Al Strachan Wayne Gretzky Books

Published with Wayne Gretzky's cooperation, this is the definitive biography of the greatest player that hockey has ever seen. From the time Wayne Gretzky began playing organized hockey at the age of six, his genius was evident. He scored one goal in his first season and 378 in his fifth. With the Edmonton Oilers in the 1980s and later with the Los Angeles Kings, he was virtually unstoppable. He won nine Hart trophies as the leading scorer, and four Stanley Cups. Later, with the St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers, he continued to show leadership, finesse, and grace both on and off the ice. Based on thousands of hours of conversations with Gretzky, including new interviews, 99 details Gretzky's move to L.A., his role as player and coach for Canada Cup and Olympic teams, and career highlights such as his greatest goal and greatest game. Gretzky also discusses with Strachan the challenges in his career--the truth about the gambling scandal and the behind-the-scenes negotiations before his trade to the St. Louis Blues. In this revealing, insightful, and definitive biography, Al Strachan takes readers on a most remarkable journey and details the life of Wayne Gretzky as it has never been told before.

In this sports memoir, Wayne Gretzky weaves memories of his legendary career with an inside look at professional hockey and the heroes and stories that inspired him. From minor-hockey phenomenon to Hall of Fame sensation, Wayne Gretzky rewrote the record books, his accomplishments becoming the stuff of legend. Dubbed “The Great One,” he is considered by many to be the greatest hockey player who ever lived. No one has seen more of the game than he has—but he has never discussed in depth just what it was he saw. For the first time, Gretzky discusses candidly what the game looks like to him and introduces us to the people who inspired and motivated him: mentors, teammates, rivals, the famous and the lesser known. Weaving together lives and moments from an extraordinary career, he reflects on the players who inflamed his imagination when he was a kid, the way he himself figured in the dreams of so many who came after; takes us onto the ice and into the dressing rooms to meet the friends who stood by him and the rivals who spurred him to greater heights; shows us some of the famous moments in hockey history through the eyes of someone who regularly made that history. Warm, direct, and revelatory, it is a book that gives us number 99, the man and the player, like never before.