Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky’s final NHL game jersey sells for $715K at Grey Flannel
The jersey Wayne Gretzky wore in his final NHL game sold for $715,120 Sunday at Grey Flannel Auctions.
The New York Rangers jersey is the third most valuable hockey jersey to sell at auction behind Gretzky's final Stanley Cup jersey from the 1987-1988 season with the Edmonton Oilers, which sold for $1.452 million, and Paul Henderson's 1972 jersey from the Summit Series, which sold for $1.3 million.
According to Sports Collectors Daily, the jersey was purchased by noted collector Rob Gough, who purchased a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card for a then-record $5.2 million in 2021 and owns several other high-end cards. Gough, a longtime hockey fan, is friends with Gretzky and his family.
The 1999 jersey is the highest price realized for a US-based hockey jersey, surpassing Mike Erezione’s 1980 Miracle on Ice jersey, which sold for $657,250.
Gretzky wore the blue Rangers jersey for his 1,487th career game at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 1999.
“We were incredibly honored to have the opportunity to offer this incredible piece of sports history to our customers,” said Michael Russek, director of Operations at Grey Flannel Auctions. "Wayne Gretzky is an icon in the world of hockey and his final game-worn jersey represents a truly unique and special part of his legacy.”
Gretzky wore the official Starter jersey when he recorded an assist for his 2,857th and final career point against the Penguins. No other NHL player in NHL history has ever scored 2,000 career points.
The jersey was featured in MSG’s “Defining Moments” Museum on the concourse level from 2013-19. The auction marked the first time the jersey was offered publicly.
