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In 1982, Gretzky became the first hockey player and Canadian to be named Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year. He was also named Sports Illustrated Magazine's 1982 " Sportsman of the Year." In 1990, the AP named him Male Athlete of the Decade.
In a move that drastically changed the dynamics of the NHL, Gretzky was traded with Marty McSorley and Mike Krushelnyski by the Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings for Jimmy Carson , Martin Gelinas, $15 million cash and the Kings' first-round draft picks in 1989, 1991 and 1993 on August 9, 1988. "The Trade," as it came to be known, so upset Canadians that one lawmaker demanded the government block it, Pocklington was burned in effigy, and Gretzky's wife, Janet, was branded hockey's Yoko Ono.
There is debate as to whether Gretzky "jumped" or was "pushed." A book by former Kings owner Bruce McNall quotes Pocklington as saying Gretzky had become impossible to deal with, and Janet let it be known that she was not going to live in Edmonton after they got married. Pocklington claims he's had only nice things to say about the couple, yet admitted the trade was a business decision he wouldn't hesitate to make again. Gretzky himself admitted to People Magazine at the time that living in celebrity-drenched Los Angeles appealed to him since it offered his child the anonymity he would not have in Canada. Still, Pocklington remains disliked by some Canadian hockey fans to this day.
Gretzky's first season in Los Angeles saw a marked increase in attendance and fan interest in a city not previously known for following ice hockey. The Kings, who then played their home games at the Great Western Forum, boasted numerous sellouts on their way to reaching the 88-89 playoffs. Despite being heavy underdogs against his old squad, Gretzky led the new-look Kings on and off the ice to a shocking upset of the defending Stanley Cup champion Edmonton Oilers. Many credit Gretzky's arrival with putting Southern California on "the NHL map"; now, California is home to three NHL franchises, more than any other U.S. state or Canadian province.
Gretzky led the Kings to the Cup finals in 1993. However, due to his cozy relationship with McNall (with whom he bought one of the fabled Honus Wagner tobacco baseball cards), he was accused of "playing" General Manager: he replaced career King Dave Taylor as captain in 1989; coaches Robbie Ftorek and Barry Melrose were fired and teammates Bernie Nicholls and Luc Robitaille were traded when they fell out of favor; Kurri, Coffey, and Fuhr joined the team. Despite these moves, the Kings continued on a downward spiral. On February 27, 1996, the new owners, with whom Gretzky did not get along, traded him at his request to the St. Louis Blues for Patrice Tardif , Roman Vopat , Craig Johnson , and draft picks. While he scored 37 points in 31 games for the team (regular season and playoffs), and they got within one overtime game of the Conference finals, Gretzky seemed to clash with bombastic coach Mike Keenan and never clicked with Brett Hull on the ice as many expected. On July 21, he signed with the New York Rangers as a free agent, re-joining Messier.
Gretzky holds or shares 61 NHL records: 40 regular season, 15 playoff, and 6 All-Star. He holds single-season records for goals (92), assists (163) and points (215). He holds career playoff records for goals (122), assists (260), and points (382). He also holds the career regular season records for goals (894), assists (1,963) and points (2,857). His career assists total alone would place him as the NHL's leading points scorer. He won 9 Hart Trophies, the NHL's most valuable player award, and eight of these were awarded in consecutive years from 1980-1987. In fact, Gretzky holds the record for most MVP awards of any player in American professional sports. Gretzky also won a record 10 Art Ross Trophies (7 in a row from 1981-1987), 5 Lady Byng Trophies for sportsmanship, and a high standard of gentlemanly play, 2 Conn Smythe Trophies as the playoffs' MVP, and 5 Lester B. Pearson Awards as the League's outstanding player as judged by his peers. He won 3 All-Star Game MVP awards, tied for most ever. His jersey number, 99, was retired by all NHL teams.
He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on November 22, 1999, bypassing the 3-year waiting period. His daily "journal" was syndicated throughout Canada's newspapers detailing his thoughts and feelings about his induction as the day neared.
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