Wayne Gretzky announced Thursday he would be stepping down due to the financial turmoil surrounding the team.

As the bankruptcy court battle between Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie and the NHL over the sale of the financially troubled team continues, Gretzky announced on his web site that he was leaving.

“This was a difficult decision that I’ve thought long and hard about,” Gretzky said. “We all hoped there would be a resolution earlier this month to the Coyotes ownership situation, but the decision is taking longer than expected. ... Read More

Watching the NHL playoffs got me thinking about Wayne Gretzky and if the Edmonton Oilers might very well be the greatest dynasty in NHL history. Now I’m that not a big hockey fan, but I’m going to make an argument for the Edmonton Oilers from 1983 – 90. I know people will talk about the Toronto Maple Leafs of the 1940s, the Detroit Red Wings and Montréal Canadiens of the 1950s, the Leafs of the 1960s, the Canadiens and New York Islanders of the 1970s, but I still give the Oilers the edge.

These are the teams that are remembered as the greatest to ever play in the NHL, but it was the Oilers that rewrote the NHL record book. The Toronto Maple Leafs of the 1940s may have been good, but they never scored 400 times in a season. The Red Wings had Hall of Famer Gordie Howe, but the Oilers had Wayne Gretzky. The Canadiens won five Cups in a row, but that was during an era when the NHL had just six teams and only three or four legitimate contenders.

Consider these stats…
Stanley Cups: 5
Stanley Cup Finals Record: 20-6
Regular Season Winning %: .648
Regular Season 1st-Place Finishes: 4
Individual Trophy Winners: 19
Individuals Selected To All-Star Teams: 16

Key Team Records:
Most Wins: 57 (1983-84)
Most Points: 119 (1983-84 & 1985-86)
Most Goals: 446 (1983-84 – NHL record)

Key Individual Records:
Most Assists: 163 (Gretzky in 1986-86 – NHL record)
Most Points: 215 (Gretzky in 1986-86 – NHL record

The team had six future Hall of Famers on its roster during all or part of its run of five Stanley Cup titles – Gretzky (center), Mark Messier (center), Grant Fuhr (Goalie), Jari Kurri (Right Wing), Paul Coffey (Defenseman) and Glenn Anderson (Forward) along with another Hall of Famer as coach/general manager, Glen Sather.

The star of the dynasty years was obviously Wayne Gretzky, who’s called “The Great One” and is considered the greatest player in NHL history.

Check out Wayne Gretzky’s  credentials…

• Upon his retirement in 1999, he held 40 regular season records, 15 playoff records and 6 All-Star records.
• Gretzky is the only NHL player to have over 200 points in one season, a feat he accomplished four times
• Upon his retirement, he was immediately inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame, the last player to have the waiting period lifted
• His #99 has been retired by every NHL team. He is one of only two athletes to have earned that honor league-wide, the other being baseball great Jackie Robinson
• In his career, Gretzky captured nine Hart Trophies as the most valuable player, ten Art Ross Trophies for most points in a season, five Lady Byng Trophies for sportsmanship and performance, five Lester B. Pearson Awards and two Conn Smythe Trophies as playoff MVP.
• Said Bruins coach Terry O’Reilly, “He’s the best. There should be a league rule that he has to be passed around from team to team every year.”
• Today, Gretzky is a minority owner and managing partner of the Phoenix Coyotes. He’s also involved in numerous business ventures and is a popular sports motivational speaker.

If you would like to find out  more information about NHL hockey speakers or how  to hire Wayne Gretzky for a speaking engagement, appearance, endorsement, autograph signing or special event, request Wayne Gretzky booking agent information from PFP Sports and Celebrity Talent Agency. PFP is a top sports booking agent for athletes, entertainers, sports stars and celebrities.