30 years ago today, hockey history was made. Wayne Gretzky eclipsed Gordie Howe’s all-time NHL points record.
You couldn’t have written a better way for it to happen. Gretzky, playing for the LA Kings, was back in Edmonton, where he scored so many of those points with the Oilers. Gretz hit the mark in the first period, assisting on a Bernie Nicholls goal, tying Gordie’s record with 1,850 points. It looked like they’d remain even in the record books for another game, but in dramatic fashion, Wayne potted a wraparound to tie the game with less than a minute in regultion, breaking the record in the process! But this is Wayne Gretzky we’re talking about, he still had another trick up his sleeve, scoring the O.T. winner!
Wayne was honoured that night by the fans, the league, his teammates, his former teammates and Mr. Hockey himself, Gordie Howe. This marking the 30-year anniversary of Gretzky’s achievement matches him once again with his idol. When Wayne broke Howe’s record, he had held it for 30 years! But it doesn ‘t look like Wayne will be toppled anytime soon, or potentially any time at all! It’s been three decades and the closest player to Number 99’s record is Jaromir Jagr, who is almost a thousand points behind Gretz’s all-time record of 2,857 points!
Check below for highlights of that special night in Edmonton.
