In the NHL there is normally a waiting period of at least three years after a player retires before they can be inducted into the Hall of Fame. On June 23rd, 1999, just 66 days after Wayne Gretzky’s final NHL game, the Hockey Hall of Fame decided to waive the three-year waiting period and announced that Gretzky would be part of the Class of 1999. While the decision was unprecedented it was certainly justified on every level. In his 21-year playing career Gretzky tallied a total of 894 goals and 1,963 assists, good for a total of 2,857 points. Even after having been retired for almost 25 years Gretzky’s single-season records of goals, assists, and points still stand today earning him the nickname “The Great One”.

This Hockey Hall of Fame hockey puck is autographed by Wayne Gretzky. Gretzky’s signature was witnessed by an Upper Deck representative as part of UDA’s 5-step authentication process.