When Wayne Gretzky opened up about moving to NY Rangers in a 'less-money' situation

Wayne Gretzky joined the New York Rangers in the summer of 1996, after signing a two-year contract worth around $8 million plus extra bonuses on July 21. It was a big move for Gretzky to go to New York and represent the city at Madison Square Garden.

During his introductory press conference at MSG, Gretzky said playing with former teammate Mark Messier influenced his decision.

"I guess what probably tipped the scale was the chance to play with Mark and the opportunity to get a chance to play with a team that is really focused on trying to win a championship," Gretzky said, via NHL.com.

Gretzky called it a “less-money” move as he had rejected a $15 million extension for three years to stay in St Louis with the Blues. Gretzky’s salary was less than Messier’s ($6 million) and below his last season's salary ($6.545 million).

"I'm probably one of the first free agents to ever come to New York that came for a less-money situation," Gretzky said about the move.

He also said New York would be his last team.

"This will be my last stop," Gretzky said. "I'll make that clear."

The Rangers expected Gretzky to strengthen their center position alongside Messier and share leadership responsibilities. That season, Gretzky played all 82 games and scored 25 goals and 97 points.

Gretzky and Messier took the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Final in 1997. In the playoffs, he continued his dominance with 10 goals and 10 assists in 15 games. Later, Gretzky played two more seasons before his retirement.

Wayne Gretzky's final NHL game at Madison Square Garden

Wayne Gretzky announced his retirement after the 1998-99 NHL season. He only told his wife before making it public.

"I had kind of decided in January or February of that year that I was going to retire," Gretzky said in April 2024 about his retirement plans, via NHL.com. "The only person who knew was my wife."

Gretzky wanted his final game to be special at MSG. He drove his dad, Walter, to the arena that day.

“For my final game, I decided that since my dad drove me to the first game I ever went to, it would be great to drive my dad to my last game,” Gretzky said.

Wayne Gretzky played his final game on April 18, 1999, against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Rangers lost that game 2-1 in overtime.