Wayne Gretzky is renowned as the greatest hockey player of all time, and for good reason. Gretzky enjoyed a 20-year playing career in the NHL and earned the nickname "The Great One" for his miraculous performances in the rink.
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The Canadian superstar made a fortune from his playing days in the league, spending time with four NHL teams, and he's managed to build on that wealth in retirement.
So, just how rich is Wayne Gretzky?
Early Years and Start of Hockey Career
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Wayne Douglas Gretzky grew up playing hockey in Brantford, Ontario, having been taught the sport by his father at a young age. He moved to Toronto during his childhood in order to further progress his hockey career.
At the age of 17, Gretzky inked a professional contract with the Indianapolis Racers of the World Hockey Association, but was dealt to the Edmonton Oilers shortly after.
The Oilers joined the National Hockey League after the WHA dissolved, allowing Gretzky to debut in the NHL at 19 years old.
NHL Career
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCrUcovi820
Wayne Gretzky was a superstar from the moment he stepped on the ice in the NHL. In his debut NHL season, Gretzky scored 51 goals and assisted 86 more en route to his first Hart Memorial Trophy and All-Star selection.
Across his nine seasons with the Oilers, Gretzky made the All-Star team every year and won a remarkable eight-consecutive Hart Memorial Trophy awards, being recognized as the Most Valuable Player in the league.
In addition to his insane statistics, Gretzky helped the Oilers win four Stanley Cup championships, and the team made the playoffs in each of his nine seasons in Edmonton.
Following his highly successful spell with the Oilers, Gretzky continued his career with the Los Angeles Kings.
In his first season in LA, Gretzky won his ninth and final Hart Memorial Trophy. He played eight seasons with the Kings, showcasing his dominance as the best ice hockey player in NHL history, adding five more All-Star appearances to his already-impressive tally.
Toward the twilight of his career, Gretzky spent a brief period with the St. Louis Blues and finished his playing days with the New York Rangers, finally retiring from hockey at age 38.
Gretzky retired as the greatest NHL player to ever do it, becoming the all-time leading scorer with 2,857 points, a nine-time MVP, 15-time All-Star, 10-time Art Ross Trophy winner. He was an obvious lock for the Hockey Hall of Fame, which he was inducted to in 1999, the year he retired.
Life After Hockey
After the curtain closed on his playing career, Wayne Gretzky became executive director of the Canadian National Men's Hockey Team. Canada's squad won a gold medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics, earning its seventh world title.
Gretzky also purchased a 10 percent stake in the Phoenix Coyotes, becoming part-owner, and was even the head coach for four seasons.
In addition to the Coyotes, Gretzky purchased the Hull Olympiques of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and turned a sizable profit on the organization. He bought them for $150,000 CAD and sold them for more than $500,000.
Gretzky is also a partner in First Team Sports, and earned a plethora of endorsement deals throughout his career, notably from Coca-Cola, Dominos Pizza and Upper Deck.
The former professional hockey player is also vice-chairman of the Oilers Entertainment Group, and has made a ton of money in real estate.
He has also opened the Wayne Gretzky Estates, a winery located in Niagara.
Personal Life
Wayne Gretzky is married to actress Janet Jones. The couple met while on set of the television show "Dance Fever" and tied the knot in 1988.
Janet and Wayne have five children together, daughters Emma and Paulina Gretzky, and sons Trevor, Tristan and Ty.
Wayne Gretzky Net Worth
Wayne Gretzky has two legit water slides in the backyard of his Idaho house http://t.co/tdmKfX6GFI pic.twitter.com/6sDDjR5ZgZ
— Busted Coverage (@bustedcoverage) July 8, 2015
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Wayne Gretzky boasts an astonishing net worth of $250 million. He earned over $45 million in career earnings through the NHL, and managed to turn his marketability into a vast fortune through his various endorsements and business ventures.
