Wayne Gretzky: On the Ice With... by Matt Christopher

Author:Matt Christopher [Christopher, Matt]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780316095372
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published: 2009-12-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven: 1983–84

One Step at a Time

Wayne was anxious to begin the 1983–84 season. Through four NHL seasons the Great One had set some twenty-four NHL records and shared ten others. He had won four straight MVP awards and three consecutive scoring titles. The three highest single-season point totals in NHL history all belonged to him.

Yet the Oilers had been defeated in the Stanley Cup finals. It was time for him to put aside personal goals to concentrate on the team.

He was prepared to do whatever was necessary to make it the Oilers’ best year ever. He embarked on a vigorous weight-training program and reported to training camp ten pounds heavier and feeling stronger.

At twenty-two, Wayne was the official captain of the Oilers, taking over the duties from defenseman Lee Fogolin. The Oilers and their captain were on a mission from the moment the 1983–84 season began. Anything less than a Stanley Cup championship parade would be considered a failure.

Edmonton’s offense was more explosive than ever. In one 4-game stretch, the team scored 33 goals. During a 5-game winning streak, Wayne established an Oilers’ record with two 8-point games: a 4-goal, 4-assist effort versus Minnesota and a 3-goal, 5-assist performance against New Jersey. Through 52 games the Oilers averaged just under 6 goals per game; Wayne amassed 61 goals and 92 assists for a total of 153 points. His linemate Jari Kurri was second in scoring — 68 points behind.

Only one team seemed capable of causing problems for the Oilers: the Islanders. Since the Stanley Cup finals, the Oilers had dropped six straight to the four-time defending champions. Every man on the Edmonton team knew that the road to the Stanley Cup ultimately led to the Islanders’ Nassau Coliseum, but they just couldn’t seem to earn a win against their nemesis.

Still, the season was steaming ahead at full speed. Then the Oilers suffered a series of setbacks. First, Wayne’s amazing streak of staying injury-free ended. He separated his shoulder when Los Angeles Kings forward Dave Taylor hit him from the side into the boards. Despite this injury, Wayne played through the pain. But when he suffered a second injury, this time to his left hand in a freak accident during a practice, he was forced out of the lineup for six games.

This seemed like an eternity for a player who had missed only one game in over four seasons. To make matters worse for the Oilers, Kurri was also out with an injury. Edmonton won only one game in six before both players reported back.

Fortunately, the time off the ice didn’t seem to affect Wayne’s playing. In his first game back versus Winnipeg, he plugged in 2 goals and 2 assists. Playing three games in four days during one stretch, he scored 10 goals, including back-to-back 4-goal games at St. Louis and Pittsburgh.

Despite missing six games and getting less ice time down the stretch, Wayne still finished the season with 87 goals, 118 assists, and 205 points. Forwards Glenn Anderson

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.