This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 5/11/2001.
Hockey saw the dawning of a new king – and a class act – when a left-handed-shooting center from Brantford, Ontario scored 70 goals in 64 games with a minor-league team from Sault Ste. Marie in 1977-78. Wayne Gretzky was 16 at the time, but the team's GM didn't hesitate to change Gretzky's uniform number from 14 to 99, to set him apart from the rest of the hockey crowd – and to symbolize that Gretzky was the closest thing to a 100 percent purebred hockey player. The "Great One's" 21-year hockey career only proved it. By the time Gretzky retired from the game in 1999 after a three-year hitch with the New York Rangers, he owned every hockey scoring record imaginable and enough league trophies to fill a hardware store. In all, Gretzky notched 1,072 goals and over 1,900 assists and when he hung up his skates the NHL waived its eligibility rules so that Gretzky could immediately enter the Hall of Fame. This highly coveted autographed jersey worn by Gretzky while he was with the Los Angeles Kings recalls Gretzky in his prime. After playing nine seasons and winning three Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers, Gretzky was traded to the Kings in 1988. With his amazingly quick stick, balance and rinkwide vision, Gretzky continued his rampage in L.A., where he played for eight seasons and along the way passing Gordie Howe as the all-time leading NHL scorer with 1,851 points and also scoring his 700th career goal. During the 1991-92 season he notched No. 732 to eclipse Marcel Dionne as the league's second all-time goal scorer. The black and silver road knit Kings jersey has the "Maska" label in the neck. The size "54" is written on this label in blue ink. Next to this is the size tag "54." On the back tail are two "CCM" patches and two "NHL" patches. On the inside back tail is a black patch with the player number "99" in white Swiss embroidered stitch. There is a piece of Velcro on the inside back right which Gretzky used to tuck in one side of his shirt when he skated. The fight strap has been removed. The extra "CCM" and "NHL" patch, the player number patch, the Velcro and the removed fight strap are all customary of Gretzky jerseys. On the front of the shirt is the "Los Angeles Kings" silver/black/white emblem and on the back is a black nameplate with the name "Gretzky" in silver on black/white tackle twill. The player number "99" appears on the back of the jersey as well as on each sleeve, on the back in silver on black/white tackle twill and on the sleeves in silver on black/white tackle twill. On the upper left front is a silver on black/white tackle twill leter "C" denoting "Captain" and on the upper right front is the "NHL 75th" anniversary patch. Gretzky has signed the right back number "9"in black marker and the signature rates an 8. On the left sleeve is the "Los Angeles Kings Silver Season" patch. The jersey shows game-use and with the exception of the custom alterations, appears to have no other alterations of any kind. It comes with a copy of a letter from a Winnipeg Jets team official who obtained the jersey.