when did that professional ice hockey player mentioned here retire?
2002
Wayne Gretzky
In 2002, the Kings held a jersey retirement ceremony and erected a life-sized statue of Gretzky outside the Staples Center; the ceremony was delayed until then so that Bruce McNall, who had recently finished a prison sentence, could attend.
who is wayne gretzky? A Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. can you name a few teams he has played for that game? The Edmonton Oilers,  St. Louis Blues which teams did he coach? UNANSWERABLE can you tell me any of his breakthroughs during his playing career? Gretzky was the top scorer in the 1978 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships you had mentioned two teams he has played for, which league are those teams a part of? National Hockey League (NHL) when was the above organization formed? The National Hockey League was established in 1917 how many teams does it have? 31 teams - 24 in the United States and 7 in Canada. did that league participate in global competitions? Yes, It  has occasionally participated in international club competitions. who did they play against for those specific competitions? HC CSKA Moscow, and Krylya Sovetov Moscow
wiki:19666398
Wayne Gretzky [SEP] Post-retirement
He was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2000. In addition, Gretzky's jersey number 99 was retired league-wide at the 2000 NHL All-Star Game, a decision inspired by Major League Baseball's retirement of the number 42 worn by Jackie Robinson. In October 1999, Edmonton honoured Gretzky by renaming one of Edmonton's busiest freeways, Capilano Drive – which passes by Northlands Coliseum – to Wayne Gretzky Drive. Also in Edmonton, the local transit authority assigned a rush-hour bus route numbered No. 99 which also runs on Wayne Gretzky Drive for its commute. In 2002, the Kings held a jersey retirement ceremony and erected a life-sized statue of Gretzky outside the Staples Center; the ceremony was delayed until then so that Bruce McNall, who had recently finished a prison sentence, could attend.