`One-In-A-Million' Injury -- Rare Back Ailment May End Career Of L. A. Kings Star

INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Wayne Gretzky, a one-in-a-million hockey star, has been halted by what one of his doctors called a "one-in-a-million" back injury.

Gretzky, 31, a 13-year veteran who is the leading scorer in the history of the NHL, is sidelined indefinitely and might never play again.

"The only thing I'm dealing with is getting rid of this pain," said Gretzky, who will miss tonight's exhibition game at the Tacoma Dome between his Los Angeles Kings and the Pittsburgh Penguins. "I'm a very positive, very optimistic person, but let's get rid of this pain."

Dr. Robert Watkins, a spinal consultant who recently operated on injured baseball star Darryl Strawberry, would not speculate on when Gretzky would be able to play again. Watkins said he is not recommending surgery now, and added that despite a "very significant, severe injury," Gretzky has "an excellent chance of recovery."

Watkins added, "This problem . . . has the possibility of being career-threatening. But we are very optimistic."

The upper-back injury has been diagnosed as a herniated thoracic disk. The disk, extending into the spinal canal, is putting intense pressure on a nerve running between two ribs. Watkins said there has been a small amount of calcification, but there is no "significant" evidence of spinal-cord injury.

Anti-inflammatory drugs have been prescribed and a rehabilitation program has been drawn up, but the nature of the injury makes predicting Gretzky's return difficult, if not impossible.

"It's a hard area to get to surgically. Some of this is unchartered waters," said Tony Daly, the Los Angeles Clippers' team physician.

Gretzky's back problems date to a game against the New York Islanders on March 22, 1990. In that game, he was checked from behind by Islander winger Alan Kerr and slammed head-first into the chest of New York defenseman Ken Baumgartner. The lower-back injury sidelined Gretzky for three of the Kings' 10 playoff games that season.

Then, on Sept. 14, 1991, was injured when he was checked from behind by Gary Suter in a Canada Cup game between Canada and the United States. He aggravated the injury again 13 days later in a preseason game.

Although the injury didn't cause him to miss a game last season, Gretzky finished with a career-low 31 goals and 90 assists. In late March, Gretzky said he began experiencing pain in his ribs.

"I had problems through March, April and May," Gretzky said. "Then, it seemed to go away. I started intensely training, and I had no problems in August and (early) September."

"I felt as good as I've ever felt," Gretzky said.

But just as he was preparing to return to camp last Wednesday after the birth of his third child, the pain in his ribs returned and he was examined by Watkins.

"He wouldn't let me leave the hospital," said Gretzky, who was admitted to Centinela Hospital.

Watkins would not speculate on what caused an injury he described as extremely unusual, perhaps unprecedented, in a sports star. He said a single incident or repeated pounding both can result in such an injury.

Being hit from behind also could be a cause, he said.

"That's an excellent way to get that type of injury," Watkins said.

Said Gretzky, "Those people who said Wayne Gretzky never gets hit, I guess I'm living proof that that's a lie. . . . To me, (the injury) is not from one hit. It's the culmination of getting pounded night after night."

Though it is uncertain whether Gretzky's latest injury is the result of a hit from behind, Gretzky and Kings owner Bruce McNall spoke strongly about the need for the NHL to do more to curb blind-side hits.

"One of the goals we have in the NHL is to stop hitting from behind," said McNall, president of the league's Board of Governors. "You're looking at (Pittsburgh's) Mario Lemieux and you have Wayne Gretzky, now, who both have suffered serious back injuries. This is a serious problem for the NHL. We have to stop this."

Coincidentally, neither Gretzky nor Lemieux will play tonight in Tacoma in the 7 p.m. exhibition game.

Gretzky added, "I don't understand. When I first broke in, in 1978, I don't think I ever got hit from behind. It was almost like an unwritten rule. . . . But the financial side of professional sports is so huge now, it doesn't matter to people anymore. The bottom line, the whole thing is to win and sell. What we're forgetting here is you can't eliminate the people who sell tickets."