Memorable moments: Gretzky scores 1851 and beats Gordie Howe

It’s been 34 years since Wayne Gretzky, at the time a Los Angeles Kings player, made NHL history for good. He surpassed Gordie Howe with the number 1851 point.

Memorable Moments is a special project by Ruiku that commemorates the most iconic moments in hockey. Today, we look back at Wayne Gretzky’s record-breaking goal.

It’s been 34 years since Wayne Gretzky, then a member of the Los Angeles Kings, made NHL history when he broke Gordie Howe’s scoring record with a goal late in the third period for the 1851st point of his career.

In perhaps the most fitting way possible, he did it in Edmonton against his former team, where he spent the first nine years of his NHL career and won four Stanley Cups.

Moreover, “The Great One” achieved this feat just over a year after being traded to Los Angeles in one of the biggest trades in sports history. A statue has already been erected in front of the building where he broke the record.

Gretzky entered the game against the Oilers just one point behind Howe and tied the historic record with an assist in the first period on Bernie Nicholls’ goal that sent the Kings to a 1-0 lead.

Howe’s record was broken with less than a minute left in the third period when he tied the game and sent it into overtime, which Gretzky’s team eventually won, capping off a dream night.

Not only did Gretzky break the scoring record, but the manner in which it was accomplished was phenomenal. Kind of Gretzky style. He stayed on the field for three straight minutes and the record-breaking goal came at the end of a three-minute shift. The game was stopped for ten minutes and Gretzky was honored.

Gretzky reached point number 1850 at the age of 28. He then added another 1,000, and finally capped his career with 2,857 points on 894 goals and 1,963 assists.

Source: Bleacher Report