NO REGRETZ; GREAT ONE'S GRACE GAVE LIFE TO NHL.

Byline: Joe LaPointe The New York Times

In a sport often stereotyped for brute force and violent intimidation, Wayne Gretzky was a hockey artist who used his stick as a paint brush and his skates as dance slippers. With grace and creativity, he became the NHL's career leader in points and goals, a nine-time Most Valuable Player who not only dominated his sport competitively but helped spread its popularity past the borders of his native Canada to new markets in the United States.

After 21 years as a professional - the past 20 in the NHL and the past three as a New York Ranger - Gretzky announced his retirement Friday afternoon in a news conference at Madison Square Garden. His final game will be Sunday afternoon at the Garden against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

``I'm done,'' Gretzky said, speaking from a dais, most of his family alongside him, surrounded by photographs of himself in various uniforms of several teams. ``It's just time. Of course I'm sad. I've played hockey for 35 years, since I was three years old. I'm going to miss it.''

Gretzky was known as The Great One, and it was not just a pun on his name. In his sport, he, Gordie Howe and Bobby Orr are generally regarded as the very best players in its history.

In comparison to other team sports, Gretzky will be remembered at the level

of Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb in baseball or Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain in basketball. He won 10 scoring titles, as did Jordan, and his nine MVP awards are four more than Jordan won in the NBA.

Slightly shorter and much more slender than the average player, Gretzky nevertheless holds 61 NHL scoring records, and appeared in 18 All-Star Games. He won four Lady Byng trophies for sportsmanship, the most recent in 1994. In NHL regular-season games alone, he has scored 894 goals; Howe is second with 801. In regular-season assists, Gretzky leads with 1,962; Paul Coffey is second with 1,102. In total points in regular season play, Gretzky leads with 2,856; Howe is second with 1,850.

Ironically, in both the NHL and World Hockey Association, Gretzky has scored 1,072 goals, just one more than Howe scored in both leagues during both regular season and playoff games. No player has scored more. Howe was Gretzky's idol when Gretzky grew up in Brantford, Ontario. Soon, Gretzky is expected to join Howe in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Gretzky recalled Friday how he used to visit the Hall as a boy because a friendly worker would let him in. He said he would stand around in awe, looking at the pictures and the mementos on display.

``I guess it's safe to say I'm going to probably get in there,'' Gretzky said. ``Now that I'm retired, I can say that.''

``No person in sports has done as much for their sport as you have been able to do for ours,'' NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said at the news conference.

In a tribute that acknowledged Gretzky's status as a national hero in Canada, Prime Minister Jean Chretien said in a statement: ``This is truly a bittersweet moment. One of the greatest players ever to play our national game has decided to hang up his skates. . . . But we can take heart from the endless, magical memories he has given us.''

Now 38 years old, Gretzky's announcement ended a dramatic week of public and private speculation involving Gretkzy, his family, his friends and his fans. He declined a contract offer to play one more season for $5 million. His skills have been reduced by a nagging injury to a neck disk and by age. In his best season for goals, 1981-82 Gretzky scored an astounding 92 - by contrast, this year's leader has 47 - but this season he has only 9. In his best season for assists, Gretzky had 163, but this season has only 52. In his best years, as an Edmonton Oiler, Gretzky dominated the sport and led his team to four Stanley Cup championships in nine seasons. He has had less success with the Kings, the St. Louis Blues and the Rangers.

Although Gretzky insisted for most of this season that this would not be his last, he revealed Friday that he began to contemplate retirement around Christmas, when he ``started to feel the fatigue, mentally and physically, that I've never felt before.''

Throughout the season, particularly in the second half, he was hit harder by opposing checkers than had been the case in the past. In his youth, checking Gretzky was like stopping a puff a smoke, and he would materialize in open spaces like a mist rising from the ice. This season, he was noticeably less elusive, and he rejected pleas from his wife, agent, coach and general manager to continue.

``In my heart, I know I've made the right decision,'' Gretzky said. ``This is the right time. I'm at peace of mind.''

GRETZKY CAREER STATISTICS

Regular Season

Season, Team GP G A Pts

1979-80, Edmonton 79 51 86 137

1980-81, Edmonton 80 55 109 164

1981-82, Edmonton 80 92 120 212

1982-83, Edmonton 80 71 125 196

1983-84 x, Edmonton 74 87 118 205

1984-85 x, Edmonton 80 73 135 208

1985-86, Edmonton 80 52 163 215

1986-87 x, Edmonton 79 62 121 183

1987-88 x, Edmonton 64 40 109 149

1988-89, Los Angeles 78 54 114 168

1989-90, Los Angeles 73 40 102 142

1990-91, Los Angeles 78 41 122 163

1991-92, Los Angeles 74 31 90 121

1992-93, Los Angeles 45 16 49 65

1993-94, Los Angeles 81 38 92 130

1994-95, Los Angeles 48 11 37 48

1995-96, L.A.-St. Louis 80 23 79 102

1996-97, N.Y. Rangers 8225 72 97

1997-98, N.Y. Rangers 82 23 67 90

1998-99, N.Y. Rangers 69 9 52 61

Totals 1486 894 1962 2856

x won Stanley Cup

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING

``I don't think anybody can even know how much he has really done (for hockey). Nobody can step into his boots, he's been so classy on and off the ice. He can't be matched. His was a dream package. Whenever Gretzky says something good about anybody it makes you feel good because he is the god of hockey.''

Teemu Selanne

Mighty Ducks winger

``I played with him as a 16-year-old in juniors. He was a scrawny, skinny little kid. But as the season went on it was simply amazing, he was dominating games against guys twice his size. He's done everything humanly possible to make this game better.''

Craig Hartsburg

Mighty Ducks coach

``He's meant more to the game than any single player. A lot of teams wouldn't be there if Wayne hadn't come to Los Angeles. . . . As far as an ambassador, you'd never hear him say a bad word. He was very humble. And he's the kind of guy, if it's 6-1, he wants to make it 7-1 or 8-1. He doesn't let up. And he reached levels people never thought would be reached. . . . He's the one player able to transcend the sport''

Dave Taylor

Kings general manager and Gretzky's teammate for six seasons

``If you got him the puck and you got open, he found you. He was the greatest goal scorer of all-time, and then he became the greatest playmaker of all-time. . . . No matter what, this is the greatest player ever to play the game. When 100 points was huge, he came in and scored 200. He was the hardest-working superstar people had ever seen. He always wanted more.''

Luc Robitaille

Kings left wing

``I'd love to see him play for another 10 years, but that can't happen. I knew this day would come. I was hoping it would be down the road. But it's here. It's going to be sad that he's out of the game. On the other hand, we should celebrate and be thankful we had 20 years of nothing but the best he had.''

Tony Granato

San Jose Sharks winger and former King

CAPTION(S):

11 Photos, 4 Boxes

Photo: (1--Color) Wayne Gretzky, ``The Great One,'' announced his retirement Friday after 20 years in the NHL, where he set 61 records and won four Stanley Cups.

Lynsey Addario/Associated Press

(2--5--Color) no caption (Wayne Gretzky)

(6) Wayne Gretzky leaves a trail of impressive records for his 20 seasons in the NHL. ``The Great One'' is no exaggeration.

Tom Hanson/Associated Press

(7--11) (GRETZKY: THROUGH THE YEARS photos)

Photos by Associated Press

Box: (1) GRETZKY BY THE NUMBERS

(2) GRETZKY: THROUGH THE YEARS

(3) GRETZKY CAREER STATISTICS (See text)

(4) WHAT THEY'RE SAYING (See text)