Gretzky May Be Out for Season : Kings: Doctor says prognosis for full recovery of back injury is very good, but won’t speculate on when he will return. Surgery is not being considered.

A back injury might keep Wayne Gretzky, the NHL’s all-time leading scorer, sidelined for the upcoming season.

Dr. Robert Watkins of the Kerlan-Jobe Clinic said Tuesday that Gretzky, the Los Angeles Kings’ star, has a herniated thoracic disk.

Watkins refused to speculate on when Gretzky might return, but said that while the injury could possibly be career-ending, the prognosis for a full recovery is very good.

Watkins said it was a “one-in-a-millon injury, a most unusual spine injury.” He said surgery is not being contemplated.

Gretzy, 31, checked into Centinela Hospital Medical Center last Wednesday--two days after his wife, Janet Jones, gave birth to their third child. Gretzky remained hospitalized until early Tuesday.

“There’s a possibility he’ll return this year,” Watkins said. “I’m not going to speculate on that time. That’s as specific as I’m going to get.”

Gretzky said he didn’t know where or when the injury occurred and that he has been bothered by soreness in his chest, a symptom of this kind of injury, since last March.

“When I was hurting in March and April and May, I had no idea where I got hit, how long ago,” he said. “When the season ended, I went on a holiday with my family. I spent some time in a clinic in Hawaii. I thought I had sore ribs.”

Gretzky said at times the pain went away, and added that he felt very good at training camp. He also felt a lot better Tuesday than he did last Wednesday.

“I’m in the best care possible,” he said. “We’re very optimistic. There are a lot of factors ahead of me. We have to take it one day at a time.

“I woke up Tuesday morning with this soreness and checked into the hospital Wednesday. The only thing I’m dealing with right now is getting rid of the pain so I can walk down the street with you guys. I’m going to be as aggressive, as hard-working on this, as possible.

“For those people who said ‘Wayne Gretzky never gets hit,’ I’m up here proving that it’s a lie.”

Gretzky called for the NHL to enforce rules on hitting from behind. Although he said he wasn’t certain how he was injured, it seemed clear he believes that a hit from behind, or more than one hit, caused his current problem.

“That’s an excellent way to get this kind of injury,” Watkins said.

The doctor said the disk has extracted out into the spinal canal, putting intense pressure on one of the nerves in Gretzky’s ribs. There is no evidence of injury to the spinal cord, Watkins added.

“This is something that has the potential for complete recovery,” Watkins said. “We’re optimistic he will recover. To try to make a parallel to another case would be just inappropriate.”

Watkins has also treated the backs of Mario Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Darryl Strawberry of the Dodgers. Strawberry recently underwent surgery.

Gretzky has been on medication and that, along with complete rest, has helped rid him of much of his pain. Watkins said Gretzky would not have to be put in traction.

Gretzky made it clear he wants to return whenever possible.

“First of all, it’s my life,” he said. “Right now, I don’t have anything on my plate or on my mind that excites me to that level. Everyone in life has something they love to do. I have to give it my best effort. From the first day, I’ve been very positive about it.”

Kings owner Bruce McNall said he was less concerned Tuesday than he was a few days earlier, before the problem was diagnosed.

“I’m more concerned about his pain and his health than his return to hockey,” McNall said. “He’s obviously had some pain for several months. To imagine his possibly playing hockey throughout the (1992) playoffs is absolutely remarkable.

“You can’t replace Wayne Gretzky, nobody can. I hope the team rallies around him. It isn’t a one-man sport. I think it will be an interesting test.”

He has also been called the “Babe Ruth of hockey,” and for good reason. No player in history has dominated his sport the way Gretzy has.

He is a nine-time most valuable player and nine-time scoring champion. He is also the only player in NHL history with 2,000 points, surpassing Gordie Howe’s record of 1,850 on Oct. 15, 1989, in a dramatic return to Edmonton, where he had played for 10 seasons.

He did it in Gretzky style. The record-breaking point was scored with 53 seconds left in regulation and tied the score. He then scored in overtime to give the Kings a 4-3 victory.

Before this season, Gretzky had scored 2,263 points in 13 seasons.

Probably the most amazing of all of Gretzky’s numbers is that he has broken the 200-point barrier four times--in a sport where 100 is a great accomplishment. Among his more than 50 records, Gretzky also holds one-season records for goals (92), assists (163) and points (215).

He has also been named MVP of the Stanley Cup playoffs on two occasions and twice named All-Star MVP, once when he scored an amazing four goals in one period.

Gretzky’s point totals have also proved good publicity for the league. His accomplishments have been such a quantum leap statistics-wise that it made non-hockey fans sit up and take notice.

“He does more for the game than anybody realizes,” said Edmonton General Manager Glen Sather, who was Gretzky’s coach when the Oilers won four Stanley Cups.