born Jan. 26, 1961, Brantford, Ont., Can.
Canadian ice-hockey player, considered the greatest in the history of the game.
As centre and captain for the Edmonton Oilers (1979–88), he led his team to four Stanley Cup victories, becoming the first player to average more than two points a game. He was traded successively to the Los Angeles Kings (1988), the St. Louis Blues (1996), and the New York Rangers (1996). When he ended his career in 1999, he held 61 National Hockey League (NHL) records. He holds the all-time NHL records for goals (894), assists (1,963), and points (2,857), as well as corresponding seasonal records (92 goals, 163 assists, 215 points). He is the only player to have led the league in scoring for seven consecutive years (1980–87) and the only one named most valuable player for eight consecutive seasons (1979–87).