Was Gretzky Really the "Great One''?

Wayne Gretzky was no doubt a very talented player. He knew exactly where everyone was, like he had eyes in the back of his head.

But is he really the greatest player to ever step foot on the ice? To that, I say no—and I know a lot of you will probably stop reading because you think it's crazy that anyone could be better than Gretzky.

But let's look at the facts: Wayne always had very talented players to play with, and always had someone protecting him, so he never had to worry about getting seriously hit. 

Plus, he played in the 80s, and let's face it—the goalies in the 80's weren't all that good. If you ask me, if it hadn't been for Bobby Orr's bad knees, he would have blown Gretzky away.

Being French Canadian, I've always had alot of respect for Maurice Richard—and in my opinion he's the best player to ever play in the NHL. Richard had to deal with a lot of corruption, such as referrees holding his arms while other players punched him in the face, or other players constantly hitting him over the head with their sticks—coaches would even send out dangerous players to try to injure him.

Not only that, there was even corruption when it came to season points. Coaches would give goals and assists to players who wheren't even on the ice in order for them to win the awards over Richard. In fact, some of Rocket's points were never even counted.

But the point is: With all that coruption, Richard still managed to not only score and get points, but to win Stanley Cups. Gretzky never had to deal with that kind of corruption—and personally, I think that if he did, he would have quit within two years of being in the league. 

So, next time someone asks who the best player was to ever play in the NHL, think long and hard before you say Wayne Gretzky. As good as he was, there are other players such as Maurice Richard or Bobby Orr that would have knocked his socks off if they played in his era, or hadn't been affected by corruption and injury.