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99: Stories of the Game

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In this sports memoir, Wayne Gretzky weaves memories of his legendary career with an inside look at professional hockey and the heroes and stories that inspired him.

From minor-hockey phenomenon to Hall of Fame sensation, Wayne Gretzky rewrote the record books, his accomplishments becoming the stuff of legend. Dubbed “The Great One,” he is considered by many to be the greatest hockey player who ever lived. No one has seen more of the game than he has—but he has never discussed in depth just what it was he saw.

For the first time, Gretzky discusses candidly what the game looks like to him and introduces us to the people who inspired and motivated him: mentors, teammates, rivals, the famous and the lesser known. Weaving together lives and moments from an extraordinary career, he reflects on the players who inflamed his imagination when he was a kid, the way he himself figured in the dreams of so many who came after; takes us onto the ice and into the dressing rooms to meet the friends who stood by him and the rivals who spurred him to greater heights; shows us some of the famous moments in hockey history through the eyes of someone who regularly made that history.

Warm, direct, and revelatory, it is a book that gives us number 99, the man and the player, like never before.
Praise for 99: Stories of the Game

“The Great One delivers a personal history of the National Hockey League...Gretzky’s sense of his sport’s history rings clearly throughout these pages, as if he is the tour guide of a museum in which he also has created some of the best art...This enjoyable book provides an overview that will educate longtime fans and relative newcomers alike.”—Kirkus Reviews

“One of the most enjoyable hockey books to be published in many years.”—Booklist (starred review)

“Arguably the best player in the history of hockey, [Gretzky] has written a warm and enthusiastic collection of memories and stories. This book showcases some of hockey’s best moments through the keen eyes of an avid student, lover, and ambassador of the game. VERDICT: Essential for all hockey fans, old and new.”—Library Journal

“Wayne Gretzky’s 99 glides across a lifetime of high sticks and higher stakes.”Vanity Fair  
© Evaan Kheraj
WAYNE GRETZKY, nicknamed “The Great One,” is considered by many to be the greatest hockey player ever. He is the leading scorer in NHL history, and is the only NHL player to total more than two hundred points in one season—a feat he accomplished four times. At the time of his retirement in 1999, he held sixty-one separate NHL records, and his honors included thiry-one major trophies and awards.
     His teams included the Edmonton Oilers, with whom he won four Stanley Cups; the Los Angeles Kings, with whom he reached the Stanley Cup final; the St. Louis Blues; and the New York Rangers. Following his retirement, he became the tenth and final player to be ushered into the Hall of Fame with no waiting period, and the first to have his number retired league-wide.
     He was also executive director of Canada’s 2002 Olympic gold medal-winning men’s hockey team, and is an accomplished businessman and philanthropist. He splits his time between Canada and California.
 
KIRSTIE MCLELLAN DAY ranks among the top hockey book writers in the world, thanks to four national bestsellers: Theo Fleury’s memoir Playing with Fire, Bob Probert's Tough Guy and Ron MacLean's Cornered and Hockey Towns. Kirstie is a mother of five and is married to television producer Larry Day. View titles by Wayne Gretzky

About

In this sports memoir, Wayne Gretzky weaves memories of his legendary career with an inside look at professional hockey and the heroes and stories that inspired him.

From minor-hockey phenomenon to Hall of Fame sensation, Wayne Gretzky rewrote the record books, his accomplishments becoming the stuff of legend. Dubbed “The Great One,” he is considered by many to be the greatest hockey player who ever lived. No one has seen more of the game than he has—but he has never discussed in depth just what it was he saw.

For the first time, Gretzky discusses candidly what the game looks like to him and introduces us to the people who inspired and motivated him: mentors, teammates, rivals, the famous and the lesser known. Weaving together lives and moments from an extraordinary career, he reflects on the players who inflamed his imagination when he was a kid, the way he himself figured in the dreams of so many who came after; takes us onto the ice and into the dressing rooms to meet the friends who stood by him and the rivals who spurred him to greater heights; shows us some of the famous moments in hockey history through the eyes of someone who regularly made that history.

Warm, direct, and revelatory, it is a book that gives us number 99, the man and the player, like never before.

Reviews

Praise for 99: Stories of the Game

“The Great One delivers a personal history of the National Hockey League...Gretzky’s sense of his sport’s history rings clearly throughout these pages, as if he is the tour guide of a museum in which he also has created some of the best art...This enjoyable book provides an overview that will educate longtime fans and relative newcomers alike.”—Kirkus Reviews

“One of the most enjoyable hockey books to be published in many years.”—Booklist (starred review)

“Arguably the best player in the history of hockey, [Gretzky] has written a warm and enthusiastic collection of memories and stories. This book showcases some of hockey’s best moments through the keen eyes of an avid student, lover, and ambassador of the game. VERDICT: Essential for all hockey fans, old and new.”—Library Journal

“Wayne Gretzky’s 99 glides across a lifetime of high sticks and higher stakes.”Vanity Fair  

Author

© Evaan Kheraj
WAYNE GRETZKY, nicknamed “The Great One,” is considered by many to be the greatest hockey player ever. He is the leading scorer in NHL history, and is the only NHL player to total more than two hundred points in one season—a feat he accomplished four times. At the time of his retirement in 1999, he held sixty-one separate NHL records, and his honors included thiry-one major trophies and awards.
     His teams included the Edmonton Oilers, with whom he won four Stanley Cups; the Los Angeles Kings, with whom he reached the Stanley Cup final; the St. Louis Blues; and the New York Rangers. Following his retirement, he became the tenth and final player to be ushered into the Hall of Fame with no waiting period, and the first to have his number retired league-wide.
     He was also executive director of Canada’s 2002 Olympic gold medal-winning men’s hockey team, and is an accomplished businessman and philanthropist. He splits his time between Canada and California.
 
KIRSTIE MCLELLAN DAY ranks among the top hockey book writers in the world, thanks to four national bestsellers: Theo Fleury’s memoir Playing with Fire, Bob Probert's Tough Guy and Ron MacLean's Cornered and Hockey Towns. Kirstie is a mother of five and is married to television producer Larry Day. View titles by Wayne Gretzky