Gretzky # 99 ... but he wasn't the only one!

 

There were 5 NHL players who suited-up with that number. Three were Montreal Canadiens from the early days of the NHL. However, all three were midseason call-ups and were likely issued #99 because they were thought of as short term players. A 1980's player, Rick Dudley, wore #99 for thirty games as a Winnipeg Jet.  The fifth player was a guy whom I watched last night on CLASSIC NHL TV. 

The game was a replay from January 16, 1982, between the Oilers and Maple Leafs. Gretzky, #99 for Edmonton Oilers -vs- Wilf Paiement, #99 for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Gretzky was just beginning his career, laying the foundation that would later identify him as The Great One. Watching him turn the record book inside-out for 20 seasons was fun but his skills weren't appreciated by everyone -- particularly some NHL oldtimers. Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion, the guy credited with inventing the slapshot was not a believer.

In a piece I wrote for my blog following a meeting with "Boom" (see it here: "Boom Boom" ... he invented the slap shot, he said, "Gretzky would never have lasted in the league during the 1950's - '60s era". He sighted a game when the Rangers "Red" Sullivan spent a little too long in the slot and Doug Harvey removed his spleen. We all know Gretzky played the game differently than everyone else ... he never spent any time in the slot - he didn't have to - he could apparently score from just about anywhere.

The "other 99", Paiement, was no slouch. He scored 58 pts in 69 games for the 1982 season and earned 221 penalty minutes. He was very tough and he could score. There was no joke about this #99 -- he was definitely a player.

During this timeframe, Gretzky's girlfriend was a singer, Vikki Moss. Her brother, Joey, had down syndrome and Gretzky brought him onto the Oiler team in 1981 as the locker room attendant. Today, Oct. 27, 2020, sadly, at 57 years of age, Joey passed away. He'd become an Edmonton celebrity, working with both the hockey and football teams, and singing the pre-game national anthem at events for decades.

Gretzky and Vikki split - she moved to LA and he married the 1987 Playboy cover girl, Janet Jones. The resemblance between Vikki and Janet is remarkable.

    

 

As I watched on TV, I remembered attending this same 1982 game. I was working for International Sports Properties at the time and we published the game-day program for the Maple Leafs. I'd sold a page of advertising to the Titan Hockey Stick Co. - they produced Gretzky's sticks. They also purchased 12 seats in our private Gardens box to entertain the Gretzky family and watch the one and only time during that regular season that the Oilers played at the Gardens. As you can imagine, the game was the hottest ticket in town. 

Last night's "Classic" game reminded me of a few things:  

Rick Vaive

Leaf captain, Rick Vaive was a horse.  He was the first Leaf in history to score 50 goals and to show it wasn't a fluke, he did it in three consecutive seasons.

Rene Robert

Former "French Connection" Buffalo Sabres star, Rene Robert wore #14 as a Leaf and quarterbacked the power play in this game.  Most fans don't realize that Robert was initially drafted by the Leafs and traded to Buffalo.  He'd started and finished his career in Blue and White. Incidentally, he copyrighted "The French Connection" and claims that "if Gilbert Perrault had played for the Montreal Canadiens, we would never had heard of Guy Lafleur".

And, Barry Melrose, ya, the mullet guy, was solid on Leafs' defense in this match. TThe Gretzky history book claims he only suffered 4 big-time hits in his career. Of these take-outs, it's agreed that Leafs' Bill McCreary provided the most devastating collision.  In this TV replay, Leaf defenceman Borje Salming clipped him pretty good as he crossed the blue line ... probably because Marty McSorley hadn't joined the team yet.en years later, he'd coach Gretzky and the Kings to the Stanley Cup final - and loss to the Canadiens. 

"Coach" Barry Melrose

fun fact: I bumped into Barry Melrose (Wendel Clark's cousin) in the Walmart store in St Pete FL about 2 years ago. As we stood at the check out line we reminisced about his time with the Leafs and working for "Pal Hal" the Leafs owner. After we separated, I wished I'd asked him if the Bolts' Steven Stamkos ever thanked him for putting him in the press box. It was a move that cost Melrose his job as Tampa coach after only 16 games of the season. Melrose claimed Stamkos was "too little and would get killed by bigger players". Following the season, Stamkos joined Garry Robert's fitness boot camp in Toronto, put on 25 lbs of muscle, and won the "Rocket" Richard Trophy as the league's top scorer. 

"Lil Stammer"

Bobby Hull                  Mickey Redmond

The colour commentators for this match 1982 match were Bobby Hull and Mickey Redmond. Redmond has since become the voice of the Red Wings and is, for me, still one of the best at describing the action on the ice. Bobby Hull was a rookie commentator and Hockey Night in Canada was attempting to groom him for extra work. During this game, Hull stated ..."I'm very impressed with the Oiler's Kevin Lowe". An interesting observation. Lowe would go on to earn 6 Stanley Cups during his career but it took until just last week, 22 years after he played his final NHL game with the Oilers, for him to be chosen as an inductee to the Hockey Hall of Fame for 2020. 

The plan for Bobby Hull's move to the broadcast booth crashed and burned a few weeks after this '82 game. I was watching a Canadiens game with Hull on the microphone. During his live commentary, he claimed so-and-so didn't know his "ass from a hole in the ground". There was no mystery as to why Hull was banished from future Hockey Night telecasts.

This 1982 Oiler vs Leaf battle was fun to watch. Like all hockey superstars, Gretzky never chased the puck -- it followed him.  This game was a good reminder for me of just how much he dominated his sport.

Not many hockey players got the attention of Sports Illustrated magazine but Gretzky did. They put him on the cover 13 times!

But, for the first one, they wanted to get it right. They hired a Gretzky Look-alike model, dressed him in an Oiler uniform, and had him skate around Northland Colessieum while the team of SI photographers tested snaps of the model before producing the real Gretzky action photos they'd use in the magazine.

The Gretzky Oilers were outstanding but, not so much in this 1982 game ... the Leafs won 7 - 1.
 
Gretzky had a penalty shot in the first period but Leaf goalie "Bunny" Larocque, turned it and 40 other shots away to seal a rare Leaf victory against the Edmonton club.

"Kerry Frazer Missed This One"

Gretzky usually feasted on the Leafs.  He had already recorded 26 pts. in only 10 regular-season games against them. His most egregious damage came a little later, in 1993, as an LA King. He avoided a late-in-the-game penalty for high-sticking Leaf captain, Doug Gilmour,

then went on to score the winning goal which stopped the Leafs from proceeding to the Stanley Cup final against Montreal. 

not so fun fact: Following his days with the Kings, his services were available to the highest bidder. He wanted to play in Toronto and the asking price was a $7 million contract.  The new Maple Leaf owner, Steve Stavro, balked at the price tag. He reasoned, maybe accurately, that all Gardens seats were already sold, all rink boards and signage was sold, radio and TV rights and licensing were sold ... where would he come up with the millions for #99? 

John Iaboni

Every hockey fan could easily write a 500-word essay with what they know of Wayne Douglas Gretzky. However, the first article and interview about the 11-year-old was written by Toronto Telegram hockey specialist, John Iaboni, on October 28, 1971.

Iaboni thought he'd be a good one. Who knew that 10 years after that article, for the 1982 NHL season, Gretzky would amass 212 pts. in 80 games and achieve a season-ending +/- of +81.

Final fun fact ... In April 1999, my beer league team earned the right to play at Maple Leaf Gardens - a special promotion sponsored by Molson Brewery.  It was a 6 team tournament. Each team had 3 lines + 4 defense + a goalie -- 14 players, total.

"The Other #99" Wilf Paiement

When we arrived for our game, we found that the sponsor had also provided a former NHL player to join our team. Our team leaders met to discuss what we'd do with an extra player. It was decided that all our players wanted to play more not less so, the NHL player had-to-go.
 
I was nominated to give him the hook. He was skating in circles like everyone else when I approached him. He hadn't taken real good care of himself since his playing days -- he was huge -- he was Wilf Paiement. "No problem" he said, I'm thirsty anyway ... as he retired to the Molson hospitality room.

The #99 team jersey was retired permanently by the National Hockey League in 2000. 

So, only 5 former NHL players will ever be able to claim they shared the honour of

wearing #99 with The Great One.

A SPECIAL NOTE OF THANKS ... to Florida hockey buddy & IT master,

TIM CONNOLLY for his creative guidance in preparing my blog features, particularly this one.