Wayne Gretzky and TNT Sports agreed to a multiyear extension that will continue his presence on the network’s NHL coverage moving forward.
The Hall of Famer first joined TNT Sports in May 2021, a month after it struck a deal with the NHL to become a media rights partner.
While the company’s home base in Atlanta is a long way from Southern California, Gretzky said the job presented him with the opportunity to move closer to his two grandchildren in Florida.
“We just felt like, after the passing of my dad, and my youngest going to college this year, maybe this is a good time to move,” he said in 2021. “We’ve kind of become empty-nesters. Atlanta is an hour from Florida and an hour from St. Louis. So I guess the stars were aligned. We get to spend a lot of time with our family, and I get to do what I love to do, which is talk about hockey.”
Broadcasting doesn’t always come naturally to retired athletes, but Gretzky made a pretty seamless transition to a studio role. In addition to his vast knowledge of the sport, he displayed a willingness not to take himself too seriously.
Gretzky is widely considered to be the greatest hockey player ever. The four-time Stanley Cup champion and nine-time winner of the Hart Memorial Trophy retired with the most goals (894) and assists (1,963) in NHL history. While the Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin has since passed him on the all-time scoring list, his 2,857 points are 936 more than the next closest player.
TNT Sports’ media rights deal with the NHL runs through the 2027-28 season, which includes exclusive broadcast rights for the 2027 Stanley Cup Final. With Monday’s announcement, Gretzky will remain a fixture of that coverage.
