Gretzky Inducted To Hall Of Fame

Gretzky's
NHL records

"To be here today in this group is pretty special," Gretzky said.

The Hall waived the normal three-year waiting period for the 10th time in honor of the 38-year-old Gretzky, who holds 61 NHL records and has his name engraved four times on the Stanley Cup.

The 10 players who went straight to the Hall of Fame.
Year	Player
1947 1961 1966 1969 1971 1972 1972 1979 1997 1999	Aubrey Clapper Maurice Richard Ted Lindsay Red Kelly Terry Sawchuk Jean Beliveau Gordie Howe Bobby Orr Mario Lemieux Wayne Gretzky

"Nothing can replace hockey," he said. "I wish I could still play, and I miss it tremendously because it's a great game. But I said this before: I was going to retire one time, one time officially and I'm officially retired. I probably miss the game more than the game misses Wayne Gretzky."

Gretzky said he had fond memories of the hall as a boy. He grew up in Brantford, Ontario, not far from the Hall in Toronto when it was on the Canadian National Exhibition grounds.

"I used to stare for hours," Gretzky said. "I never had enough of it. I never thought I'd be a part of it. I'm not sure too many kids think they'll be part of the Hall. It was beyond my wildest dreams."

Gretzky is enjoying the early days of his retirement and doesn't want to say much about his future with hockey.

"When I retired, I knew I needed to take some time away," he said. "I played hockey for 36 years and I loved every minute of it, and I poured everything I had into the game. I think that I really used up every part that it took to be a hockey player and I just needed a break."