INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- What was for a long time inevitable became official Wednesday night: the Great One is the greatest - goal scorer, that is.
The Los Angeles Kings' Wayne Gretzky scored a record 802nd career NHL goal on a power play off a pass from Marty McSorley at 14: 47 of the second period, pushing Gretzky past Gordie Howe on the all-time goal-scoring list.
The goal came against the Vancouver Canucks and goaltender Kirk McLean and tied the score 2-2. The Canucks went on to win 6-3.
Assists on the record goal went to longtime teammate McSorley and Luc Robitaille.
The goal was Gretzky's 37th of the season and his league-leading 120th point. He took McSorley's pass and, from the left circle, shot past McLean.
Gretzky's latest history was made in front of a sellout crowd of 16,005, which included Gretzky's parents and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.
"I want to congratulate you," Bettman told Gretzky at a center-ice ceremony after the goal. "It's an honor and a pleasure to see you break your idol's record. You've always been the Great One. Tonight, you become the greatest."
Gretzky said when he came to Los Angeles six years ago from Edmonton, "they said California wasn't a good hockey area. But six years later, we've got three pretty strong franchises.
"We've shown the rest of North America they were wrong. And to the fans of L.A., I hope I make it another six years in L.A."
