One of the continual delights of the month of September is the arrival of the National Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book.  These days, I get one of these babies free as part of my job.  Don’t tell anyone, but if they didn’t give me a free copy, I’d still rush out and buy one.

There’s something magical about leafing through a fresh copy of this book in the weeks before the NHL regular season gets underway.  At that juncture in time, what you hold in your hand is practically the entire encapsulated history of the National Hockey League.  Every goal scored, every assist, every win, every penalty shot, and every obscure record.  It’s tailor-made for bar-room arguments.

Back when I indeed did hang out in bar-rooms, my 1984-85 edition of the Official Guide & Record Book, the one with Gretzky hoisting the Cup above his head for the first time, was faithfully carted from fine establishment to fine establishment in downtown Ottawa, as my drinking buddies and I attempted to out-stump each other with arcane trivia.

In those days before the Internet, such books were the only way to get the real facts, not some nonsense trivia about Frank Mahovlich that your brother-in-law made up one night at the family Sunday evening dinner.

I would have given all of my O-Pee-Chee 1973-74 doubles in order to have gotten my mitts on an NHL Official Guide & Record Book during grade school.  Back then, one of the guaranteed ways to gain instant street cred from the other guys in the classroom was to know your NHL trivia.  Know It Cold.  Not one slip-up permitted, or the pack of jackals would be all over you.

Not being particularly athletically gifted, and years before music became the premier social calling card, I made it a point to memorize, no, to intimately know all the biographical information contained on the back of my hockey cards.

That in itself required an investment not only of time, but of money.  At 10 cents a pack, the cards were easily obtainable at almost every corner store in Edmonton.  But when you had parents who granted you an allowance of 25 cents every two weeks, at most, if you didn’t lose your focus and blow your money on comics and Pixy Stix, you could only buy five packs of cards a month.

Some shrewd school-yard trading moves, coupled with a timely cash infusion from the grandparents in New Brunswick, helped to supplement this habit.

What also helped in the pursuit of NHL knowledge was the discovery one afternoon of the Hockey Bible in the school library.

Sitting there tattered in the periodicals section was a weeks-old copy of The Hockey News.  This pipeline to nirvana, coupled with the O-Pee-Chee cards, provided me more than enough ammo to rule the home room roost.

Years later, circa 1995, I was rooting around a second-hand pop culture store in uptown Toronto, when I came across a pristine copy of the NHL Official Guide & Record Book for the 1970-71 season.  For only five bucks, I walked out of the store with this pocket-novel sized time machine in my coat pocket. 

If only I had had access to such gold back during primary school days.

Over the years, the guide went missing in my house, as it was buried under a landslide of contemporary Guide & Record Books, and the detritus of everyday life.

Thanks to a winter flood that occurred a year-and-a-half ago, we were forced to completely remodel our main room in the basement.  Contained within that space was my ever-growing sports library.  Moving it book-by-book took a few hours, particularly since I would stop at every third book, and flip through the pages, reliving the 1978 Montreal Expos’ season,  thrilling again to the 1976 Grey Cup winning catch by Tony Gabriel, and re-reading the history of F1.

Near the back of one jumble of hockey flotsam-and-jetsam, still in fine condition all these years later, was the 1970-71 NHL Guide & Record Book.

On the cover, Gordie Howe and Clarence Campbell are still grinning for the camera.

Correction, Mr. Hockey was grinning; Mr. Campbell was smiling.

Arguably, at that juncture in hockey history, Howe and Campbell were the two most famous/powerful men in the game.

Sure, wunderkind Bobby Orr’s star was in ascendency, and a young, brash lawyer named Alan Eagleson was gaining power every day, but entering what would be his 25^th NHL season, Gordie Howe was a living legend, and still a force in the league.  A look at the 70-71 Guide Book backs that up.

The previous season, Howe put up 71 points in 76 games for the Detroit Red Wings.  That was good enough to lead the Red Wings, one point up on Frank Mahovlich, despite what your brother-in-law might have told you.

Those 71 points placed Howe ninth in league scoring, not bad for a 42-year-old.  Orr led the way with 120 points.

A deeper dive into the book takes one back forty years, to when The Big Bad Bruins had won their first Stanley Cup in twenty-nine years, and seemed poised to repeat.  A quick glance at the Montreal Canadiens’ goaltender depth chart shows Rogatien Vachon, Phil Myre, and Lorne Gump Worsley.   The only Dryden in the Guide was one David Murray Dryden, then a goaltender with the Chicago Black Hawks.

Actually, check that.  Dryden had played some of the previous season with Chicago, but he was entering the 70-71 campaign as a member of the newly minted Buffalo Sabres, who began play in the NHL that fall, along with the Vancouver Canucks.

The Sabres depth chart boasted the likes of Dryden, Roger Crozier, Gary Edwards, and Joe Daley in net.  And some dude named Norm Farr.  The Canucks went with Ed Dyke, George Gardner, Charlie Hodge, and Dunc Wilson.   Also some guys named Serge Aubrey, and Lynn Zimmerman.

1970-71 would be the first year for those two teams, and the last year for another living legend, Jean Beliveau.  The captain of the Montreal Canadiens had watched as the previous spring’s post-season proceeded without the Habs.  By the time they got ready to print the 71-72 Guide, Beliveau would have left the ice the same way he entered, as a winner, holding the Stanley Cup high over his head as he left the ice forever.

The 70-71 Guide also dedicated two full pages to the memory of Terry Sawchuk, who had passed away on May 31^st of that year.  His 103 regular-season career shutouts looked untouchable.

Here’s some Sawchuk trivia for you, courtesy of page 98 of the Guide.  Sawchuk was the first player in professional hockey to win Rookie of the Year in three different leagues.  He was anointed top freshman in 47-48 in the United States Hockey League, 48-49 in the American Hockey League, and finally 50-51 in the NHL.  Would have loved to have pulled that fact out of my back pocket in Grade Five.

One of our favourite parts of the Guide & Record Book during those beer-soaked evening were the lists of Career NHL Goal and Points leaders.  Back in 1984, the obvious names were near the top-of-the-list, but a quick glance at the list revealed that Dean Prentice was a better player than we had ever thought.  Actually, we had never thought about Dean Prentice.

As of the 70-71 season, none other than Gordie Howe was perched atop the NHL Career Points and Goals Lists.  After 24 seasons, Howe had compiled a staggering 763 goals and 1,757 points.  No-one else was even close.

In second place point-wise was Beliveau, over 600 points in the rear of Howe.  Alex Delvecchio, in my opinion maybe thee most underrated offensive force in NHL history, was the only other player to have broken the 1,000 point barrier as of the autumn of 1970.

Goal-wise, the 763 that Howe had was 219 better than the Rocket, and Maurice Richard hadn’t played in the league for a decade.  Bobby Hull, then at the height of his awesome power, was third with 510 career NHL regular-season goals.

No-one else was part of the 500 goal club.  Jean Beliveau was next with 482, and his subsequent 25 goals in his final season would push him over the magic line.

A scan of that goal list shows that Nels Stewart occupied 11^th place with 324 career goals.  At one point, the Hockey Hall-of-Famer was the career NHL goal scoring leader, until The Rocket roared by him.  As we enter the 2010-11 season, Stewart has slipped down to, well, out of the Top 50.  Alex Mogilny and Denis Savard are tied for 49^th place with 473 career goals.  You probably couldn’t find Stewart with a GPS.

Regardless of his current position, the Hockey News knows a good thing when they see it, and Stewart checked in at Number 51 in their 1998 list of the Top 100 NHL Players of All-Time.

Just like the contemporary Guide & Record Book, the 1970-71 edition has a statistical breakdown of every NHL player, and many in the AHL, and CHL.  A random flip of pages turns up…

Robert Larry Mickey.  Born in 1943 in Lacombe, Alberta.  Got into 21 games in 69-70 with the Montreal Canadiens.  The right winger recorded 4 goals and 4 assists.  Spent most of that season with the AHL Montreal Voyageurs.

Randy Legge.  Born 1945 in Newmarket, Ontario.  Played 72 games with Buffalo in the AHL, putting up totals of zero goals and 18 assists.  He was a defenceman.  Oh, and had 161 penalty minutes.  That would have been good for sixth in the NHL.

Kenneth Lorne Broderick.  Born 1942 in Toronto, Ontario.  The goaltender player for three teams in 69-70, including 6 games up with the Minnesota North Stars, posting a 4.33 goals-against-average.

Allan Thomas Reid.  Born 1946 in Fort Erie, Ontario.  Another member of the North Stars, this towering defenceman (6’1’’ was big back then) suited up for 66 games with the Green-and-Gold, scoring one goals and chipping in with 7 assists.

Brian Nicholas Wayne Marchinko.  Born 1948 in Weyburn, Saskatchewan.  Who???  This centre toiled with Tulsa of the CHL in 69-70, getting 8 goals and 14 assists in 59 games.  So, whatever became of the second-most famous citizen of Weyburn?  From what I could find, he got into 2 games that season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and then 3 games with the Leafs the year after.  He was a member of the charter New York Islanders, finding the back of the net twice, and added 6 assists in 36 games. After 6 more games on the Island, Marchinko ended up bouncing around the minor leagues, including a stint with the Johnstown Jets.  For Islander fans who want to wear his jersey at a game this season, it looks like Marchinko wore number 22.  Hey, he’s even got an O-Pee-Chee rookie card in his snazzy Islanders’ uniform.  Card # 179.  Will only set you back 2 bucks to get a near-mint copy.

Thumbing through the section of the Guide that lists all the players in the minors, one trips across names like future St. Louis Blue Jack Egers, who led the CHL in scoring in 69-70, recording 90 points with Omaha. Also near the top of the CHL scoring parade were Ivan Boldirev, Tom Webster, Don Luce, and Gregg Sheppard.

Leading the American Hockey League in scoring in 1969-70 was Jude Drouin of Montreal, who had 106 points in 65 games.  Also near the top of the AHL scoring studs were Guy Trottier, Guy Charron, Mike Nykoluk, and Rosaire Paiement.  In the case of Paiement, who was 16^th in scoring with 68 points, he also racked up 242 penalty minutes.

One small entry, found on page 97 of the Guide, breaks down the NHL Players Pension Plan.  It began in 1947, as the players contributed $900 each per year, and the NHL contributed a variable amount.  A player could collect an annual pension of $90 for each year of service, payment starting at age 45, and guaranteed for at least a decade.

By 1969, the plan was revised.  The owners agreed to completely fund the Pension Plan, which began at age 45.  Players collected $300 each year for every season of service in the NHL, and $1,000 for each year once they reached the age of 65.

And you wonder why some of these guys charge for autographs?

The 1970-71 NHL Guide & Record Book ran for 465 pages, and featured a full-coloured advertisement for Rawlings on the back cover.  “The Mark Of A Pro” goes the ad copy for Rawlings, then the official manufacturer of official NHL hockey equipment.  The inside cover had a picture of the blue and black Hockey Night in Canada logo.  That’s it.  Completely covers the front inside cover.  The inside back cover is a wonderful colour ad for United Airlines.  It features the logo pucks of all fourteen NHL teams, and has the slogan “Take a Tip from the Pros…Fly the Friendly Skies of United…The Airline of Sports Champions”.

There is no indication how much this jewel of a book cost back in 1970, nor do I know if it was even available to the general public.  It was edited by the great Ron Andrews, who was THEE MAN for years in terms of NHL statistics.

These days, I can’t squirrel away every annual edition of the NHL Guide.  There’s isn’t room to keep them all, so I hold on to a select few.  That 1984-85 Guide that is stained with beer and popcorn, the 1986-87 edition when Montreal won the Cup, a Guide with Mario Lemieux on the cover, and the 94-95 edition, after the impossible happened, and the New York Rangers won the Stanley Cup during my lifetime.

The 2009-10 copy, still in my filing cabinet here at work, sports Sidney Crosby on the cover.  My six-year-old will want to keep that one.  One day he’ll also want this 1970-71 Guide, a perfect, un-aged glimpse back into the mists of hockey history, back when Nels Stewart still held his rightful place with the greats.

- Mick Kern

The two men known respectively as “Mr. Hockey” and “The Great One” are hopeful that Team Canada can win gold at the Vancouver Olympics, but they say it will be a tough competition.

Gordie Howe and Wayne Gretzky spoke out about the chances for the men’s hockey team when they gathered in Saskatoon for a sports celebrity dinner Friday.

“They’ll win,” Howe said when asked for his prediction in an interview with The Canadian Press before the gala. “Unless they lose,” he quipped.

“But I think they’ve got a strong a port of hockey players.”

Howe said he saw the team practise and thought they were very good.

“They’ve got some of the elderly statesmen who have been around the game for a while and if that rubs off on the younger ones they’ll be doing fine.”

Gretzky’s prediction came before a crowd of more than 1,200 people at the dinner where Prime Minister Stephen Harper, a well-known hockey historian, refereed a conversation between “The Great One” and “Mr. Hockey.” Gretzky said the game will come down to two things.

“One, goaltending. I always told Marty Brodeur ‘You don’t like hearing this Marty but the pressure’s on you’ and he would always tell me ‘I know.’ Secondly, if your best players play at the calibre they’re capable of playing at under high scrutiny then they’ll be fine,” said Gretzky.

Gretzky said Team Canada is a favourite to win a gold medal, but unfortunately will play against some tough teams, including the Russians, the Czechs, the Swedes and the United States.
“Competition’s going to be great and I think it’s going to be exciting and I think it’s going to be great for the country. Hopefully we’re in that gold medal game and get a chance to win gold again.”

“It is our game. It is our country,” said Gretzky.

“This will be the one place in the world that come February 28th will shut down in the afternoon so everybody can watch a hockey game and you just don’t get that in any other country.”

The 40-minute long conversation with Howe and Gretzky was like a dream for hockey fans as the men talked about the future of the game and its past. Gretzky recalled that he was 10-years-old when he first met Howe, his hockey idol. The men would later face off on the ice.

“The first game we played I was 17-years-old and I remember skating around the warmup and thinking ‘Oh my goodness I’m playing against Gordie Howe,”‘ said Gretzky.

“Gordie was over there and he was looking at me, he was winking to me and he was telling me ‘Good luck.’ So the first shift I go down and I lifted his stick up and I got the puck and I’m going back the other way and he came down the ice and he gave me a whack in the hand and I went ‘Oh my goodness.’ And he got the puck and he went back the other way.”

“I said ‘I’m never taking the puck from him again.’ That was it,” laughed Gretzky and the crowd.
Toward the end of the conversation, Harper asked the men about their worst or toughest moment in their long hockey careers.

“My first punch on Rocket’s nose,” joked Howe. “No, not really. I think Rocket was mad at me. I beat him at golf.”

Howe said in the interview that he’s too old to skate for Team Canada now, but joked that “maybe” the team can win without him.

“I hope they do,” said Howe. “If they play well and everything falls in line they’ll do it. If they don’t they should be respected for the effort they’re putting in.”

Mick Kern appears courtesy of Live From Wayne Gretzky’s

Earlier today, I saw a list of National Hockey League players who played a thousand or more regular season games in the league.

How many players have had the opportunity to suit up for an NHL team since the league formed in 1917?  Five thousand?  Can’t be that many, seeing that for twenty-five years, there were only six teams in the circuit.  Before 1942, when there were more teams in the league, how big were the rosters?

Whatever that number may be, as of Friday, November 13^th, 2009, from what I could see, only 238 players have played at least 1000 regular-season NHL games.  One might expect the giants of the game to be on that list, after all, you’d have to be pretty good to last that long in the world’s premier hockey league.  Or would you?  Maybe you just have to be good enough to stick around, just good enough to fill out the fourth line.

Gordie Howe leads the list with 1767 games under his belt during a 26-year NHL career, and that doesn’t take into account his years in the World Hockey Association.  Mark Messier follows Mr. Hockey, falling 11 games short of his total.  Ron Francis gets the bronze medal with 1731 games played, Chris Chelios has participated in 1644 games in the NHL…and possibly counting…and Dave Andreychuk sits in fifth spot with 1639.

The first three are Hall-of-Famers, Chelios will be one day if he ever decides to retire, and a good case can be made for Andreychuk to be there too.

Scanning down the list, most of the players listed near the top are Hall-of-Famers.  Scott Stevens, Ray Bourque, Larry Murphy, Johnny Bucyk, Steve Yzerman; just some of the names that pop out at you.  All of them great players during their tour-of-duty in the NHL.

But what about the plumbers, the spear-carriers, the lunch-bucket guys who turned a skill set based on limited talent and hard work into an NHL career that spanned over 1000 games?  When you think about it, it’s those guys that deserved the proverbial gold watch.  Most hockey fans probably would be unaware that they played that many games in the league.

How about defenceman Luke Richardson, who got into 1417 games over the course of his 20-year NHL career that was spent with 6 teams, including two stops in Toronto?  No-one should seriously consider Richardson for the Hall-of-Fame, but this steady D-man sits 22^nd on the list of games played.  Only 21 other players have a longer service record that Luke Richardson.  That’s gotta count for something.

Or how about, in 31^st spot, Doug Mohns, who played 1390 games spread over 22 years and five teams, most of them with the Bruins and Blackhawks well before the 1967 expansion?

And what about Dean Prentice (1378), or Ron Stewart (1353), or how about James Patrick (1280), or Marc Bergevin (1191)?

Marc Bergevin???

I remember a lot of hockey players, but this guy totally slipped my mind, until I saw him sitting at number 82 on the list.  Is he mostly remembered for his wacky sense-of-humour?

The 60^th overall draft pick of the Chicago Black Hawks in 1983, Bergevin played those 1191 games wearing the colours of the Black Hawks, (when they still went with Black Hawks, not Blackhawks), the Islanders, Whalers, Lightning, Red Wings, Blues, Penguins, Tampa again, and finally the Vancouver Canucks.

Reminds me of Mike Sillinger, who recently retired after putting 1049 on his NHL clock, playing for a record 12 different NHL franchises over 18 seasons.

Again, only 238 NHL players have reached the 1000 game mark, and Marc Bergevin and Mike Sillinger are two of them?  No offense intended to either gentleman, but both their names do not leap-to-mind when I think of long careers.

But I am wrong.  Very wrong.  Other foot soldiers that dodged bullets and made their Grand Mark on the game include Derian Hatcher, Curtis Leschyshyn, Gaetan Duschesne, Don Lever, Todd Gill, Dallas Drake, and Tie Domi?

Tie Domi got into 1020 NHL regular season games.  How did he manage that?  The dude could skate, and he had better hands than most enforcers.

Sitting at number 238, as of the day I checked the list, right on 1000 games, is Hockey Hall-of-Famer Bernie Federko, a magician with the puck during his heyday with the St. Louis Blues.

Mark Recchi of the Boston Bruins leads all active players with 1500 games played, and that’s good for 14^th on the list.  And what a career he’s had.  Think of those early years with the Penguins, and then his point-scoring explosion while a member of the Philadelphia Flyers.  Good enough for the Hall-of-Fame?  He’s at least in the discussion.

A thousand games in the NHL?  That’s an accomplishment to be proud of.

- Mick Kern

Mick Kern appears courtesy of Live From Wayne Gretzky’s

WG Authentic – the official company of Wayne Gretzky memorabilia – announces a limited edition jersey set available at the online store at Gretzky.com commemorating the 1979 WHA All-Star Game series. The three-game series vs. the Moscow Dynamo is famous for its pairing of Wayne on the same line alongside his boyhood idol Gordie Howe, Mr. Hockey. This jersey set includes a pair of authentic Mitchell and Ness sweaters in the same style worn during the 1979 games in Edmonton with name, number and signature on the back for both Wayne and Gordie.

Rather than being a typical East vs. West midseason showdown, a trio of games between the WHA All Stars and the Dynamo were held in 1979, with the WHA team sweeping the series. Playing on the same line as a then 18-year-old Wayne and 51-year-old Gordie was Howe’s son Mark. The trio played well together, combining on a few goals and assists – including one off the ice as the multi-talented Gordie hand stitched Wayne’s oversized jersey to fit the young hockey star.

Click here for more information on the 1979 WHA All-Star Game jersey set.

WG Authentic – the official company of Wayne Gretzky memorabilia – played host to a pair of sports luminaries as legendary icon Muhammad Ali and “Mr. Hockey” Gordie Howe each made a recent visit to the Scottsdale, Arizona office. Both Ali and Howe signed limited edition canvas photos now available at Gretzky.com/shop.

Simply known as “The Greatest,” Ali was a three-time heavyweight boxing champion, tallying 56 wins – 37 by knockout – in 61 bouts throughout a career that spanned 21 years. Also the Olympic Light Heavyweight gold medalist at the 1960 Rome Olympics, Ali transcended sports as a social and political figure during his fighting career and continues to do so today. Since retiring from the ring, he has traveled the world, assisting people in need in the areas of hunger, children’s health and Parkinson’s research.

In a piece that captures his competitive spirit, WG Authentic is honored to offer a canvas photo (limited to 65) of the famous image from Ali’s May 25, 1965 victory vs. Sonny Liston. Known as “The Phantom Punch,” this photo pictures the moment the young, toned, budding legend knocked out the former champ in the first round to retain his title.

Howe earned the title “Mr. Hockey” through blood, sweat and tears over a 32-year career at the professional level. Covering six decades, Howe tallied 2,589 career points, 1,071 goals and made 29 all-star appearances playing in both the NHL and WHA. A 7-time MVP and 6-time scoring champ, he led teams to the final championship series round in 15 of his 32 seasons – including winning six world championship cups – despite playing most of his career in the tough original six era dominated by the highest concentration of talent in history.

WG Authentic has available limited edition canvas prints (each limited to 19) signed by Howe that capture the tough yet talented essence of the man who inspired future legends of the game.

For more information on these limited edition pieces signed by Ali and Howe, please visit www.gretzky.com/shop.

WG Authentic – the official company of Wayne Gretzky memorabilia – announces the launch of its new online store on Gretzky.com, located at www.gretzky.com/shop. This updated store features unique and limited edition autographed memorabilia from Wayne, plus other legends of hockey, including Gordie Howe, Guy Lafleur, Bobby Orr and Mario Lemieux, with much more to come.

Items currently available for sale include framed photos and high definition canvas prints capturing moments from the storied careers of some of the game’s all-time greats. Additional collectables are also available and more products are being added each week, including signed Gretzky jerseys and items autographed by top athletes throughout the world of sports and legends of their respective games, such as Steve Nash, Sidney Crosby and Muhammad Ali.

Gretzky.com/shop has been designed to better serve our customers with an easy to navigate interface. Additionally, online accounts can be created that will allow customers to personalize their Gretzky.com/shop experience by creating wish lists and being among the first to learn about new items and exclusive offers. Shipping is easy from Gretzky.com/shop and the new store will allow customers to track the progress of their order.

For more information, please visit www.gretzky.com/shop or contact WG Authentic at (480) 778-1899.

Article by Don Schwartz, WG Authentic / Watch Video

It’s been 15 years since Wayne Gretzky set a new standard for scoring with his 802nd goal, but the memories are etched in stone for those in attendance that night on March 23, 1994.

The Los Angeles Kings had just returned home from a game in San Jose where Wayne had tied the NHL’s all-time goal scoring mark, held by his boyhood idol and legend Mr. Hockey, Gordie Howe.  Anticipation filled The Forum, the Kings’ home at the time, as fans prepared themselves to witness hockey history.

Not that anyone “really” knew that the record would be set that night vs. the Vancouver Canucks.

“I was on that trip,” said Terry Jones, the long-time sports columnist for the Edmonton Sun, who was assigned to follow Wayne until he set the new scoring mark. “It started with him playing two or three games in the Los Angeles area. I remember going over to Anaheim one night and he was really struggling to get that key goal. There was a lot of banter between the two of us, a ‘you know, don’t keep me out here too long’ sort of thing.”

“So when he scored it in the game against Vancouver, I think it was more of a relief for Wayne than anything just because it was a bit of hockey’s version of the Babe Ruth thing going on with Henry Aaron.”

Despite the magnitude of the record, Wayne had already surpassed many of the NHL’s all-time marks, including assists and points. The challenge for Kings’ TV Play-by-Play voice and Hockey Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Miller with the goal record came down to capturing history in the proper light and being prepared for the moment.

“It was four or five years previous when he passed Gordie Howe (for the all-time record in points), when a friend of mine that summer had asked ‘what are you going to say when it happens?’” Miller recalled. “I said ‘well, I never really thought of saying anything except describing the play. Then I thought ‘maybe they expect me to add a little something to it.’ So when he passed Howe in points, I just said ‘the Great One has become the greatest of them all, the all-time leading scorer in the history of the National Hockey League.’

“Now on this night I thought ‘well, I’ve got to come up with something else to say because he was going to pass the goal scoring record.’ So when it happened, I said ‘the Great One’s NHL record book is now complete, he’s the all-time leader in points, assists and now in goals with his 802nd goal.’”

That goal would finally come with the assistance of teammates Luc Robitaille and Marty McSorely, sending the sold-out and celebrity-filled crowd into a frenzy.

“Kirk McLean, the Vancouver goaltender, was so far out of the net that it was just a wide open net for Wayne to score,” Miller said. “You would think he almost can’t miss this. And he didn’t miss it. There was a tremendous ovation. I remember Wayne with his hands in the air kind of doing a little dance.”

Though he became the all-time leading goal scorer in NHL history that night, the moment overshadowed the all-around game of Wayne and the pride he took in assisting his teammates and the greater team good.

“To be honest, I wouldn’t put (the goal record) up there with some of the others,” Jones said. “The record he broke as a King in Edmonton, the points record, I’d think that probably meant more to Wayne because it was points and he was more about points than goals, even though we all remember that night he scored five to make it 50 in 39 games and breaking Phil Esposito’s single season record and all that stuff.

“At the end of the day, Wayne was about being a playmaker more than a goal scorer, so I think those records probably meant more to him.”

Wayne would go on to tally 92 more goals beyond 802 before his retirement after the 1998-99 season. The current active leader in goals is New Jersey’s 40-year-old veteran Brendan Shanahan with 654. So while the memories of 802 for many are etched in stone, hockey fans wonder if 894 is a record that also needs to be set in stone.

“The way things have gone in the league, it’s a record that, I know it’s been said before, may never be broken,” Miller said. “I don’t think players nowadays are going to play long enough to score that many goals. Everybody that night was feeling that it was going to be a night we’d remember because of the anticipation of seeing an NHL record.”

Article by Don Schwartz, WG Authentic / Watch Video