Wayne Gretzky Wayne Douglas Gretzky , ( born January 26 , 1961 in Brantford , Ontario ) is a retired Canadian - American professional ice hockey . Nicknamed " The Great One , " " Total Hockey : The Official Encyclopedia of the NHL " calls Gretzky " the greatest player of all time . " He is generally regarded as the best player in history and has been called " the greatest hockey player ever " by many sportswriters , players , and coaches . He set 40 regular - season records , 15 playoff records , 6 All - Star records , won four Stanley Cup s with the Edmonton Oilers , and won 9 MVP awards and 10 scoring titles . He is the only player ever to total over 200 points in a season ( a feat that he accomplished four times in his career ) . In addition , he tallied over 100 points a season for 15 NHL seasons , 13 of them consecutively . He is the only player to have his number , 99 , officially retired by the National Hockey League for " all teams " – no player in the NHL will ever again wear the number 99 . He retired from playing in 1999 , becoming Executive Director for the Canadian national men ' s hockey team during the 2002 Winter Olympics . He also became part owner of the Phoenix Coyotes in 2000 and following the 2004 - 05 NHL lockout became their head coach . Early years . Gretzky ' s paternal grandparents were ethnic Belarussian immigrants who came to Canada at the beginning of the 20th century from the town of Mogilev in Russia ( now Belarus ) . In a 1999 Hockey Hall Of Fame inductee press conference , Gretzky stated " Thank God I ' m Polish " when a friendly joke was made about another inductee of Scottish descent who wore a traditional Scottish kilt as a dedication to his heritage . Wayne ' s father Walter turned the Gretzky backyard into a rink by leaving a water sprinkler running all winter ; Walter taught Wayne and his brothers Keith , Brent , and Glenn to play hockey . In an unusually - frank 1990 interview with the " Los Angeles Times " , Gretzky related how Walter would build him up one minute then tear him down the next , reminding him that he could never have an " average " game . Wayne was a classic prodigy whose extraordinary skills made him the target of jealous parents . Gretzky always played at a level far above his peers . At age 6 he was skating with 10 - year - olds . By the age of ten he scored 378 goals and 139 assists in just 85 games with the Nadrofsky Steelers . The first media story about him was published during this time in the Toronto Telegram . At 14 , partly to further Wayne ' s career , and partly to remove him from the uncomfortable pressure he faced in his hometown , the Gretzkys challenged the Canadian amateur hockey rules to win Wayne the right to play elsewhere , which was disallowed at the time . The Gretzkys won , and Wayne moved to Toronto to play Junior B hockey with the Toronto Nationals . He earned Rookie of the Year honours in the Metro Junior B Hockey League in 1975 – 76 , with 60 points in 28 games . The following year , as a 15 year old , he had 72 points in 32 games with the same team , then known as the Seneca Nationals . In addition , he signed with his first agent , Bob Behnke . Despite his celebrity , Gretzky was bypassed by two teams in the 1977 OHA Midget Draft . Oshawa picked Tom McCarthy , and Niagara Falls picked Steve Peters second overall . With the third pick , the Greyhounds selected Gretzky . The Greyhounds took him , even though Walter Gretzky had written the team to advise that Wayne would not move to Sault Ste . Marie , a city with a northern Ontario location that inflicts a heavy traveling schedule on its junior team . He played a season in the Ontario Hockey League at the age of 16 with the Greyhounds . While playing for the Greyhounds , he began wearing the number 99 on his jersey . He originally wanted to wear number 9 — for his old hero Gordie Howe — but it was already being worn by his teammate , Brian Gualazzi . At coach Muzz MacPherson ' s suggestion , Gretzky settled on 99 . He became the youngest player to compete in the World Junior Championships when he participated in Montreal in 1978 at age 16 . Despite being the youngest player in the tournament by far , he finished as the tournament ' s top scorer , and was voted to the All - Star team and Best Forward of the tournament . World Hockey Association . That year ( 1978 - 79 ) he signed with the Indianapolis Racers of the World Hockey Association ( WHA ) as an underage player . Prior to signing with Indianapolis , Gretzky was heavily recruited by Birmingham Bulls owner John F . Bassett . Bassett wanted to confront the NHL by signing as many young and promising superstars as possible and saw Gretzky as the most promising young prospect . The National Hockey League ( NHL ) does not allow the signing of players under the age of 18 , but the WHA had no rules regarding such signings . Wayne Gretzky scored his first professional goal against Dave Dryden of the Edmonton Oilers . Racers owner Nelson Skalbania signed the 17 - year - old to an eight - year personal services contract worth between $ 1 . 12 - and $ 1 . 75 - million US over one to two years . Skalbania knew that the WHA was fading and that the Racers could not hope to be included among any teams taken in by the NHL . He hoped to keep the Racers alive long enough to collect compensation from the surviving teams when the WHA dissolved , as well as any funds earned from selling the young star . However , Skalbania needed money . He sold Gretzky to his brother , and then - owner of the WHA ' s Edmonton Oilers , Peter Gretzky . Although the announced price was $ 990 , 000 , Pocklington actually paid $ 700 , 000 to purchase Gretzky as well as two other Indianapolis players , goaltender Eddie Mio and forward Peter Driscoll . One of the highlights of Gretzky ’ s season was when he appeared in the 1979 WHA All - Star Game . The format of the game was a three game series between the WHA All - Stars against Moscow Dynamo . The WHA All - Stars were coached by Jacques Demers and Demers put Gretzky on a line with his boyhood idol Gordie Howe and his son Mark Howe . In Game One , the line scored seven points , as the WHA All - Star won by a score of 4 - 2 . In game two , Gretzky and Mark Howe each scored a goal and Gordie Howe picked up an assist as the WHA won 4 - 2 . The line did not score in the final game but the WHA won by a score of 4 - 3 . Gretzky would finish third in the league in scoring behind Robbie Ftorek and Buddy Cloutier . Gretzky helped the Edmonton Oilers to the Avco Cup finals against the Winnipeg Jets . The Jets goalie was Gary Smith , a teammate of Gretzky while playing for the Indianapolis Racers . Ironically , when Bob Mackenzie went to his first game at Maple Leaf Gardens , Gary Smith was one of the goalies in the game . The Maple Leafs played the California Seals and Smith was the Seals ' goalie . On Gretzky ' s 18th birthday , January 26 , 1979 , Pocklington signed him to a 20 - year personal services contract ( the longest in hockey history ) worth $ 4 - 5 million US . Gretzky captured the Lou Kaplan Trophy for rookie of the year , finished third in league scoring ( 110 points ) , and helped the Oilers to first overall in the league . The Oilers reached the Avco World Trophy finals before losing to the Winnipeg Jets . It was Gretzky ' s only year in the WHA , as the league folded following the season . The one award Gretzky never received in the NHL was the one he earned in the WHA : Gretzky was awarded the WHA Rookie of the Year award in its final season . NHL career . After the World Hockey Association folded in 1979 , the Edmonton Oilers and three other teams joined the NHL . Gretzky ' s success in the WHA carried over into the NHL , despite some critics suggesting he would flounder in what was considered the bigger , tougher , and more talented league . Edmonton Oilers ( 1979 - 1988 ) . In his first NHL season , 1979 - 80 , Gretzky proved his critics wrong . He was awarded the Hart Memorial Trophy as the League ' s Most Valuable Player ( the first of eight in a row ) and tied for the scoring lead with Marcel Dionne with 137 points , which remains the most points by a first - year player . Although Gretzky played 79 games to Dionne ' s 80 , Dionne was awarded the Art Ross Trophy since he scored more goals ( 53 vs . 51 ) . Gretzky became the youngest player to score 50 goals but was not eligible for the Calder Memorial Trophy , given to the top NHL rookie , because of his previous year of professional experience . Instead , Boston Bruins ' defenseman Ray Bourque won it . The rule was later changed . In his second season , Gretzky won the Art Ross ( the first of seven consecutive ) with a then - record 164 points , breaking both Bobby Orr ' s record for assists in a season ( 102 ) and Phil Esposito ' s record for points in a season ( 152 ) . He won his second straight Hart Trophy . During the 1981 - 82 season , he surpassed a record that had stood for 35 years : 50 goals in 50 games . Set by Maurice " Rocket " Richard during the 1944 - 45 NHL season and tied by Mike Bossy during the 1980 - 81 NHL season , Gretzky accomplished the feat in only 39 games . His 50th goal of the season came on December 30 , 1981 in the final seconds of a 7 - 5 win against the Philadelphia Flyers and was his fifth of the game . Later that season , Gretzky broke Esposito ' s record for most goals in a season ( 76 ) on February 24 1982 scoring three goals to help beat the Buffalo Sabres , 6 - 3 . He ended the 1981 - 82 season with records of 92 goals , 120 assists , and 212 points in 80 games , becoming the first and only player in NHL history to break the 200 - point mark . That year , Gretzky became the first hockey player and first Canadian to be named Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year . He was also named " Sports Illustrated " Magazine ' s 1982 " Sportsman of the Year . " The following seasons saw Gretzky break his own assists record three more times ( 125 1982 - 83 , 135 1984 - 85 , and 163 1985 - 86 ; he also bettered that mark ( 120 assists ) in 1986 - 87 with 121 and 1990 - 91 with 122 ) and his point record one more time ( 215 ) . By the time he finished playing in Edmonton , he held or shared 49 NHL records , which in itself was a record . The Edmonton Oilers finished their last WHA season first overall in the regular season . The same success was not immediate when they joined the NHL , but within four seasons , the Oilers were competing for the Stanley Cup . The Oilers were a young , strong team featuring forwards Mark Messier , Gretzky , Glenn Anderson and Jari Kurri , defenceman Paul Coffey , and goaltender Grant Fuhr . Gretzky was its captain ( from 1983 – 88 ) . In 1983 , they made it to the Stanley Cup finals , only to be swept by the three - time defending champion New York Islanders . The following season , the Oilers met the Islanders in the Finals again , this time winning the Stanley Cup , their first of five in seven years . Gretzky was named an officer of the Order of Canada on June 25 , 1984 for outstanding contribution to the sport of hockey . Since the Order ceremonies are always held during the hockey season , it took 13 years , seven months and two Governors - General before he could accept the honour . The Oilers , with Gretzky , also won the Cup in 1985 , 1987 , and 1988 ; and without him in 1990 with Mark Messier as captain . " The Trade " - Los Angeles Kings ( 1988 - 1996 ) . On August 9 , 1988 , in a move that drastically changed the dynamics of the NHL , the Oilers traded Gretzky , along with Marty McSorley and Mike Krushelnyski , to the Los Angeles Kings for Jimmy Carson , Martin Gelinas , $ 15 million in cash , and the Kings ' first - round draft picks in 1989 ( Jason Soules ) , 1991 ( Tyler Wright ) , and 1993 ( Jason Arnott ) . " The Trade " , as it came to be known , upset Canadians to the extent that New Democratic Party House Leader Nelson Riis demanded that the government block it and Pocklington was burned in effigy . Gretzky himself was considered a " traitor " by some Canadians for turning his back on his adopted hometown , his home province , and his home country ; his motivation was widely rumoured to be the furtherance of his wife ' s acting career . Others believe it was Pocklington who instigated the trade , seeking to benefit personally from the transaction . Gretzky ' s first season in Los Angeles saw a marked increase in attendance and fan interest in a city not previously known for following hockey . The Kings , who then played their home games at the Great Western Forum , named Gretzky their captain ( a position he held until his trade to St . Louis in 1996 ) and boasted numerous sellouts on their way to reaching the 1989 playoffs . Despite being underdogs against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Oilers in the Smythe Division semifinals , Gretzky led the Kings to a shocking upset of his old squad , spearheading the Kings ' return from a 3 - 1 series deficit to win the series 4 - 3 . For only the second time in his NHL career , Gretzky finished second in scoring , but narrowly beat out Pittsburgh ' s Mario Lemieux ( who scored 199 points ) for the Hart Trophy as MVP . Many credit Gretzky ' s arrival with putting non - traditional U . S . hockey markets on " the NHL map " ; not only did California receive two more NHL franchises ( the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the San Jose Sharks ) during Gretzky ' s tenure in L . A . , but his popularity in Southern California proved to be an impetus in the league establishing teams in other parts of the U . S . Sun Belt . In 1990 , the Associated Press named him Male Athlete of the Decade . 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 . However , he performed very well in the playoffs , notably when he scored a hat trick in Game 7 of the Campbell Conference Finals against the Toronto Maple Leafs . This victory propelled the Kings into the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history , where they faced the Montreal Canadiens . After winning the first game of the series by a score of 4 – 1 , however , the team lost the next three games in overtime , and then fell 1 – 4 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 . St . Louis Blues ( 1996 ) . On February 27 , 1996 he joined the St . Louis Blues in a trade for Patrice Tardif , Roman Vopat , Craig Johnson , and draft picks . He scored 37 points in 31 games for the team in both the regular season and the playoffs , and the Blues came within one overtime game of the Conference finals . He also served as the team ' s captain in his short tenure with the Blues . However , he never clicked with the team or with his new right - winger , “ The Golden Brett ” Hull , on the ice as well as many had expected . On July 12 , he signed with the New York Rangers as a free agent , rejoining longtime Oilers teammate Mark Messier . New York Rangers ( 1996 - 1999 ) . Gretzky ended his professional career with the New York Rangers , where he played his final three seasons and helped the team reach the Eastern Conference Finals in 1997 . The Rangers were defeated in the conference finals by the Philadelphia Flyers . For the first time in his NHL career , Gretzky was not named captain ; during his stint with the Rangers he briefly wore the captain ' s ' C ' when captain Mark Messier and alternate captain Brian Leetch were injured and out of the lineup at the same time . 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 . With Messier ' s departure from the Rangers , the spotlight was on Gretzky once again . In 1997 , prior to his retirement , The Hockey News named a committee of 50 hockey experts ( former NHL players , past and present writers , broadcasters , coaches and hockey executives ) to select and rank the 50 greatest players in NHL history . The experts voted Gretzky number one . He participated in the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano , Japan . However , Gretzky , Steve Yzerman , and Ray Bourque were passed over for the captaincy in favour of the younger Eric Lindros . Expectations were high for the Canadian team , but without the presence of Mario Lemieux ( with whom Gretzky did well in the 1987 Canada Cup ) and several other star Canadians due to injury , the team lost to the Czech Republic in the semi - finals . There was some additional controversy when Gretzky was not selected by coach Marc Crawford for the decisive shootout . Team Canada then lost the bronze medal game 3 - 2 to Finland , but Gretzky was said to have encouraged all of his teammates to attend the closing ceremony afterwards . His last NHL game in Canada was on April 16 , 1999 , in a 2 - 2 tie with the Ottawa Senators , and his final game was a 2 - 1 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins which had Jaromir Jagr , the future Ranger captain , scoring the game winning goal on April 18 , 1999 in the Madison Square Garden . The national anthems in that game were adjusted to accommodate Gretzky ' s departure . In place of " O Canada , we stand on guard for thee " , Bryan Adams sang " We ' re going to miss you Wayne Gretzky " . The Star - Spangled Banner , sung by John Amirante , was changed from " the land of the free " to " the land of Wayne Gretzky " . He scored his final point in this game , assisting on the lone New York goal scored by Brian Leetch . Gretzky was named as the first , second , and third star of both games . Only Maurice Richard has had such an honour , when during the Stanley Cup Playoffs on March 23 , 1944 , he scored five dominating goals against the Toronto Maple Leafs . His Montreal Canadiens won 5 - 1 . At the time of his retirement , Gretzky was the second - to - last WHA player still active in professional hockey , Mark Messier being the last . Skills . Gretzky ' s dominance throughout his career was attributed to the amount of time he practiced ( by his own account , at least 4 - 5 hours a day ) and also that he was a natural prodigy . At 16 , Gretzky ' s skills were already described as " a magic touch , " ; he had a good shot , moved the puck very well , never quit , and played " both ways " ( defence as well as offence ) . He was described as a player that any team could build their hockey club around , which is perhaps exemplified by the immediate impact he had on the Los Angeles Kings upon joining them . In terms of basic athletic abilities , Gretzky was not impressive . Gretzky was 6 feet tall , weighing only 160 pounds as an eighteen year old NHL rookie in 1979 and ending his career in 1999 at 185 pounds . At the beginning of Gretzky ' s NHL career , many critics at the time opined that Gretzky was " too small , too wiry , and too slow to be a force in the ( NHL ) " . On the other hand , he had no rival in his intelligence and reading of the game , being able to anticipate where the puck was going to be and execute the right move at the right time . . It was said that he " seems to have eyes in the back of his head " and had a knack of " rolling with a check . " By the time of his retirement , Gretzky had become known for setting up behind the net , which acquired the nickname of " Gretzky ' s office " because " he went to work there , " passing to teammates like Luc Robitaille or Kurri or jumping out quickly for a wrap - around goal . In honour of that , for his last game there were two large " 99s " painted on the ice behind the goal No less an expert than Bobby Orr said he " thinks so far ahead , " while Gretzky himself referred to it as having " . . . a feeling about where a teammate is going to be , a lot of times , I can turn and pass without looking . " Post - retirement . Gretzky was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on November 22 , 1999 , becoming the tenth player to bypass the three - year waiting period . The NHL then stated that he would be the last player to do so . He was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2000 . In addition Gretzky ' s # 99 was retired league - wide at the 2000 NHL All - Star Game . Later that year , he became Alternate Governor and Managing Partner of the Phoenix Coyotes NHL team . Rumours began regarding Gretzky becoming the head coach of the team , but were nixed by Gretzky and the rest of the Coyotes ' ownership . Despite previous denials however , on August 8 2005 Gretzky agreed to become the new coach of the Coyotes . In the time leading up to Gretzky ' s announcement , several prominent free agents signed with Phoenix citing the chance to play for Gretzky , including Brett Hull . Hull , who was briefly Gretzky ' s right winger , only lasted five games and only scored one assist before retiring . Ironically , " The Golden Brett " would have had the record for the most goals over any given three seasons — he scored 228 goals between 1989 - 90 and 1991 - 92 — if it weren ' t for The Great One . From 1981 - 82 to 1983 - 84 , Gretzky scored 250 goals . Gretzky made his coaching debut on October 5 , 2005 , the opening night of the 2005 - 06 NHL season , losing 3 - 2 to the Vancouver Canucks . His first coaching victory was October 8 , 2005 , beating the Minnesota Wild 2 - 1 . Gretzky took an indefinite leave of absence as coach on December 17 , 2005 to care for his ill mother in Brantford , Ontario . His mother lost her battle to lung cancer two days later , passing away on December 19 , 2005 . Assistant coach Rick Tocchet assumed the position until Gretzky ' s return on December 28 . Coyotes ' CEO Jeff Shumway announced on June 5 , 2006 that Gretzky has agreed to a new five - year contract to remain as head coach . Additionally , since Gretzky ' s retirement , a statue has been erected outside Staples Center , home of his former Los Angeles Kings , in his honor , as well as another statue outside Rexall Place home of his Edmonton Oilers . Winter Olympics . Gretzky was Executive Director of the Canadian men ' s hockey team at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City , Utah . On February 18 , he lashed out at the media at a press conference , frustrated with speculation regarding his team ' s uninspiring 1 - 1 - 1 start . His temper boiled over after Canada ' s 3 - 3 draw vs . the Czech Republic , as he launched a tirade against the perceived negative reputation of Team Canada amongst other national squads , and called rumours of dissent in the dressing room the result of " American propaganda . " " They ' re loving us not doing well , " he said , referring to American hockey fans . American fans online began calling Gretzky a " crybaby " ; defenders said he was merely borrowing a page from former coach Glen Sather to take the pressure off his players . Canada went on to win the gold medal . Gretzky again acted as Executive Director of Canada ' s men ' s hockey team at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin , Italy , though not to the success of 2002 ; the team was eliminated in the quarterfinals and failed to win a medal . He was asked to manage Canada ' s team at the 2005 Ice Hockey World Championships , but declined due to his mother ' s poor health . The Heritage Classic . Although Gretzky previously stated he would not participate in any old - timers exhibition games , on November 22 , 2003 , he took to the ice one last time to help celebrate the Edmonton Oilers ' 25th anniversary as an NHL team . The Heritage Classic , held at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton , was the first NHL game to be played outdoors . It was preceded by the Mega Stars game , which featured Gretzky and many of his Edmonton Oilers teammates against a group of retired Montreal Canadiens players including Claude Lemieux and Guy Lafleur . Despite frigid temperatures , the crowd numbered 57 , 167 ( an NHL record ) , with an additional several million watching the game on television . The Edmonton alumni won the Megastars game 2 - 0 , while Montreal went on to win the regular season game held later that day , 4 - 3 . The game was subsequently released on DVD entitled " Heritage Classic : A November to Remember " . Off the ice . Gretzky met American actress Janet Jones in 1984 when he was a judge on " Dance Fever " and she was a dancer on the show . They ran into each other at a Los Angeles Lakers game in 1987 . On Howard Stern ' s 22 October 1996 show , Gretzky revealed that he and Janet consummated their relationship that night ( Stern remarked : " That ' s why they call you ' The Great One ' " . ) Janet was four months pregnant with Paulina when they married on July 17 , 1988 . " The Royal Wedding " was broadcast live throughout Canada from Edmonton ' s St . Joseph ' s Basilica , although neither Gretzky nor Jones is Roman Catholic . Members of the Fire Department acted as guards at the church steps . The event reportedly cost Gretzky over US $ 1 million . They have 4 other children : Ty Robert ( b . July 9 , 1990 ) , Trevor Douglas ( b . September 14 , 1992 ) , Tristan Wayne ( b . August 2 2000 ) , and Emma Marie ( b . March 28 , 2003 ) . Gretzky obtained American citizenship after the wedding . Ty plays for Shattuck - Saint Mary ' s Midget AA hockey team , the same school that produced Sidney Crosby . Gretzky hosted " Saturday Night Live " in 1989 . In 1991 Gretzky purchased the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL with Bruce McNall and John Candy . He and McNall later bought one of the Honus Wagner T206 cigarette cards . In November 2007 , Wayne Gretzky and John Candy ' s names were added to the 1991 Grey Cup as team owners . Once Gretzky retired , one of Edmonton ' s busiest inner city highway ' s that passes by the Oilers arena , Capilano Drive , was renamed to " Wayne Gretzky Drive " in October of 1999 . Similarly , most of Park Road in his hometown of Brantford , Ontario , is now " Wayne Gretzky Parkway " . He has endorsed a wide variety of products , including denim jeans , his own line of wallpaper , pillow cases , cereal , chocolate bars , clocks , lunch boxes and a Mattel doll . Other endorsements include Koho , Titan , and Easton hockey stick s , Thrifty Rent A Car , Peak Antifreeze , Ford - Canada , Coca - Cola , Esso , McDonald ' s , Domino ' s Pizza , Campbell ' s Soup , the Official All - Star Café , Primestar TV , Upper Deck , Nike , Ultra Wheels , Hallmark Cards , Zürich Insurance , 7 Up , Tylenol , Canadian Imperial Bank , and Power Automotive Group . He and Ty did commercials for the Sharp Viewcam . Gretzky also lent his likeness ( along with Michael Jordan and Bo Jackson ) to a 1992 cartoon show , " ProStars " , and video games in 1991 , 1996 , 2004 , and 2006 . Forbes estimates that Gretzky earned US $ 93 . 8 million from 1990 - 98 . In 1998 , Gretzky launched a line of menswear , and signed a licensing agreement with a phone card company . The model of helmet that Gretzky wore , the Jofa VM , is known as the " Gretzky helmet " . Gretzky is featured in several lines of McFarlane NHL Sports Picks figures created by Edmonton Oilers co - owner Todd McFarlane . Gambling controversy . On February 7 , 2006 , Coyotes assistant coach Rick Tocchet was implicated in a New Jersey - based gambling ring . Bets were allegedly taken from NHL players , Janet Jones and Coyotes GM Michael Barnett , who confirmed to police he placed a bet on Super Bowl XL with Tocchet . Gretzky stated : " I did nothing wrong , or nothing that has to do with anything along the lines of betting ; that never happened . . . I ' ll say it one more time : I didn ' t bet , didn ' t happen , not going to happen , never will happen , hasn ' t happened , not something I ' ve done . " Reports by the " Newark Star - Ledger " stated that the New Jersey State Police possessed wiretaps with Gretzky speaking to Tocchet . Sources told the paper there is no evidence Gretzky made any bets , but police were attempting to learn if he placed any through his wife . Another source later confirmed that the wiretap occurred after police went to Gretzky ' s house to question Jones . It was announced on February 16 , 2006 that Gretzky would not be charged nor would it be likely his wife would be charged . On March 15 , 2006 , the New Jersey attorney general announced it will subpoena Jones to testify as soon as a grand jury convenes . On May 8 , Tocchet and Jones filed separate notices that they intend to sue the State of New Jersey for $ 50 million each for defamation , claiming the investigation damaged their reputations and cost them business opportunities . On August 3 , former New Jersey state trooper James Harney pleaded guilty to conspiracy , promoting gambling and official misconduct , and promised to help authorities with their case against Tocchet . International play . Played for Canada in : International statistics