20 years ago, Gretzky was traded from Edmonton

From TSN.ca

As the world's greatest hockey player, Wayne Gretzky already
knew all there was to know about composure.
He had it as a six-year old
playing on a team of ten-year olds in his hometown of Brantford, Ontario. He had
it when he played under the spotlight with the Ontario Hockey League's Sault
Ste. Marie Greyhounds and the World Hockey Association's Indianapolis Racers and
Edmonton Oilers. And he had it when he led the young and promising Oilers into
the National Hockey League.
But on this day 20 years ago, The Great One - for
one moment in his career - just couldn't hold it together. The 27-year-old, who
had spent almost his whole life fending off jealous hockey parents, tough
opponents and harsh critics, broke down after reading off just a few words at
Edmonton's Molson House.
"For the benefit of Wayne Gretzky, my new
wife and our expected child in the new year, I thought it was beneficial to all
involved if they let me play with the Kings," he said to the shock of everyone
in the room. "It's disappointing having to leave Edmonton, but there comes a
time when."
With that, Gretzky wept behind the mess of microphones, coming
face-to-face with the reality that he was no longer an Edmonton Oiler. "I
promised Mess I wouldn't do this," he said sheepishly as he wiped his eyes. Just
three months after leading them to their fourth Stanley Cup in five seasons, the
only NHL team Wayne
Gretzky ever played for, the team he loved, had traded him away.
On
August 9, 1988, Oilers owner Peter Pocklington did the unthinkable when he
traded Gretzky, along with defenceman Marty McSorley and forward Mike
Krushelnyski to the Los Angeles Kings for centre Jimmy Carson, winger Martin Gelinas, three
first-round draft picks and $15 million in cash. It was a move that stunned the
sports world and numbed hockey fans across Canada.
For Pocklington, it was
strictly a business move for an owner who needed more cash than championships.
At a time when Canadians knew little about the boardroom's side of hockey,
however, it was nothing short of an emotional letdown. Canada's favorite son was
gone.
In Edmonton, fans marched to Northlands Coliseum burning Pocklington
in effigy. Tabloid papers grilled The Great One, calling him a traitor and
dubbing his wife, 'Jezebel Janet' amid their own speculation that he engineered
the deal to move to Hollywood to further her acting career. 'The Trade' even
made it to Question Period at the House of Commons, as NDP House Leader Nelson
Riis demanded that the Mulroney government block it from happening.
"At the
time I was doing it, I don't think I really got it," said former Kings owner
Bruce McNall, who helped orchestrate the trade. "Looking back, now I see it had
a big, big impact."
For the NHL, the deal gave the league that much more
exposure south of the border. With No. 99 in the lineup, the Kings were an
instant draw at home and on the road - and a winning team. They made the
playoffs for four straight seasons, culminating with their first Stanley Cup
Final berth in 1993. Gretzky also continued to re-write the NHL's record books.
Wearing the Kings' black and silver, he broke Gordie Howe's NHL record of 1,850
points (in Edmonton of all places), became the first player to break the
2,000-point plateau, and passed Mr. Hockey's career mark for goals.
But The
Great One also took great pride in being a big factor off the ice.
"I
remember the first weekend I was in L.A.," he told TSN. "I was going by these
tennis courts and I stopped the car and told my friend, 'If we were in Canada,
people would be playing inline and ball hockey here.' A year later there was a
sign on the fence that read, 'No Inline Hockey Allowed.' It's come a long way;
there are minor hockey teams in California now and in Arizona that can compete
with the top teams in Canada and they're very good. There aren't as many, but we
are getting to that point."
The trade, arguably the biggest ever made, also
reinforced the notion that nothing is forever in professional sports. Recent
deals involving superstars like Alex Rodriguez, Shaquille O'Neal and even Brett
Favre are certainly surprising, but not that shocking to most sports fans. If
Gretzky could go, anyone could go.
"There's no player in any sport that isn't
trade bait," explained McNall.
TSN.ca commemorates the historic deal as Ryan Rishaug looks back at the day
that The Great One said goodbye to Edmonton and the Oilers dynasty.