The Most Amazing (lesser known) Wayne Gretzky Stats/Facts

[authentic]

In Gretzky's last full calendar year of his career (1998), he finished 1st in assists & 2nd in points behind peak Jagr.

1998 Calendar Year	PTS	G	A	GP	PPG
1. Jagr	96	28	68	72	1.33
2. Gretzky	91	19	72	75	1,21
3. Leclair	81	43	38	78	1,04

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

And just before this he had 10 goals and 10 assists in 15 games in the 1997 playoffs. Which holds up pretty well against any playoff run Crosby or Ovechkin have had in their career in both goals and points per game.

 

[The Panther]

Across the four seasons of 1982-83 through 1985-86, Gretzky went scoreless in a game just 15 times. I repeat, out of 314 regular season games, he had at least one point in 299 of them. Not once in that stretch did he go back-to-back regular season games without scoring a point. Number of scoreless games by season:

1982-83: 4
1983-84: 3
1984-85: 5
1985-86: 3

That is patently absurd.

Even more remarkable than that is as follows:

From 1982-83 to 1984-85, Gretzky appeared in 115 road games. In the 115 games on the road, he failed to score a point in two of them.

 

[The Panther]

Okay, so somebody else pointed out the following stat in another thread a while back, and I can't remember who the poster was. If you're out there, come forward! Anyway, I thought it was a remarkable stat, although it's more of a team/Gretzky thing than just a Gretzky stat. I just now went back and checked it to make sure, and it is correct, as follows:

In Gretzky's entire Edmonton career (nine seasons), the Oilers were 172-143-45 (.540) on the road, the best such record in the NHL over that period. He missed about 17 games on the road, however, and as they lost most of those, their road record with Wayne in the line-up is even slightly higher, probably around .558.

However, when Gretzky was dressed and failed to score a point on the road, the Oilers were 2-30-5 (.122).

(In Gretzky's first six seasons, the Oilers failed to win a single game on the road when he was held pointless.)

 

[authentic]

Even more remarkable than that is as follows:

From 1982-83 to 1984-85, Gretzky appeared in 115 road games. In the 115 games on the road, he failed to score a point in two of them.

Wayne "never heard of jet lag" Gretzky.

 

[Weztex]

This is an underappreciated "stat". Every asshat (HOH excepted of course ) who says "Gretzky only scored so much because nobody was allowed to hit him" doesn't think about this. Even if we accept the ridiculous notion that hitting Gretzky in NHL action was forbidden, please explain his dominance of international play. You think the Soviets/Czechs/etc. wouldn't have pasted Gretzky to the glass if they could? Please.

Also, the idea that somebody like Denis Potvin would avoid hitting Gretzky due to either i) being intimidated (as if), or ii) some unwritten rule that hitting Gretzky is not allowed, is uproariously funny.

This also debunks the ''bodyguard'' argument.

I never understood why, in a league where players faced guys like Tiger Williams, Terry O'Reilly, Chris Nilan, Dale Hunter, Dave Brown or Bob Probert night in and night out, Dave Semenko would somehow strikes insurmountable fear into the hearts of his opponents.

 

[TheGuiminator]

By the end of the 1988-89 season, Gretzky has had more +5 point games than he had pointless games, in his career.

 

[Big Phil]

This also debunks the ''bodyguard'' argument.

I never understood why, in a league where players faced guys like Tiger Williams, Terry O'Reilly, Chris Nilan, Dale Hunter, Dave Brown or Bob Probert night in and night out, Dave Semenko would somehow strikes insurmountable fear into the hearts of his opponents.

Semenko, and then McSorley, certainly looked out for him, but it wasn't like Gretzky could never have been hit. The Isles in 1983 did a good job on him but in 1984 they didn't. So we are supposed to believe that the proud Islanders were going to let the "5 Cups in a row" drive end all because they wanted to be nice to Gretzky? I guess most people have never heard of these Islanders.

 

[Big Phil]

Even strength assists in 1986 - 105. Player with 2nd overall assists that year - 93.

Just 7 players had more points in 1986 than Gretzky had even strength assists. Yikes.

 

[Video Nasty]

By the end of the 1988-89 season, Gretzky has had more +5 point games than he had pointless games, in his career.

Definitely an interesting one I haven’t heard before. Do you know the numbers for each? That’s 10 seasons deep and 774 games. Absolutely staggering.

 

[TheGuiminator]

Sure, from 1979-80 to 1988-89 :

• 5 point games (and more) : 83

• Pointless games : 76

It got even by the end of the 1989-90 season, with both standing at 86 games

It wasn't until February 5th 1991, at his 900th career game, that Gretzky had more pointless games than +5 point games.

 

[TheGuiminator]

Definitely an interesting one I haven’t heard before. Do you know the numbers for each? That’s 10 seasons deep and 774 games. Absolutely staggering.

Sure, from 1979-80 to 1988-89 :

• 5 point games (and more) : 83

• Pointless games : 76

It got even by the end of the 1989-90 season, with both standing at 86 games

It wasn't until February 5th 1991, at his 900th career game, that Gretzky had more pointless games than +5 point games.

 

[Killer Orcas]

1-1000 took 424 games. 1001-2000 took 433 games. Lemieux took 513 games to get to 1000.

This is insane to think about how he did that. He destroyed my Canucks growing up what a joy he was to watch though.

 

[Video Nasty]

Sure, from 1979-80 to 1988-89 :

• 5 point games (and more) : 83

• Pointless games : 76

It got even by the end of the 1989-90 season, with both standing at 86 games

It wasn't until February 5th 1991, at his 900th career game, that Gretzky had more pointless games than +5 point games.

I took a look at his game log and found a couple of interesting things to add.

A 5 point game on 2/22/91 pushed it back to 90 games apiece for 5 point games versus 0 point games.

The 2/5/91 game you mentioned was his 5th and final pointless game of the season. He had a point in 73 games.

He collected 55 points in his first 30 games. Then did what no one can do today and increased an already high PPG over the remaining schedule by going ham.

He notched a point in 46 of his final 48 games and racked up 108 more points. The goal to assists ratio was crazy, almost 4 to 1. 22 goals versus 86 assists.

I wonder how much longer he could have kept it close if he didn’t get Sutered before the next season?

Continues to blow my mind that many don’t think Gretzky has a few what if’s of his own and that his declined play post 1991 wasn’t for very specific reasons.

 

[BraveCanadian]

I took a look at his game log and found a couple of interesting things to add.

A 5 point game on 2/22/91 pushed it back to 90 games apiece for 5 point games versus 0 point games.

The 2/5/91 game you mentioned was his 5th and final pointless game of the season. He had a point in 73 games.

He collected 55 points in his first 30 games. Then did what no one can do today and increased an already high PPG over the remaining schedule by going ham.

He notched a point in 46 of his final 48 games and racked up 108 more points. The goal to assists ratio was crazy, almost 4 to 1. 22 goals versus 86 assists.

I wonder how much longer he could have kept it close if he didn’t get Sutered before the next season?

Continues to blow my mind that many don’t think Gretzky has a few what if’s of his own and that his declined play post 1991 wasn’t for very specific reasons.

I'm proud to have helped this official term of being "Sutered" catch on. See also: Paul Kariya.

Seriously though, Gretzky's drop off is very distinct afterwards so it's too bad we didn't get to see how he may have faded through age alone rather than age + injuries.

 

[TheGuiminator]

I took a look at his game log and found a couple of interesting things to add.

A 5 point game on 2/22/91 pushed it back to 90 games apiece for 5 point games versus 0 point games.

The 2/5/91 game you mentioned was his 5th and final pointless game of the season. He had a point in 73 games.

He collected 55 points in his first 30 games. Then did what no one can do today and increased an already high PPG over the remaining schedule by going ham.

He notched a point in 46 of his final 48 games and racked up 108 more points. The goal to assists ratio was crazy, almost 4 to 1. 22 goals versus 86 assists.

I wonder how much longer he could have kept it close if he didn’t get Sutered before the next season?

Continues to blow my mind that many don’t think Gretzky has a few what if’s of his own and that his declined play post 1991 wasn’t for very specific reasons.

Gretzky has definitely his shares of what if's, but it's rarely brought up for some reasons.

Had not being for the Suter hit, I'm sure his career takes a different path, you're probably looking at :

- Likely another Art Ross down the road
- One more 150 points season in 1992-93
- One last 50 goal season in 1992-93
- A few more 100 assists season ( 1992, 1993 & maybe 1996)
- An assist per game in every season (except maybe for his last one)
- A point per game in every season including his final one- ending with a perfect 20 in 20 consecutive PPG seasons
- Atleast one 100 points seasons with the Rangers (1997 and/or 1998)

 

[ThreeLeftSkates]

Semenko, and then McSorley, certainly looked out for him, but it wasn't like Gretzky could never have been hit. The Isles in 1983 did a good job on him but in 1984 they didn't. So we are supposed to believe that the proud Islanders were going to let the "5 Cups in a row" drive end all because they wanted to be nice to Gretzky? I guess most people have never heard of these Islanders.

It was so much fun watching him play back then. Even if he beat your team.

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

Gretzky has definitely his shares of what if's, but it's rarely brought up for some reasons.

Had not being for the Suter hit, I'm sure his career takes a different path, you're probably looking at :

- Likely another Art Ross down the road
- One more 150 points season in 1992-93
- One last 50 goal season in 1992-93
- A few more 100 assists season ( 1992, 1993 & maybe 1996)
- An assist per game in every season (except maybe for his last one)
- A point per game in every season including his final one- ending with a perfect 20 in 20 consecutive PPG seasons
- Atleast one 100 points seasons with the Rangers (1997 and/or 1998)

With lemieux healthy Gretzky last ross would be 88. 89-2001 would all be marios

 

[kaiser matias]

Read that for the 1978 World Juniors, Gretzky was only invited because he was leading the OHA in scoring, as a 16-year old. He missed a month of league games, and was still leading the league in scoring. Of course he also led the World Juniors in scoring as well.

 

[Albatros]

Despite finishing his NHL career with +520 was a minus player everywhere but Edmonton, even in the WHA.

The only team he was below ppg against were the Florida Panthers (5+12=17 points in 20 games).