Wayne Gretzky wore jersey number 99.
Gretzky first wore number 99 with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League. He originally wanted number 9, inspired by his hockey hero Gordie Howe, but that number was already taken by teammate Brian Gualazzi. At coach Muzz MacPherson’s suggestion, Gretzky chose 99 instead.
The number became inseparable from his career as he moved through the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues, and New York Rangers. Gretzky scored 894 regular-season goals and 2,857 points, records that helped earn him the nickname “The Great One.”
A notable neighboring fact is that the NHL retired number 99 across the entire league in 2000. That means no NHL team can issue it to a new player, an honor shared by no other player at the league-wide level. Numbers 9, 4, and 66 belong to other famous hockey stars, but Gretzky’s signature number is 99.