Did Wayne Gretzky ever miss the playoffs? Exploring the Stanley Cup legacy of the "The Great One"

Wayne Gretzky is hailed as the greatest player in NHL history. In a career spanning two decades, Gretzky played in 208 NHL playoff games. A total he most definitely could've added to had he not missed the Stanley Cup playoffs on five separate occasions.

Gretzky starred in the playoffs every season, starting from his debut NHL year in 1979 with the Edmonton Oilers to 1992-93, when he almost took the Los Angeles Kings to the Stanley Cup title.

Wayne Gretzky has won four Stanley Cup trophies through his career

The 1993–94 season, however, was the first time Gretzky ended up missing the Stanley Cup playoffs. Despite a 130-point season from "The Great One," the Kings failed to clinch a playoff berth after finishing fifth in the Pacific Division.

It was the same for the next two seasons, as the Kings ended up failing to make the playoffs for three seasons in a row. In the twilight years of his career, the center would once again end up missing the playoffs, this time with the New York Rangers.

Gretzky spent three seasons with the team from the Big Apple but ended up missing the playoffs in his final two NHL seasons (1997–98 and 1998–99).)

The Canadian retired from the NHL at the age of 38 with four Stanley Cup trophies and numerous playoff records under his belt.

---

How many goals did Wayne Gretzky score in the playoffs?

The former Edmonton Oilers center kicked things up a notch in the playoffs.

With 122 goals, he is the all-time leader in goals scored in playoffs. In the 1984–85 Stanley Cup playoffs, Gretzky scored 17 goals, tying him fourth on the all time list of most goals in single postseason.

The Great One also holds the record for most playoff assists. With 260 assists to his name, Gretzky is 130 points clear of the closest active player on the all-time list (Sidney Crosby, 130 assists.)