The Musial Awards celebrate athletes who demonstrate sportsmanship and exemplify class and character, and the Lifetime Achievement Award honors those who had those qualities for which Baseball Hall of Famer Stan Musial was known. The ceremony will take place in St. Louis, where Musial played all 22 of his MLB seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals and where Gretzky played 18 games for the St. Louis Blues in the 1995-96 NHL season.
"Knowing how beloved Stan was and the way he carried himself on and off the field, it is tremendously humbling to receive an award named for him," Wayne Gretzky said.
Gretzky is first in NHL history in goals (894), assists (1,963) and points (2,857). He played 20 NHL seasons from 1979-99 for the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, Blues and New York Rangers and held 61 NHL records when he retired. He is a five-time winner of the Lady Byng Trophy given annually to the NHL player voted to best combine sportsmanship, gentlemanly conduct and ability. Only Frank Boucher (seven) won it more times.
Gretzky won the Stanley Cup four times with the Oilers. He is a two-time winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy awarded to most valuable player of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Professional Hockey Writers Association. He won the Hart Trophy voted as NHL MVP a record nine times and the Art Ross Trophy as scoring champion a record 10 times.
Janet grew up in St. Louis and was a successful actress. She has made an impact in raising awareness for several charities, including funding and research for breast cancer.
"It also means a lot to me that Janet and I are being honored together because I'm so proud of the work she has done and the generosity she has shown to important causes," Gretzky said. "I hope this recognition inspires more families to get involved with charitable efforts and encourages us all to be good sports in every aspect of life."
Past winners of the award include former MLB players and Baseball Hall of Famers Joe Torre (2014), Cal Ripken, Jr., (2016), Jim Thome (2018) and Hank Aaron (2020) and golfer Arnold Palmer (2015).
Gretzky previously
reached a multiyear agreement
to join Turner Sports as an NHL studio analyst for the upcoming season, which begins Oct. 12..
