Wayne Gretzky Game Used Stick From Final Career Game

Dubbed ‘The Great One’, Wayne Gretzky is widely regarded as the greatest hockey player of all time. With over 61 individual NHL records, Gretzky also has won 9 Hart Memorial Trophies and 4 Stanley Cup championships. The NHL’s all-time point leader, Wayne Gretzky is the only player in NHL history to have his number retired league-wide. 

Born and raised in Brantford, Ontario, Gretzky, an undersized player, brought speed and finesse to a highly physical game. Often compared to a geographer or a chess player for his ability to think multiple plays ahead of opponents, Gretzky’s knack for being ‘in the right place at the right time’ made him a defensive nightmare. 

On April 18th, 1999, Wayne Gretzky played the final game of his NHL career. In front of a sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden, 'The Great One' recorded one final assist, the 2,857th point of his career. A taped message from Gordie Howe played pregame and post-game, Gretzky took laps around the ice, reminiscent of the ones he did after Stanley Cup wins in Edmonton. 

Still in uniform, meeting with the Media, Gretzky said: "Probably, subconsciously, I don't want to take it off… I'm not going to pull it on ever again. It's hard. It's hard to take it off right now. I have to be honest with you. I don't want to take it off."

This stick has been traced back to Gretzky’s final NHL game and is accompanied by a photomatching certificate from Resolution Photomatching with a photomatch to a stick signing surrounding the game. ‘1487’, the number of regular season games Gretzky played in his career, is featured on the butt end knob of the stick. Additionally, it is accompanied by a letter from James Spence Authentication in regards to the signature. 

As he was known to do, Gretzky thought multiple steps ahead for his final game. In a selfless act, Gretzky switched sticks throughout the game and signed and prepared many sticks for his NHL finale, cycling them through warmups and the game before gifting them to teammates and Rangers staff. 

In a telephone conversation with Resolution Photomatching, the company confirmed that this is the only stick they have ever photomatched to Gretzky’s final game. In email correspondence with The MeiGray Group, they confirmed they do not believe they have photomatched a stick from Gretzky’s final game. 

Going Deeper | Wayne Gretzky 

As a young player in Canada, Gretzky quickly became accustomed to the limelight. As a prodigious 10-year-old, he netted 378 goals in a single youth hockey season, and at 13, he played on National Hockey Night in Canada. With this success came national fame and public scrutiny, pushing Gretzky to leave home at 14 to play Junior hockey in Toronto.  

In 1978, at 17 years old, Gretzky turned professional, signing with the World Hockey Association’s Indianapolis Racers. After just 8 games, his contract was sold to the Edmonton Oilers, eventually landing Gretzky on hockey’s biggest stage when the WHA and the NHL merged before the 1979-1980 season. 

In the NHL, Gretzky would thrive. In his first season in the league, Gretzky recorded an astonishing 137 points, earning his first of eight consecutive Hart Memorial Trophies. The following season, in 1981, he continued to shatter records, becoming the first player to average 2 points a game and set an NHL record by netting 50 goals in just 39 games. He scored the last 5 in a single game. 

Truly dominant, Gretzky led the Edmonton Oilers to 4 Stanley Cup championships in 5 years (1984, 1985, 1987, and 1988).

The Shift 

On August 9, 1988, a dramatic and controversial decision shocked the sports world when it was announced that Wayne Gretzky, fresh off of a fourth Stanley Cup, had been traded to the Los Angeles Kings (alongside defensemen Marty McSorley and center Mike Krushelnyski) in exchange for 2 players, 3 future first-round draft picks, and a sum of $15 million. With Edmonton fans furious, rumors swirled as to the reason for the trade. But only one thing was for certain, the ‘Great One’ was now a King.  

Despite the protesting in Edmonton, the trade proved to be a fortuitous one for the sport. Gretzky’s arrival in LA undeniably exploded interest in hockey in the United States. From the star-studded, sold-out crowds to the late-night TV appearances, Gretzky’s time in LA was just as much about growing the sport of hockey as it was about winning games.

Upon Gretzky’s arrival the NHL only had 21 teams. By 2000, with the help of Gretzky’s influence, the league had grown to 30 teams due to the addition of teams in atypical hockey markets such as Georgia, Arizona, Texas, and other Sunbelt states. 

On the ice, Gretzky ended his first regular season with the Kings fourth in goals and tied for first in assists, accolades that would earn him his 9th Hart Memorial Trophy. Gretzky also led the franchise to their first playoff series win in 7 years, completing a 3-1 series comeback against his former team, and defending NHL Champions, the Edmonton Oilers in 7 games. 

In 1993, Gretzky and the Kings would make it to the Stanley Cup Finals, although they would fall short against the powerhouse Montreal Canadiens in 5 games. Despite not bringing a championship to Los Angeles during his tenure with the Kings, Gretzky would break Gordie Howe’s goals and points records. 

 In 1996, his nearly 8 seasons with the Kings would come to an end. Financial troubles for the franchise required them to cut cap space and the team's owner, Bruce McNall went to prison for fraud. Traded again, Gretzky briefly landed with the St. Louis Blues for the remainder of the 1996 season. They would be eliminated by the Detroit Red Wings in 7 games in the Conference Semifinals.

The Final Chapter 

Ending the 1995-1996 season as a free agent, Gretzky made his fourth and final stop in the NHL, signing with the New York Rangers for the final three years of his career. The move reunited him with a long-time friend and teammate from Edmonton, Mark Messier for the 1996-1997 season. 

The Rangers fell short in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Philadelphia Flyers in 1997, marking Gretzky’s final playoff appearance. 

During his final two seasons with the Rangers, Gretzky would continue to lead the team in scoring. However, a lack of superstar support prevented Gretzky and the Rangers from the level of success he had been accustomed to.

On March 29, 1999, Gretzky scored his final goal in the NHL. In true Gretzky fashion, this goal was a record breaker. Although the record is not recognized by the NHL, this final goal marked the 1,072nd of his professional career (including the playoffs and his time in the WHA), surpassing his childhood idol, Gordie Howe at the top of the (unofficial) leaderboard.  

A few weeks later, on Friday, April 16th, 1999, Wayne Gretzky held a press conference, announcing his retirement from the game of hockey. Giving fans one last chance to see ‘The Great One’, Gretzky played his final NHL game that Sunday, April 18th.