Session 1 Live and On-line June 20th, 7:30 PM EST (Lots 1-43)

On January 15, 1994, Wayne Gretzky notched his 785th all time NHL goal. This is the stick he used that night to score his 20th goal of the season and reach the 785 milestone to get 16 goals closer to breaking Gordie Howe's 801 NHL record. Later in the game, he scored an empty net goal to make it 786. Gretzky said after the game that quote "I'm getting excited, It's only 15 to tie now. I'm starting to get there. Obviously, there's a good chance I'll do it this year now. I'd like to break it this year." This one-of-a-kind Gretzky goal scored game used stick was originally sourced from Gretzky's brother-in-law and put on display at the All-Star Cafe in Las Vegas. Gretzky, Joe Montana, Shaquille O'Neal, Ken Griffey Jr., Andre Agassi, and Monica Seles all invested in the chain of restaurants and had some of their special items on display at the Vegas location. When the restaurant closed, this stick became available and was purchased at that time. The markings done on the stick by long time Gretzky and Los Angeles Kings Equipment man, Peter Millar, tell the story. The butt end, as all Kings Gretzky stick have, reads RS93 for regular season 1993, NJ for New jersey Devils as the opponent and 577 being the 577th game of the NHL master schedule. The Jesus fish is Peter Millar's touch on most of Gretzky's gamers. Just under the black gripper is a piece of white tape that reads, 785 for goal total and 20th for 20 goal of the season and some other notation that has become illegible over the years. It also shows another 20th with a line under it directly under the tape area. This stick is properly taped in Gretzky's tape pattern on the blade along with remnants of baby powder he used for much of his career to wick the wetness off the blade. We at Studio auctions have seen in person at Gretzky's restaurant in Toronto, several of these milestone sticks on display, and all had the exact tape under the gripper to mark each goal on the way to 802. The stick shows amazing use with stick and puck marks all over the blade area and shaft. This is a very rare opportunity to have an actual game used goal stick from Gretzky on his way to breaking the all-time NHL goals record. The Hockey Hall of Fame and the Gretzky family have most if not all of these special type sticks in their private collections. This stick offers a chance to personally own one of only 2 of these type sticks in the world. Alex Ovechkin and Gordie Howe being the only 2 other players to have scored 785 goals. Ovie keeps all of his goal scored sticks and Mr. Howe more than likely, did not save his 785. Video shows goal number 785 on a break away which was the game winner so they replay the goal and we miss Gretzky picking up the puck and handing the trainer the stick. You hear the announce also say it was Gretzky's 20th of the season as denoted on this special stick. For goal 786 which followed soon after, you see Gretzky pick up that puck and sit with no stick on the bench till the trainer gets him another, as that stick was also put away. Just 67 days later after this stick was used, Gretzky breaks Howes record notching 802 on March 23, 1994. Gretzky snapped his 802nd regular season goal into a virtually empty net, and just like that, 30 years ago on a Los Angeles Kings power play 14:47 into the second period, the Great One was the NHL all time goal scorer. Wayne Gretzky played 20 seasons in the NHL for four teams from 1979 to 1999, retiring at the age of 38. Nicknamed "the Great One", he has been called the greatest ice hockey player ever by many sportswriters, players, The Hockey News, and the NHL itself, based on extensive surveys of hockey writers, ex-players, general managers and coaches. Gretzky is the leading career goal scorer, assist producer and point scorer in NHL history, and has more career assists than any other player has total points. He is the only NHL player to total over 200 points in one season, a feat he accomplished four times. In addition, Gretzky tallied over 100 points in 15 professional seasons, 13 of them consecutive. At the time of his retirement in 1999, he held 61 NHL records: 40 regular season records, 15 playoff records, and 6 All-Star records.