Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC LLD (hc) is a retired Canadian
professional ice hockey player. Nicknamed "The Great
One", Gretzky was called "the greatest player of
all time" in Total Hockey: The Official Encyclopedia of
the NHL. He is generally regarded as the best player in the
history of the NHL, and has been called "the greatest
hockey player ever" by many sportswriters, players, and
coaches. Upon his retirement on April 18, 1999, he held
forty regular-season records, fifteen playoff records, and
six All-Star records.