The greatest player to ever take to the ice certainly made Stanley Cup hopefuls pay for his talent, but like many of the all-time greats, Wayne Gretzky flexed his fandom and fame well beyond his playing days.
As a result, the cash that The Great One reeled in across his 27-year career playing the sport, from 1975 with the Toronto Nationals to 1999 with the New York Rangers, makes up a relatively small chunk of his net worth.
While Wayne Gretzky’s net worth likely cannot be known with absolute accuracy, there is enough public information around to come up with a ballpark figure.
What is Wayne Gretzky’s Net Worth?
Wayne Gretzky’s net worth is estimated to be in the region of $250 million (C$337 million), with his 20 years starring in the NHL offering the foundations for his massive net worth.
From playing in the NHL, Gretzky went on to be a part-owner of an NHL team, a head coach in the league, a brand ambassador, a co-owner of several other sports teams, and an expert for several sports outlets.
How Much Did Wayne Gretzky’s Playing Career Earn Him?
Wayne Gretzky reportedly earned $46 million in his 20 years of NHL play directly from the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues, and New York Rangers.
However, during his playing career, The Great One is also estimated to have reeled in some $50 million from endorsements and the like.
His final contract was with the New York Rangers, which amounted to $6.5 million per year. Over those last two years, the famed forward returned 32 goals and 152 points.
Of his former teams, one looks particularly primed to climb back to the summit Gretzky once led them to. With Connor McDavid firing on all cylinders, the Oilers are +650 in the NHL odds to take the crown in 2024.
While exemplary, McDavid’s incredible rate of score does pale in comparison to Gretzky's. By the end of his illustrious run, Gretzky had collected 2,857 regular season points and 382 more in the playoffs.
How Has Wayne Gretzky Earned Money Since Retiring?
One of Gretzky’s earliest post-playing ventures saw him return to the rink as the part-owner and head coach of the ill-fated Phoenix Coyotes.
When he took over in 2005, he earned around $7.5 million per season through to the end of the 2008/09 season. The team was taken over by the NHL when it went bankrupt in 2009, and it took until 2013 for Gretzky to be reimbursed fully.
Gretzky never could steer the Coyotes to success, missing the playoffs in each of his four seasons in charge, but since then, the franchise has more or less remained in the basement, currently at +100,000 in the online sports betting lines for the Stanley Cup.
Now, as a hockey analyst for Turner Sports, Gretzky is earning $3 million per year and in 2021, he became the co-owner of the new professional lacrosse franchise in Nevada, the Las Vegas Desert Dogs.
The Desert Dogs certainly aren’t Gretzky’s only ownership venture. In the 1990s, he was a co-owner of the Toronto Argonauts in the CFL, and in July 2022, he became a minority owner of the Niagara IceDogs in the OHL.
Gretzky has also done rather well in the real estate market. In 2007, he sold his mansion in Thousand Oaks, California, for $18.5 million, bought it back for $13.5 million a couple of years later, and then sold it again for $17.6 million in 2021.
Wayne Gretzky has been considerably successful with his post-playing investments, turning the tens of millions he made from the NHL into hundreds of millions.
Given his profile and knack for prudent investments, The Great One’s net worth will likely only continue to rise over the coming years.
*Credit for all images in this article belongs to Alamy*
