1. Wayne Gretzky
While a few on this list will likely be debated, having Gretzky at number one for the Edmonton Oilers is a decision that was very much a given. ‘The Great One’ is widely considered to be the best hockey player of all time, and very well may be the most dominant athlete ever to be seen in any professional sport.
Gretzky’s best season point-wise came in 1985-86, where he recorded an NHL record 215 points. Even more impressive was that it marked the third straight year he had put up more than 200 points, something he accomplished four times in his historic career. To help put into perspective just how ridiculous his 1985-86 season was, the second-highest scorer in the league that year was Mario Lemieux with 141 points.
Gretzky finished with 1669 points as an Oiler, and 2857 in his entire career. Had he not scored a single goal in his career, his 1963 assists would still lead all players in points in NHL history. There will never be another player that comes anywhere close to dominating the game of hockey like Gretzky did, making it very obvious why his number 99 is retired league-wide.