Gretzky
      has
      left
     
     
      the
      building
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Source:
      The
      Nugget
     
     
      (Northern
      Alberta
      Institute
     
     
      of
      Technology)
     
    

    
     
      By
      John
      Shields
     
     
      EDMONTON
      (CUP)
      -
     
     
      There
      are
      a
      select
      few
     
     
      players
      in
      the
      NHL
      that
     
     
      have
      had
      the
      honour
      of
     
     
      being
      inducted
      into
      the
      Hall
     
     
      of
      Fame.
      There
      areeven
      -
     
     
      less
      that
      have
      been
      selected
     
     
      by
      their
      respective
      teams
      to
     
     
      have
      their
      number
      retired.
     
     
      There
      wasn’t
      too
      much
     
     
      debate
      about
      Gretzky.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      evidence
      of
      a
      fantastic
     
     
      career
      was
      laid
      out
      in
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      video
      presentation
      that
      was
     
     
      shown
      at
      the
      Skyreach
     
     
      Center
      this
      past
      Friday.
     
     
      There
      were
      about
      three
     
     
      minutes
      dedicated
      to
      all
      of
     
     
      the
      accomplishments
      and
     
     
      records
      that
      Wayne
      has
     
     
      achieved
      in
      all
      his
      years,
     
     
      Proving
      he
      is
      truly
      the
     
     
      greatest
      thing
      that
      has
     
     
      happened
      to
      the
      game.
     
    

    
     
      The
      evening
      started
      out
     
     
      early
      as
      hockey
      games
      go,
     
     
      with
      the
      presentations
     
     
      slated
      to
      begin
      at
      5:15.
      The
     
     
      drive
      to
      Skyreach
      Center
     
     
      was
      slowed
      by
      the
      mass
      of
     
     
      traffic
      that
      had
      to
      get
      to
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      game
      through
      the
      newly-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      coined
      Wayne
      Gretzky
     
     
      Drive.
      As
      the
      crowds
     
     
      arrived
      and
      began
      to
      file
     
     
      through
      the
      door,
      they
     
     
      quickly
      realized
      that
      this
     
     
      was
      no
      ordinary
      season
     
     
      opener
      for
      the
      Edmonton
     
     
      Oilers.
      There
      were
      mobs
      of
     
     
      people
      all
      trying
      to
      get
      their
     
     
      hands
      on
      one
      of
      the
      special
     
     
      Gretzky
      tribute
      programs.
     
     
      The
      poor
      guy
      that
      was
     
     
      selling
      them
      couldn’t
      open
     
     
      the
      boxes
      fast
      enough
      as
      the
     
     
      fans
      circled
      like
      vultures.
     
     
      The
      ceremony
      itself
      began
     
     
      with
      drummers
      from
      the
     
     
      Loyal
      Edmonton
      Regiment,
     
     
      and
      then
      a
      short
      video
     
     
      presentation
      on
      Gretzky’s
     
     
      life
      and
      career.
      The
      video
     
     
      started
      off
      with
      Wayne
      as
      a
     
     
      child
      and
      then
      went
      on
      to
     
     
      his
      first
      game
      as
      an
      Oiler,
     
     
      first
      NHL
      goal
      and
      other
     
     
      such
      accomplishments.
     
     
      There
      were
      points
      in
      the
     
     
      video
      when
      you
      would
      have
     
     
      actually
      thought
      that
      you
     
     
      were
      at
      a
      funeral.
     
    

    
     
      The
      video
      tried
      so
      hard
      to
     
     
      toy
      with
      the
      fans
      emotions,
     
     
      that
      it
      didn’t
      come
      across
      as
     
     
      genuine
      at
      all.
      In
      the
      end,
     
     
      all
      that
      the
      fans
      came
      to
      see
     
     
      was
      the
      man
      himself.
      The
     
     
      Great
      One
      managed
      to
      stay
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      composed
      through
      the
     
     
      event,
      unlike
      some
      of
      the
     
     
      family
      and
      friends
      that
     
     
      surrounded
      him
      as
      his
     
     
      number
      was
      hoisted
      into
      the
     
     
      rafters.
      His
      wife,
      mother
     
     
      and
      master
      of
      ceremonies
     
     
      Rod
      Phillips
      were
      all
     
     
      moved
      to
      tears
      as
      the
     
     
      evening
      went
      on.
     
     
      The
      most
      moving
      moment
     
     
      of
      the
      evening
      came
      from
     
     
      Oiler
      General
      Manager,
     
     
      Glen
      Sather,
      who
      related
     
     
      stories
      of
      Wayne
      as
      a
      father
     
     
      would.
      “Slats’”
      composure
     
     
      never
      wavered
      for
      a
     
     
      moment,
      but
      the
      words
      he
     
     
      spoke
      were
      the
      most
     
     
      heartfelt
      of
      the
      evening.
     
     
      Gretzky
      has
      left
      the
     
     
      building
      folks,
      for
      the
      first
     
    
   
   
    
     
      time
      in
      21
      years,
      there
      will
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      be
      no
      ‘Great
      One’
      on
      th
     
     
      ice.
      Instead,
      Gretzky
      ha:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      left
      a
      very
      different
      leag
      i
      4
     
     
      than
      the
      one
      he
      first
      aa
      |
      g
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Instead
      of
      a
      league
      where
      ;
      /
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      every
      team
      plays
      on
      an
      eve!
     
     
      surface,
      the
      league
      has
      bee
     
     
      divided
      into
      the
      teams
      that
      4
     
     
      have
      and
      the
      teams
      that
      é
     
     
      have-not.
      Ladies
      and
     
     
      gentlemen,
      we
      live
      ina
      ;
     
     
      country
      of
      have-not
      NHL
     
     
      franchises.
      END