Hockey’s “The Great One,” Wayne Gretzky is set to Join Detail exclusively on ESPN+, hosting new historical editions of the series, adding NHL games to the already existing collection of historical games.
What’s Happening:
- Wayne Gretzky, considered the greatest hockey player of all time, hosts new historical editions of Detail, the ground-breaking sports analysis series created by the late Kobe Bryant. Adding NHL games to Detail’s NBA and NFL historical episodes, The Great One shares the unique insights and strategies he used in leading his Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings teams in classic NHL playoff games. Detail is produced by Granity Studios and ESPN+, and is available to stream exclusively on ESPN+.
- In his first historical episode of Detail, Gretzky breaks down the Kings’ 5-4 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7 of the 1993 Western Conference finals, one of the most memorable games in NHL history. With L.A.’s first ever trip to the Stanley Cup Finals on the line, Gretzky played what some hockey experts believe was his best game ever, scoring three goals and one assist in leading his underdog Kings to victory on Toronto’s home ice.
- In the second episode, Gretzky will break down Game 3 of the 1988 Stanley Cup Finals between his Oilers and the Boston Bruins, a 6-3 Edmonton win on the way to the Oilers’ fourth Stanley Cup Trophy in five years.
- Gretzky, nicknamed The Great One, played 20 seasons in the NHL for four teams, winning four Stanley Cups with Edmonton between 1984 and 1988. Lacking the size, strength and speed of typical NHL players, Gretzky utilized an uncanny, innovative style of play relying on anticipation and superior understanding of the game to become the NHL’s all-time leading scorer with the most goals and most assists in a career. In fact, Gretzky was so dominant, he recorded more career assists than any other player has total career points, and he is the only player in league history to score 200 points in one season, which he did four times. When he retired in 1999, the Hockey Hall of Fame inducted him immediately, and the NHL retired his No. 99 jersey across every team in the league.
- Gretzky adds to the growing list of top athletes and sports legends hosting Detail episodes, including NFL great Joe Montana breaking down his most iconic games, Baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken, Jr. analyzing current MLB players, two-time Super Bowl champion Peyton Manning breaking down NFL quarterbacks, former UFC two-division champion Daniel Cormier analyzing top UFC fighters, 11-time women’s college basketball national championship head coach Geno Auriemma, six-time college football national champion head coach Nick Saban, and two-time NBA champion Pau Gasol. Also, Detail: 1998 Chicago Bulls, the historical edition of five episodes analyzing key games during the Bulls’ run to their sixth NBA Finals championship, is hosted by three important members of the team – Dennis Rodman, Steve Kerr and head coach Phil Jackson – along with their former Eastern Conference rival Mark Jackson.
- Detail also includes NBA and college basketball episodes hosted by NBA legend Bryant, the creator of the Detail series and founder of Granity Studios, who was posthumously elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame earlier this year. ESPN+ and Granity Studios celebrated Bryant’s birthday last month with three special “Honoring Kobe” historical episodes hosted by Phil Jackson, Pau Gasol and Diana Taurasi breaking down classic games from Bryant’s NBA career.
- All 80+ episodes of Detail are available to stream exclusively on ESPN+.
- In addition to Detail, ice hockey content on ESPN+ includes live NHL regular season games; on-demand replays of classic NHL games; In the Crease, the post-game analysis and highlight show hosted by former Los Angeles Kings head coach Barry Melrose and Linda Cohn; Quest for the Stanley Cup, a behind-the-scenes docuseries following eight teams during the NHL playoffs and more.
What They’re Saying:
- Brian Lockhart, vice president and executive producer, Original Content, ESPN+: “Simply put, there is no one greater than The Great One himself to give fans a new, unique look at classic NHL moments in a way that makes us all smarter fans of the game. The intelligence with which Wayne played hockey and the insights he brings to the historical editions of Detail are right in line with Kobe’s vision for the show.”