Wayne Gretzky is continuing to make history even nearly 25 years after retired. On Sunday, Gretzky’s final game-worn Edmonton Oilers jersey, which he wore during the 1988 Stanley Cup Final, was sold for $1.45 million at Grey Flannel Auctions.
The sale breaks Paul Henderson’s 1972 Summit Series jersey record as the most expensive hockey jersey sold in history. Henderson’s jersey sold for $1.3 million back in 2012.
Gretzky broke into the league in 1979 with the Oilers and won four Stanley Cups with the franchise. During his final season with Edmonton, in 1988, Gretzky led the Oilers past the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup Final with a four-game sweep. They outscored the Bruins 18-9 in the series.
During Game 4 of that series, there was a power outage at Boston Garden and the game was ultimately suspended. The two teams were forced to resume Game 4 two days later in Edmonton, where the Oilers secured the Stanley Cup with a clinching 6-3 win.
Gretzky finished the 1988 postseason with 12 goals and 31 assists in 19 games and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the entire playoffs. It ended up being Gretzky’s fourth Stanley Cup in five seasons, but it would proved to be his final one. The star forward was traded to the Kings the following season in a surprise move. Gretzky never raised the Stanley Cup during his time with the Los Angeles Kings or New York Rangers.
