Wayne Gretzky: A Legend's Top 5 Stanley Cup Moments (2024)

By Jason Bolton June 02, 2024 14:49

The greatest hockey player of all time is none other than “The Great One” himself -- Wayne Gretzky. There is so much to Hossa's distinguished career with plenty of highlights as he excelled in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The top 5 Stanley Cup moments that epitomize the Gretzky legacy while highlighting his unmatched supremacy; skill, leadership and impact on the sport.

1. Edmonton Oilers Win First Stanley Cup (1984)

Wayne Gretzky and the Edmonton Oilers won the first of their five Stanley Cups in 1984. How the team got to The Cup with all that is an ode to Gretzky's amazing skill, his leadership. The Great One, after all, had the game-winning goal and multiple key assists in the New York Islanders-Edmonton Oilers final to win his first championship and cement his true-gamechanger status. That win was just the start of Gretzky's reign of terror through the NHL, laying the foundation for all his future victories.

2. In 1985 Stanley Cup Record amounts

Gretzky skated off into the record books and a stamp on the sport that would last in the 1985 Stanley Cup Finals. Gretzky recorded a hat-trick in game 5 during the first period against the Philadelphia Flyers, showing his offensive prowess none could surpass. With his stunning playoffs, he led the Edmonton Oilers to their second straight Stanley Cup, marking his face as a hockey legend and in the books of the National Association of Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic.

3. Trade to Los Angeles Kings and 1993 Stanley Cup Run

Wayne Gretzky was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in 1988. Once he got to Los Angeles, he breathed life into the sport in non-traditional markets and the NHL started to gain popularity. Gretzky brought the Kings to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1993, mesmerizing audiences with his magic and will to win. While he never captured a Cup with the Kings, his impact on both the team and the sport was felt, illustrating the transcendent ways he could lift the game to levels never before seen.

4. Stanley Cup Final win with the New York Rangers (1994)

The most successful of them was his time with the New York Rangers, who won the Stanley Cup in 1994. Even though it was near the end of his outstanding career, Gretzky still led the Rangers with his play on the ice, and his on-ice ability helped drive the team to their first championship in 54 years. That lasting legacy is clear in last night's victory as he lifted the Stanley Cup one more time to cap off an impressive career, truly establishing him as one of the greatest in the game of hockey.

5. Legacy and Contributions

The great one, Wayne Gretzky, is larger than life and that is as true in an executive boardroom as it is on a sheet of hockey ice. His world class skill, vision and playmaking ability changed the face of the game, impacting generations of players and reshaping the sport. Gretzky has an absurd collection of career accomplishments—894 regular-season goals, 1,963 regular-season assists, four Stanley Cups and on and on. His legacy goes beyond the numbers, though; he is a standard of class, grace and commitment not just in the NHL but in sport itself.

Part of Gretzky's lore lives on in a hockey universe, a legacy of hope for dreamers and success for the game of hockey. Between his on-ice individual accomplishments and his off-ice influence, he has had the impact of an NHL all-time great and will be associated with hockey excellence for all time.
Wayne Gretzky's top 5 Stanley Cup moments ultimately pay homage to the nature of his illustrious career, underscored by his outstanding skill, leadership, and long-lasting imprint on the game of hockey. His stature as "The Great One" will continue to enthrall and awe hockey fans in the decades to come.

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