Gretzky Wins MVP Award for a Record Seventh Time

No. 99 won No. 7 and said it was sweeter than ever.

Wayne Gretzky, National Hockey League scoring champion the last six years, walked away with the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league’s most valuable player an unprecedented seventh year in a row Tuesday night at the league’s annual awards ceremony.

Gretzky scored 52 goals, had a record 163 assists and a record 215 points last season, which ended on a sour note when the two-time Stanley Cup-champion Oilers lost the Clarence Campbell Conference playoff final to the Calgary Flames.

Gretzky’s Hart award broke a six-win tie he’d held with former great Gordie Howe, who won the trophy in 1952, 1953, 1957, 1958, 1960 and 1963.

Gretzky polled 281 of a possible 300 points in voting (five for first, three for second and one for third) by members of the Professional Hockey Writers Assn. Mario Lemieux of Pittsburgh had 163 points and Mark Howe of Philadelphia 32.