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Wayne Gretzky's hockey stick, used during the Edmonton Oilers' 1988 Stanley Cup Finals victory, has set a new record, selling for $336,000 at an auction hosted by Sotheby's. This figure marks the highest amount ever paid for an NHL-used hockey stick.

The stick, verified by MeiGray through photo-matching and authenticated by James Spence Authentication, bears a signature reading: "To Rick, Best Wishes, Wayne Gretzky, May 26th, 1988." Originally, it belonged to Rick "The Stick" Elaschuk, a longtime employee of the Oilers and the visiting team stick man since the team's early days in the World Hockey Association.

The auction saw significant interest, with 22 bidders placing a total of 79 bids on this piece of hockey history. The sale was announced shortly before the Oilers faced the Florida Panthers in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals at Rogers Place in Edmonton.

The previous record for an NHL-used stick also belonged to Gretzky. In 2022, Sotheby's sold the stick from his final career game for $138,600. Additionally, other memorabilia from Gretzky's 1988 Stanley Cup Finals have fetched high prices. His final Oilers jersey sold for $1.452 million in June 2022, setting a record for the most ever paid for a hockey jersey, and his gloves from the same game sold for $204,162.

The 1988 Finals saw the Oilers sweep the Boston Bruins. Game 4 of the series, held on May 24, 1988, at the Boston Garden, was famously suspended due to a power outage and was never completed. The series resumed in Edmonton, where the Oilers clinched their fourth title in five seasons. This championship was also Gretzky's last with the Oilers, as he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings less than three months later in a monumental deal that reshaped the NHL landscape.

During the 1988 Finals, Gretzky recorded 13 points, including three goals and 10 assists, setting a series record that still stands. His 10 assists in the Finals are also a record. Gretzky, a nine-time league MVP, remains the only player in NHL history to have his number retired across the entire league.