On April 18, 1999, Wayne Gretzky played his final NHL game at Madison Square Garden. The jersey he wore that night would go on to spark one of the most dramatic moments in Sotheby’s history. For Brahm Wachter, Head of Modern Collectibles, it was the ultimate dream—and nearly a career-ending disaster.
What began as a perfectly documented piece of sports history quickly turned into a test of nerves, as photo-matching every detail revealed just how fragile the fate of Gretzky’s last game-worn jersey really was. From the exhilaration of handling one of hockey’s greatest relics to the moment it almost slipped away, this is the untold story of how the world’s most valuable collectibles are saved—or lost.
Sotheby’s New York will present the Wayne Gretzky “Final Career Game” New York Rangers jersey in a single-lot sale, The Great One, on 30 September at 6:00 PM EST. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness—and own—the jersey that marked the end of an era.