hockeyfan1
New member
It was exactly 25 years ago this August 9th, 1988, when Wayne Gretzky, dubbed "The Great One" for being quite possibly one of the greatest sports figures of our time, was traded from the Edmonton Oilers, a team he helped to win the Stanley Cup three years in a row, to the Los Angeles Kings.
It was an unforeseen event, as it left a nation in disbelief, an Oilers fanbase in anger, and fans of the L.A. Kings delighted. While there had been rumours all of throughout that summer of Gretzky being part of a trade package, no one, not even "The Great One" himself thought any such thing was ever going to happen.
The fact is not only that it came to fruition, and not only 'shaking' the hockey world, but it may very well have been what the NHL needed to boost it's brand in both California as well as the United States as a whole. It may also have saved the L.A. Kings franchise in terms of attendance, publicity, and the enormous clamour that suddenly made hockey the "in" thing. Gretzky's impact was going to make it's mark like never before seen.
Hockey Night in California one could certainly say, and, hockey 'revival' (interest) in the rest of America it sure became.
Below are some links with stories showing timelines & histories going down memory lane...
http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/52963-The-Wayne-Gretzky-Trade-25-years-on-an-oral-history.html
http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/wayne-gretzky-the-trade/
I would like to ask, where were many of you on the day of "The Trade", and what was your initial reaction?
It was an unforeseen event, as it left a nation in disbelief, an Oilers fanbase in anger, and fans of the L.A. Kings delighted. While there had been rumours all of throughout that summer of Gretzky being part of a trade package, no one, not even "The Great One" himself thought any such thing was ever going to happen.
The fact is not only that it came to fruition, and not only 'shaking' the hockey world, but it may very well have been what the NHL needed to boost it's brand in both California as well as the United States as a whole. It may also have saved the L.A. Kings franchise in terms of attendance, publicity, and the enormous clamour that suddenly made hockey the "in" thing. Gretzky's impact was going to make it's mark like never before seen.
Hockey Night in California one could certainly say, and, hockey 'revival' (interest) in the rest of America it sure became.
Below are some links with stories showing timelines & histories going down memory lane...
http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/52963-The-Wayne-Gretzky-Trade-25-years-on-an-oral-history.html
http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/wayne-gretzky-the-trade/
I would like to ask, where were many of you on the day of "The Trade", and what was your initial reaction?