On October 14, 1979, an 18-year-old Wayne Gretzky stepped onto the ice with something to prove. The game was tight — a battle between Edmonton and Vancouver — and late in the third period, he got his moment. A power play. A rebound. A quick touch. And just like that, Gretzky scored his first NHL goal.
It wasn’t flashy. It wasn’t a coast-to-coast highlight. But it was the spark that would ignite one of the greatest careers in the history of sports.
From that single goal came a flood: 894 regular-season goals, 1,963 assists, 2,857 total points — numbers that still don’t seem real decades later. Gretzky didn’t just dominate; he redefined what was possible on the ice.
But his legacy goes beyond stats. He inspired an entire generation of fans and players. He made the game bigger, faster, and more exciting. And 45 years later, the impact of that first goal still echoes through every arena.
Today, we celebrate that moment — not just a goal, but the beginning of a hockey legend.
At 500 LEVEL, we celebrate these moments with designs that rep the players who made the game what it is. Icons. GOATs. Legends.