NHL retires Gretzky's No. 99

TORONTO (AP) -- Wayne Gretzky's No. 99 was retired throughout the NHL Sunday in a ceremony before the 50th All-Star Game. Last year, the league announced a plan to remove the number from circulation

Sunday, February 6th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

TORONTO (AP) -- Wayne Gretzky's No. 99 was retired throughout the NHL Sunday in a ceremony before the 50th All-Star Game. Last year, the league announced a plan to remove the number from circulation in honor of Gretzky, who retired from the New York Rangers in 1999. Gretzky holds every major career scoring record and is generally considered the game's best-ever player.

Gretzky and league commissioner Gary Bettman unveiled a blue banner featuring Gretzky's number in orange, which was raised to the rafters of the Air Canada Centre as a sellout crowd cheered its native son. Not coincidentally, orange and blue are the colors ofthe Edmonton Oilers, who Gretzky led to five Stanley Cups during the 1980s.

Gretzky then dropped the puck on the ceremonial face off between Paul Kariya of the North American team and Jaromir Jagr of the World team. The NHL's first league-wide number retirement was inspired by Major League Baseball's decision to retire Jackie Robinson's No.42.