19 Years Ago, Wayne Gretzky Played Final NHL Game With NY Rangers

Nineteen years ago today, Wayne Gretzky (or “The Great One”) played his final NHL game as a member of the New York Rangers in front of a packed house at Madison Square Garden. Although the Rangers lost 2-1 in overtime to Pittsburgh, Gretzky racked up an assist which gave him 1,669 points for his career. After the game ended, Gretzky skated four laps around the ice to bid farewell to his beloved fans. New York Times headline (by Joe LaPointe) from April 19th, 1999:

“GRETZKY RETIRES; With a Few Tears and a Final Assist, Gretzky Says Goodbye.”

Per the article, Gretzky, who was normally “out of uniform and out of the locker room before anyone else on the team,” stayed in his Rangers gear for more than an hour after the game.

”Probably, subconsciously, I don’t want to take it off,” Gretzky, the player known as the Great One, said. ”I’m not going to pull it on ever again. It’s hard. It’s hard to take it off right now. I have to be honest with you. I don’t want to take it off.” -April 19th, 1999 article from the New York Times by Joe LaPointe.

Gretzky, a Hall of Famer, won four Stanley Cup trophies across his 20-year NHL career (1979-1999). He played with the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues, and New York Rangers.

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