"Maybe it's only fitting that the best young player in the game scored the winning goal," Gretzky said.
The crowd and the Rangers seemed stunned, but only momentarily. Then everyone remembered why they'd come to an otherwise pedestrian match up.
As the "Gretz-ky" chants began again, he skated over to the Penguins, who were lined up at the blue line, and shook hands with several. Then he hugged Jagr -an unofficial passing of the torch?--before returning to his teammates.
Then began the final moments of the Gretzky era, which NHL commissioner Gary Bettman ensured would end historically by announcing that no one will ever again wear No. 99 in the league.
"When a gentlemen told me in 1977 to wear this sweater, I didn't imagine one day nobody else would be allowed to wear it," Gretzky said.
That was the first of several times Gretzky became teary. It happened again when his father, Walter, was driven to center ice in a new black Mercedes presented to Gretzky as a parting gift.
"I feel so lucky to be able to play in the NHL," the sport's greatest player said. "I've been so fortunate to play with some of the greatest players, against guys I admired so much, like the best player I ever played against Mario Lemieux...my teammates and, of course, the best player I ever played with, Mark Messier.
"And it would be nothing without family and the great friendships I have developed over the years. I appreciate all the accolades. I tell everyone the greatest place to play is right here in New York."
Gretzky wore a huge grin as friend Bryan Adams sang "O, Canada."
"We're going to miss you, Wayne," Adams ad-libbed late in the song.
The "Star-Spangled Banner," as sung by John Amirante, was altered to include the words "in the land of Wayne Gretzky."
Gretzky, who holds or shares 61 NHL records, set up Brian Leetch, John MacLean and Niklas Sundstrom for first period scoring chances. All failed.
At the first television timeout, Gordie Howe--whose records Gretzky regularly broke--appeared in a video, saluting his prodigy.
Another sports king, Michael Jordan, appeared in a second-period video, telling Gretzky, "Your golf game is not going to get better, so don't think that will help. It will probably get worse, because you've got more time."
Moments later, he set up MacLean for a semi-breakaway, but Barrasso stopped a slap shot. Then Gretzky broke in on a two-on-one with MacLean, who held the puck too long for a shot.
Finally, the Rangers were able to convert his magic. On a power play while trailing 1-0, Gretzky passed from the right wing boards to Mathieu Schneider in the slot. He faked a shot and passed to Leetch for a tap-in open-net goal.
That led to a mob scene at the sideboards as his teammates hugged, although Gretzky didn't seem very emotional. Of course, he'd done this 2,856 times before in the NHL.