Gretzky gets a five-minute standing ovation from a crowd of more than 17,000 that includes his family and many former teammates. He's hugged by former coach Glen Sather and given a portrait by longtime Oilers teammates
Mark Messier
,
Jari Kurri
and
Dave Semenko
.
Gretzky says he accepted his retirement decision the moment he announced it in the final week of the 1998-99 season; he played his
final NHL game
on April 18, 1999, with the Rangers.
"The fact I can't do it, it kills me," he says of continuing to play, "but I've got peace of mind because it was time to move on.
"When I saw that banner go up, there was no turning back."
MORE MOMENTS
1960: Rangers forward
Andy Hebenton
scores the first shorthanded, game-winning goal in the history of the NHL All-Star Game. The goal gives the All-Stars a 2-1 victory against the Stanley Cup-champion Montreal Canadiens. It's Hebenton's only All-Star Game appearance.
1981:The New York Islanders trade defenseman
Bob Lorimer
and forward
Dave Cameron
to the Colorado Rockies for a first-round choice in the 1983 NHL Draft. The Islanders use the pick (No. 3) to select future Hall of Fame center
Pat LaFontaine
.
1991: The Pittsburgh Penguins name Scotty Bowman coach. Bowman steps in for Bob Johnson, who is ill and dies on Nov. 26. Bowman goes on to
lead the Penguins to the Stanley Cup
for the second straight season.
1997: Lindy Ruff is a winner in his NHL coaching debut when the
Buffalo Sabres defeat the St. Louis Blues
3-1. It's the first of his 736 wins during 19 seasons as an NHL coach with the Sabres and Dallas Stars.
1999:
Daniel Alfredsson
is named captain of the Ottawa Senators, a position he holds until signing as a free agent with the Detroit Red Wings on July 5, 2013.
2009: Alex Ovechkin scores the first two of his 50 goals in the 2009-10 season, helping the
Washington Capitals defeat the Boston Bruins 5-2
at TD Garden on opening night. Ovechkin also has an assist on the first of two goals by
Brooks Laich
for the Capitals, who go on to win the Presidents' Trophy as the regular-season champion.
2013: The Chicago Blackhawks open defense of their Stanley Cup championship by
defeating the Capitals 6-4
at United Center. After a half-hour banner-raising ceremony, the Blackhawks get goals from six players, including the game-winner by defenseman
Johnny Oduya
with 6:07 left, enabling them to survive a hat trick by Washington center
Mikhail Grabovski
.
