went back to sleep on the subject.

3.) Canadian Fans Yes you, Canadian hockey fans, particularly in Quebec and Winnipeg, are responsible for the proliferation of hockey in the United States because you wouldn't go out and support your teams. Both teams left because they had no money, and the fans in Phoenix and Colorado were willing to spend on tickets, players (Colorado, at least), and new arenas (Pepsi Center and Glendale Arena). If you had gone to see the teams play, they'd still be there. The Nordiques described their own situation as a "financial hell" during the press conference where the sale to Denver based Ascent Sports was announced. Money comes from sponsors and the fans. Y'all can complain and whine and all of that about how horrible it is that your teams moved away, but it's your own fault. Take responsiblity. If the fans in Nashville can mobilize and save their team, then what was your problem? (And the Canadian Dollar is a weak excuse.)

4.) The Biggest Reason: Bettman There was no expansion during the 1980s. The early 90s, pre-Bettman saw some expansion into non-conventional hockey markets and Ottawa, but it was limited. Gary Bettman took the helm of the NHL on Feb. 1, 1993 (Wikipedia). This was after San Jose, Ottawa, and Tampa Bay were already established. Florida and Anaheim were on their way, Hartford, Quebec, Minnesota, and Winnipeg all had teams. Bettman makes no secret of the fact that he wanted to, and still wants to expand aggressively, expecially into non-traditional markets. Under his reign, Winnipeg and Quebec moved to Phoenix and Colorado, Hartford moved to Carolina, and the North Stars were in transition to Dallas. The Blue Jackets, Thrashers, Predators, and Wild have all been added since then, and Bettman wants to add 2 more. Bettman is the guy to be angry at (and yes, PTG, we all know you are in fact angry at him). Bettman wanted teams in non-traditional markets, and did nothing to try and steer the Nordiques and Jets into other Canadian markets rather than Phoenix and Denver.

Gretzky may have helped bring hockey to the American consciousness, but it's important to remember that there were already teams in the U.S., particularly in Sourthern California (Kings and Golden Seals) before Gretzky even played for the Indianapolis Racers. To blame Gretzky for expansion is misplaced because he came after hockey was already in Southern California.

Although I agree, as a fan, that expansion makes the game less enjoyable to follow, expansion is not categorically "bad." **That's another one of those fact/opinion connundrums** My opinion is that the league would be best at 24-28 teams, because of the concentration of super-star talent. Revenues (a good measure of the success of a business, in my opinion), have gone up since expansion ended. While revenues took a hit with the work stoppage, that would have ahppened if the league was 12 teams or 80 teams. The last 3 seasons, revenues have increased, so expansion cannot be categorically "bad." In fact, expansion is good for business.

Finally, you have no way of knowing what would have happened if Gretzky had not gone to L.A. Because I believe in constructive criticism, maybe next time instead of asserting a total fallacy, you could say, "I think I would have liked the NHL better had Gretzky not ever gone to L.A."

[jetsniper]

Well I'm not as knowledgeable about Winnipeg's situation, Quebecs was mainly a government problem and had little to do with the fans. From Wiki...

"The playoff loss proved to be Quebec's swan song in the NHL as the team's financial troubles increasingly took center stage, even in the face of renewed fan support over the previous three years. Quebec City was by far the smallest market in the NHL, and the second-smallest market in North America to host a big-league team (behind only Green Bay, Wisconsin). The league's Canadian teams (with the exception of Montreal, Toronto, and to a lesser extent, Vancouver) found it difficult to compete in a new age of rising player salaries. This made many of the players concerned about their marketability, especially since the Nords always played in the long shadow of the Canadiens. In addition, most players were skittish about playing in what was virtually a unilingual Francophone city. Then as now, there were no privately-owned English language radio stations in the city, and only one privately-owned English language television station. The only English-language newspaper is a weekly. Unlike in Montreal, public address announcements were given only in French.

Aubut asked for a bailout from Quebec's provincial government. It didn't go through, and in May 1995, shortly after the Nordiques were eliminated from the playoffs, Aubut was forced to sell the team to a group of investors in Denver, Colorado."

[brobin]

And once again, i can't stress it enough that i trully beleive that Gretzky played his prime years in an Era where the NHL goalies were far less talented in relation to offensive players than at any point in history. He played in an era where the curved stick and better skates were introduced while goalies still had to play with relatively small equipment.

When guys like Richard played, the playing feild was more level because the sticks we flat, and the skates were all crap. Today, i think the goalies have the advantage with ridiculously huge equipment. This is why I belive that 50 goals in the 1950's and 50 goals in the year 2007 are far superior to 50 goals in the 1980's.

Richard only won the scoring race, he never won the most points. (although he get screwed out of it one year when he should have).

I would say that Richard might have been the best pure goal scorer in the game, but not the best overall player.

Please note that Gretzky had amazing totals in the 90s, on crap teams, when he was getting past him prime.

There was also a miss perception that the eighties were all about scoring to the advantage of Gretzky. If you watch those games, their was more clutch, grab, and hook then in the 90s. In addition, when you take Edmonton out of the equation, there was not much more scoring then now. Edmonton was an amazing team and skewed the stats for the whole league. They could play crappy defense because Gretz could score at will in his youth.

[markierung]

i wouldn't confuse the lack of fan suppourt in Quebec and Winnipeg with them losing their teams.

They had plenty of support. The problem was in a ridiculously weak canadian dollar coupled with their small market status.

The rangers were popular before the 1994 cup and so were teams in the northern united states.

Don't try to convince me that hockey was flourishing in the sun-belt before Gretzky. The Golden seals were a failed experiment and that left only the kings, who really only survive due to the massive market that they are in, much like Dallas.

It's Gretzky's flash that inspired bettman and the league to move into the Sun Belt in massive proportions.

And don't forget, i never argued that expansion was bad. I love some of the newer US markets in the Northern half of the country. Right now, the only NHL market that does well in the south and west coast are San Jose and LA either because of continued success or a massive market.

As soon as a team dips in success, the fan base disappears (Like Carolina)

Richard only won the scoring race, he never won the most points. (although he get screwed out of it one year when he should have).

I would say that Richard might have been the best pure goal scorer in the game, but not the best overall player.

Please note that Gretzky had amazing totals in the 90s, on crap teams, when he was getting past him prime.

There was also a miss perception that the eighties were all about scoring to the advantage of Gretzky. If you watch those games, their was more clutch, grab, and hook then in the 90s. In addition, when you take Edmonton out of the equation, there was not much more scoring then now. Edmonton was an amazing team and skewed the stats for the whole league. They could play crappy defense because Gretz could score at will in his youth.

but let's not forget that gretzky had constant protection from the referees. Kinda like the Mario Treatment when he came to save the penguins for the third time

[brobin]

But Roy and Orr did change the game completely. It's because of Orr that defensemen are now expected to produce offensively. Roy basically revolutionized goal tending by perfecting the butterfly. It's because of Roy that goalies now rely more on positioning than being big and making miraculous saves.

I agree completely that Gretzky was amazing and that his point totals are riduculously impressive.

But why is Richard today not credited as being the greatest of all time when in his day, he set ALL the records while having to deal with people swinging sticks at his head. I know Gretzky was crafty and had great vision, but don't tell me he was so good that he could avoid being slashed in the head.

You need to load up the PVR with some classic 80s hockey. It was just as brutal as it is now, plus fighting. Even Gretzky was a hooking maniac...

That said, it was very hard to hit Gretzky. He was crafty and hard to line up. He was targeted so much in the first few years they had to get him a protector. Still, people were always gunning for him and he made them look stupid. That is one of the reasons for his longevity.

I agree completely that Orr and Roy changed the game because they popularized some styles of play that already existed. Roy was not the first butterfly goalie, but he brought it to an art. Same with Orr. My point is that Gretzky revolutionized the offense. He use the back of the net to setup plays. He had some amazing moves that allowed him to hit the trailer on the play. So if anything, that is a wash.

Orr was a huge influence on the game for sure, but that doesn't make him the best player, imo.

[brobin]

i wouldn't confuse the lack of fan suppourt in Quebec and Winnipeg with them losing their teams.

They had plenty of support. The problem was in a ridiculously weak canadian dollar coupled with their small market status.

The rangers were popular before the 1994 cup and so were teams in the northern united states.

Don't try to convince me that hockey was flourishing in the sun-belt before Gretzky. The Golden seals were a failed experiment and that left only the kings, who really only survive due to the massive market that they are in, much like Dallas.

It's Gretzky's flash that inspired bettman and the league to move into the Sun Belt in massive proportions.

And don't forget, i never argued that expansion was bad. I love some of the newer US markets in the Northern half of the country. Right now, the only NHL market that does well in the south and west coast are San Jose and LA either because of continued success or a massive market.

As soon as a team dips in success, the fan base disappears (Like Carolina)

but let's not forget that gretzky had constant protection from the referees. Kinda like the Mario Treatment when he came to save the penguins for the third time

Not really. Watch some games and you will see people surfing behind Gretzky with no call. He certainly didn't get anymore protection then Mario, Crosby, or Orr. They all got get away with murder.

[brobin]

By the way, I wonder how many people that think Gretzky was over rated that are old enough to have watched him play in the 80s. Even better, watched Orr.

I am open enough to admit that I am old enough to have watched the 70 habs, Orr, and the Oilers of the Eighties. Fortunately, I am not so old that I can claim to have lived thru the Richard years.

PS. Dryden was a freaking amazing goaltender. Price reminds me of him in the way he is so calm, so relaxed. Roy was amazing, but he was a hyper cocky bastard. More like Theo was. I liked them all.

The US expansion was driven primarily by Bettmen and the greedy owners that wanted the expansion fees. It was not the first time they did it and won't be the last.

It was well understood that the reason to block Ballsilie (butchered that spelling ) from getting the Pens was they didn't want Crosby to play "in a Canadian backwater". There was just no way they were going to let that happen. They want the high profile players in the US.

I have often wondered about just how much luck was involved in the Pens getting Malkin, Staal, and Crosby. Its up there with Gretzky, Messier, Anderson, and Kurri. Except they were not top draft picks, they were great draft picks.

Gretzky did a lot to popularize hockey in the US for sure, but the main benefit was increased participation by kids in the sport.

By the way.. in 1994 Gretzky, playing for LA, averaged 1.6 PPG. That is better then Crosby.

you don't even want to look at the PPG stats for Gretzky in his hey days... 2.77 PPG one year...

[markierung]

But does this big PPG average mean that a player is bigger than the game. Worthy to be called the great one? Worthy to have his jersey retired league wide, saying that he is bigger than the game?

I don't think so. B4 he arrived, players were setting higher and higher marks and never got the recognition he did.

[Mils]

But does this big PPG average mean that a player is bigger than the game. Worthy to be called the great one? Worthy to have his jersey retired league wide, saying that he is bigger than the game?

I don't think so. B4 he arrived, players were setting higher and higher marks and never got the recognition he did.

Bigger than the game? No. But Gretzky isn't bigger than the game... he's basically ignored anymore, and has to follow the rules just like everyone else.

Worthy to be called the great one? Yes. Because it's a nickname. Was Tiger Williams actually a Tiger? Was Stu Grimson literally the Grim Reaper?

Worthy of having his jersey retired league-wide? Probably not. He was one of only two players to ever wear the number, but at the same time he's not Jackie Robinson, like in baseball... Robinson is more deserving of league-wide recognition.... but league-wide jersey retirement is dumb to begin with, just like the Avalanche retiring #77.

Does having his number retired league-wide mean he's "bigger than the game"? No. (What does that "bigger than the game" even mean?)

[brobin]

Bigger than the game? No. But Gretzky isn't bigger than the game... he's basically ignored anymore, and has to follow the rules just like everyone else.

Worthy to be called the great one? Yes. Because it's a nickname. Was Tiger Williams actually a Tiger? Was Stu Grimson literally the Grim Reaper?

Worthy of having his jersey retired league-wide? Probably not. He was one of only two players to ever wear the number, but at the same time he's not Jackie Robinson, like in baseball... Robinson is more deserving of league-wide recognition.... but league-wide jersey retirement is dumb to begin with, just like the Avalanche retiring #77.

Does having his number retired league-wide mean he's "bigger than the game"? No. (What does that "bigger than the game" even mean?)

Actually, there was a good article on this. Gretzky's point totals exceed the next person down (Messier) by over 50 percent. They compared that to the top record holders in baseball, basketball, and football and not one comes close to that level of dominance.

Why was Gretzky's number retired league wide? How about this. Every single club counted on Gretzky to sell tickets, for years! Not just one or two like Crosby. People came to see St. Loius play just to see Gretzky, he was that dominant.

I guess if you were not there you won't get it, but Gretzky was absolutely incredible. He innovated the playmaker position. He has moves and vision that has yet to be matched in this league. If you dropped a 19 your old Gretzky in the league right now, you would be saying "crosby who?" ...

The only reason Orr is brought up so much is because of Don Cherry campaigning for him for years. He was the top offensive defenseman and maybe the best skater of his era, but there are several players who had more success, longer success, and just as much influence on their position. Boom Boom popularized the slapshot. Roy the butterfly, Plante the mask. Orr brought the offensive defenseman, Lemaire the trap, Gretzky the "office" ,the stop and peel, etc.

If you don't get it, please, treat yourself and watch Gretzky in his prime. It was amazing and no player has dominated as much as he did, not even Crosby.

Gretzky is not bigger then the game , but i would argue that the game is bigger because of Gretzky (the player).

But does this big PPG average mean that a player is bigger than the game. Worthy to be called the great one? Worthy to have his jersey retired league wide, saying that he is bigger than the game?

I don't think so. B4 he arrived, players were setting higher and higher marks and never got the recognition he did.

Gretzky has 55 percent more points then the next person on the list. He has more assists then anyone has total points. Very few of his records have been broken in the last 20 years.

No one else has even come close.

Please, go watch him play in his prime. I get the sense that you only saw him in his last year or two, with bad hips, a bad back, and just a point per game pace.

[Mils]

Actually, there was a good article on this. Gretzky's point totals exceed the next person down (Messier) by over 50 percent. They compared that to the top record holders in baseball, basketball, and football and not one comes close to that level of dominance.

Why was Gretzky's number retired league wide? How about this. Every single club counted on Gretzky to sell tickets, for years! Not just one or two like Crosby. People came to see St. Loius play just to see Gretzky, he was that dominant.

I guess if you were not there you won't get it, but Gretzky was absolutely incredible. He innovated the playmaker position. He has moves and vision that has yet to be matched in this league. If you dropped a 19 your old Gretzky in the league right now, you would be saying "crosby who?" ...

The only reason Orr is brought up so much is because of Don Cherry campaigning for him for years. He was the top offensive defenseman and maybe the best skater of his era, but there are several players who had more success, longer success, and just as much influence on their position. Boom Boom popularized the slapshot. Roy the butterfly, Plante the mask. Orr brought the offensive defenseman, Lemaire the trap, Gretzky the "office" ,the stop and peel, etc.

If you don't get it, please, treat yourself and watch Gretzky in his prime. It was amazing and no player has dominated as much as he did, not even Crosby.

Gretzky is not bigger then the game , but i would argue that the game is bigger because of Gretzky (the player).

**Applause**

**More applause**

**Standing ovation**

To anybody who still wants to argue Gretzky is "bigger than the game"... he apparently isn't above the rules.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=222809&hubname=