"Everyone thought I'd died": When Wayne Gretzky opened up about returning back to form during injury-ridden 1992-93 season

Wayne Gretzky had set such high standards for himself that during the 1992-93 NHL season, when the Great One was struggling, there were calls suggesting his team, the LA Kings, might be better off without him. But like all great players, Gretzky had the ability to silence his critics — and he did just that.

In 1992, the Kings were beaten in the Campbell Conference semifinals by Gretzky's former team, the Edmonton Oilers. Gretzky was later diagnosed with a herniated disk that required surgery and a long rehabilitation process, keeping him on the bench for the first half of the following season.

From Jan. 10 to Feb. 15 that year, Gretzky went without scoring a goal, raising eyebrows as he had been coming off 13 straight 100-point seasons. But once the Kings entered the playoffs, Gretzky returned to form, scoring freely and leading the team on a run that took them all the way to the Stanley Cup Final.

During the playoffs, Gretzky acknowledged how he had been written off by many, yet found his way back to top form.

“It’s different right now, because everybody thought I’d died,” Gretzky was quoted by a 1993 LA Times article as saying. "Nobody expected me to be playing. Nobody expected me to play this well.”

Gretzky finished the regular season with 65 points but recorded an astounding 40 points in just 24 playoff games. He led the Kings to the Final, where they were ultimately beaten by the Montreal Canadiens.

One of the most memorable moments of that run was Gretzky’s hat trick in Game 7 of the Campbell Conference final against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Wayne Gretzky's commitment to the game kept him from retiring

When Wayne Gretzky was diagnosed with a herniated disk, he worried that he might have to retire. In fact, his doctors even advised him to walk away from the sport. But his dedication to hockey and his commitment to the Kings kept him playing until 1999.

“I worked real hard to get to this point,” he said, per the same LA Times article. “I could have walked away a very rich man. The doctors told me to quit. I think I have seven years (actually, five) left on my contract. It could have been a pretty nice getaway."

“I love to play and I worked hard to get back and I spent a lot of hours in rehabilitation. I think that the reason I am back playing is that I worked hard and I wanted to come back. It’s as simple as that.”

By the time he retired, Gretzky held nearly every major individual NHL record. He finished with 2,857 career points — a record that remains untouchable in today’s game.