Injuries are part of the game and the what-if of how productive guys could have been in games they didn't play if they were healthy or in games they did if they were healthier usually seems futile.

Neither guy was really known as a fierce checker or anything like that, though Mario played a more physical game and had more size. Opposing centers though generally considered Gretzky the more frustrating opponent, just a total mindfuck to play against.

I think you look at a leadership standpoint, Gretzky was way up there but he also had Messier backing him up. That was a big thing in general, I mean Wayne had LOADED teams, Mario had really shitty ones at times in his career (though he had some stacked ones).

I do think it's very close--I don't agree, for example, that the comparison is "insulting to Gretz"--but I do think Gretzky managed to retire as the best player of his era.