Gretzky Gets Call From the Hall Today

Before he rewrote the NHL record book, before he won the Stanley Cup four times, the scoring title 10 times and the most valuable player award nine times, Wayne Gretzky used to sneak into the Hockey Hall of Fame at every chance. Indulged by a friendly security guard, the skinny kid from Brantford stared for hours at the sticks and uniforms that belonged to the players he idolized.

When he returns to the Hall today, it will be through the front door, to take his place among those he once worshiped.

The greatest player and ambassador the NHL has known will receive his Hall of Fame blazer and ring today in a ceremony televised across his native Canada, the 10th and final player to gain entry before the usual three-year waiting period. Gretzky, 38, retired in April with 61 NHL records and a legacy whose richness is impossible to measure.

“I’m very lucky. I played with some great players and great teams,” said Gretzky, who spent 7 1/2 of his 20 NHL seasons with the Kings and turned the Forum into a haven for fans and celebrities. “Your ultimate goal is to win the Stanley Cup. Going into the Hockey Hall of Fame is icing on the cake.”

Also to be inducted today are Andy van Hellemond in the referees/linesmen category, and former referee and NHL executive Scotty Morrison in the builders category. In addition, Russ Conway of the Lawrence (Mass.) Eagle Tribune will receive the Elmer Ferguson memorial award for distinguished newspaper work and Richard Garneau of Montreal will get the Foster Hewitt memorial award for outstanding contributions to hockey broadcasting.

Gretzky, 38, said he misses hockey tremendously, yet he hasn’t played at all since his final game and owns no skates, having given his last pair to the Hall of Fame.

“When I retired, I knew I needed to take some time away from the NHL,” he said. “I played hockey for 36 years and I loved every minute of it, but I really used up every part that I needed to be a hockey player, and I needed a break. . . . Where I place amongst the players that have gone before, that’s up for debate. People say, ‘This guy,’ or ‘That guy,’ but all I know is I enjoyed it and loved it.”