25th Anniversary of "The Trade": The Day Wayne Gretzky Became an L.A. King

[jdh1]

For me Kerry Fraser is all I need to remember about no.99 being in LA. HE was quick to call penalties on the Leafs the whole series long.And when Gretsky commited the high stick at a crucial time in the game,Fraser supposedly was looking the other way.

I thought I heard it was the Leafs actually had the best offer on the table.  But because of ownership's money problems, the Leafs turned down the deal, leading L.A. to land Gretzky.  Now I don't know what they would of been giving up, but the Leafs were a very good team back then.  Would Gretzky been the difference to winning the Cup over Montreal in 1993?

I'm not sure who owned the team back then.I think Ballard passed away and some kind of committee took over that hired Fletcher to run the team.The grocer eventually took over the team.
I think the Leafs were strong enough to defeat the Canadiens if they would have defeated LA in that game six.That would of given them a five day break and a good rest...that's what bugs me...they would of won the cup,because they had a better team than Montreal.

 

[Rebel_1812]

For the skeptics who still don't understand Gretzky's impact on hockey...far greater than that of Lemieux et al for reasons that they couldn't do but the name Gretzky could...below is NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman's view...

Leaving aside the jumbled phrasing are you seriously trying to present Gary Bettman as someone whose opinion of the Southern Strategy, its success and its contribution to the good of the game is in anyway impartial?

I was merely trying to showcase Bettman's view, as he saw (or sees) it.  That is all.  Whether anyone agrees with it or not,  that is up to them to decide.

I don't agree with Napoleon's views on things.  The world must look different from down there.