The Sporting News, established in 1886, is celebrating its 140th birthday with a year-long series honoring the . Weve also released , empowering hockey fans to download iconic print covers of Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe or explore endle s rabbit holes to read how your favorite teams were covered in the moment. The hockey portion of our 140 celebration continues with our picks for the top five greatest moments of NHL legend Wayne Gretzky's career. 5. Oct. 14, 1979: Gretzkys first NHL goal After dominating the World Hockey A sociation, Gretzkys first NHL season came in 1979-1980 with the , and his first goal came on October 14 when he scored on goaltender Glen Hanlon. The goal would be the first of Gretzkys 51 goals in that rookie season, and it would be the first of his 894 regular-season goals. Gretzky won his first Hart Memorial Trophy as regular-season MVP in that 1979-80 campaign, and hed go on to win eight more Hart Trophies, all in a row between 1980 and 1989. But that first goal was special for Gretzky, as it was the beginning of the brilliance wed come to expect for No. 99 for the next 20 years. MORE : 4. Dec. 30, 1981: Gretzky scores 50 goals in 39 games On Dec. 30 1981, Gretzky scored five goals against the to hit the 50-goal plateau in just 39 games, making him the fastest player to the mark in NHL history. On Feb. 24, 1982, Gretzky would set the leagues single-season scoring record, putting up his 77th goal against the in a game in which he had a hat trick. Gretzky would Simon Nemec Jersey finish the 1981-82 season with 92 goals a record that stands to this day. Gretzky also had 212 points that year, a total that would stand as his second-best in his career (his best was 215). He was as unstoppable as a hockey player has ever been, and his statistical dominance speaks to his unrivaled skill and smarts. MORE : 3. May 19, 1984: The Great One wins his first Stanley Cup Gretzky and the Oilers had their arch-rivals in the , but on this date in the 1983-84 campaign, Gretzky and Edmonton beat the Islanders 5-2 in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup final to win the franchises first championship and end the Isles streak of four straight Cup wins. Gretzky went on to win another three Stanley Cups, all with the Oilers. He nearly won a fifth Cup as a member of the , but he never had the team succe s outside Edmonton that he did with the Oilers. But players will tell you theres nothing quite like your first Stanley Cup, and that happened for Gretzky very early in his NHL days. MORE : 2. Sept. 15, 1987: Gretzky and Canada win the 1987 Canada Cup This wasnt an ordinary NHL game this was the 1987 Canada Cup. On this date, the third and deciding game was played between Gretzkys Team Canada and Team U.S.S.R., and with 1:26 remaining in the third period of this game, Gretzky perfectly feathered a pa s to icon Mario Lemieux, who scored on Soviet goalie Sergei Mylnikov for the game-and-series-winning goal. The Gretzky-to-Lemieux goal stands out not just as one of the greatest moments of Gretzkys career it was one of the greatest sports moments in Canadas history. Gretzkys astonishing skills as a playmaker were on full display, and it was a dream come true for Canadian sports fans to see Gretzky and Lemieux collaborate on such a crucial goal. MORE : 1. March 23, 1994: Gretzky sets the goal-scoring record On March 20, 1994, Gretzky scored twice as a member of the Kings to pull into a tie with legend Gordie Howe for the all-time lead in NHL goal-scoring, with 801 goals. Only three days later, Gretzky would take the lead by scoring his 802nd goal, beating Canucks goalie Kirk McLean. Gretzkys 894 career goals stood as the most in league history until star Alexander Ovechkin pa sed him in 2025. Still, Gretzkys goal total stood up for more than a few generations of NHLers. Approximately five years later, Gretzkys final game as an NHLer took place when he and his lost to the Penguins by a 2-1 score. At that point, Gretzkys other records including his staggering 1,963 a sists and 2,857 points still stand to this day. For many, if not most, hockey historians, Gretzky stands out as the best ever to do it, and we havent seen anyone like him in the generations that have followed. More NHL News Nico Daws Jersey