Wayne Gretzky holds the records for the most goals, assists, and points scored in a career, in addition to about 60 other records. These feats, in tandem with his exceptional on-ice performances, earned him the nickname “The Great One” as well as the immediate retirement of his number (99) across the NHL at the end of his playing days. During his 10-year career with the Edmonton Oilers, Gretzky led the team to five Stanley Cup Finals appearances and four wins. After moving on to Los Angeles, he also led the Kings to the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals. Gretzky ended his career with the New York Rangers in 1999. Far from a conventional biography, Facing Wayne Gretzky offers perspectives and testimonials from opponents and teammates alike, including Denis Potvin, Kelly Hrudey, Rob Blake, and many more. Never has another hockey player achieved what “The Great One” did on the ice, and it is unlikely that one will soon. This book details what it’s like to face the best player who ever skated, illuminating his passing ability, his deceptively effective shot, and his inventiveness both with the puck and without. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports—books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team. Whether you are a New York Yankees fan or hail from Red Sox nation; whether you are a die-hard Green Bay Packers or Dallas Cowboys fan; whether you root for the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals, UCLA Bruins, or Kansas Jayhawks; whether you route for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, or Los Angeles Kings; we have a book for you. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

本著は単なる英雄譚ではない。氷上の神童ウェイン・グレツキーを「彼に立ち向かった者たち」の視点から描くという、極めて文学的な手法が白眉だ。かつての敵や戦友が語る言葉からは、数字の記録では捉えきれない、彼が放っていた圧倒的な威圧感と魔法のような独創性が鮮烈に浮かび上がる。 対峙した者だけが知る絶望と敬意。パックを持たずとも試合を支配し、未来を予見する「グレート・ワン」の真髄を、証言の断片から再構築する過程は、至高のミステリーを解くかのようだ。絶対的な才能がいかに時代を塗り替えたのか。その本質を抉り出す本書は、スポーツの枠を超えた魂の叙事詩である。