Wayne Gretzky's trade

[7475flyersfan]

this guy had to be the biggest idiot in all of pro sports right up there with the schmuck that trade babe ruth to the yankees

[landrykkb]

Wayne Gretzky apparently was given the option to back out of this trade before we all knew he was being traded,according to what he said in the King's Ransom documentary,but decided it would be a great business move and not to mention a new challenge for him.Yeah,we can all speculate about what might have been in Edmonton had they kept that together,but that team wasn't destined to retire together in Edmonton.

[vccstudents]

Despite this trade, the Oilers STILL won the Cup AGAIN in '90 with a player I STILL say was better, Mark Messier! Mess proved TWICE he could win without Gretzky, carrying the '94 Rangers in Game 6 against the Devils. Gretzky was great, I won't dispute that, but he could not carry a team the way Mess could! Gretzky would NEVER win another Cup. Sad!

[conda420]

This trade fucked the NHL and made it so we have to watch bullshit teams play in front of 10k fans in some of the most non hockey markets ever fucking Nunavut could sell out more then Atlanta and Florida

[raddman20031960]

it was years ago people. get over it and move on. seek counselling if you have to but, yes you will get over it.

[nrwo2009]

Remember this for two reasons.

1) Never expected him to be traded while still in his prime and 2) That Summer was hot as shit.

[landrykkb]

When native Edmontonian Mark Messier was traded to the Oilers,their fans were saddened just the same as when Wayne Gretzky departed,but Mess himself wanted out to pursue another challenge,which he met head on and achieved with the 1994 New York Rangers.You can only win so many Stanley Cups with 1 team,folks.

[farmboy444]

NOOOO GRETZKY ROXZ

[HockeyFan23454]

you spelled Gretzky wrong in the description. thats sad...

[shadowchaos88]

You guys want to know whats stupid sports teams owners trade away there best players for what reason to make your team suck? the Edmonton oilers owner knew that Gretzky was the best player in NHL and he just his mind one day "Oh im gonna trade wayne gretzky the greatest player in the NHL the city and team will love that" no NO liked that idea maybe LA did but no one else think about guys this might of been the most stupidest disicion AND trade in the world

[TheGeorgecostanza]

I met Waynes dad Walter out here at 8 rinks in Vancouver while scorekeeping ice hockey. I said to Walter in a way it was better for Wayne to have gotten traded(sold to)to the Kings. Wayne made a hell of a lot more dough in LA as well he helped establish hockey in that area. Pocklington never would have been able to afford and/or was too cheap to pay Wayne what he truely was worth. Walter agreed with me about everything we discussed!

[raddman20031960]

@TheGeorgecostanza

wipe the drool off your face and stop brownnosing dude.

[TheGeorgecostanza]

@raddman20031960 What the hell is that suppose to mean dude? What I stated is true! I've met Walter out here many times as he frequents Vancouver on many occasions for local kids hockey tourneys so what the hell is your remark supposed to be stating?

[raddman20031960]

@TheGeorgecostanza it means exactly what it says. Learn how to read and maybe you will comprehend it. 

[TheGeorgecostanza]

@raddman20031960 Still don't comprehend your criticism dude and yes I have a college education! Like what are you trying to state in your critque? What are you trying to state "trash talking me"? Wayne was sold off buy Pocklington and that scum bag ended up behind bars! He was never going to pay him 10 million bucks a year like the Kings did! He was better off financially in the long run so really do not COMPRHEND your cricism and I am a EDUCATED person idiot so please explain smartass?!

[storeflack]

polickton's a tool

[mrceebees14]

"Gretsky?"

You need to change that, that is just stupid looking chief.

[SpeakGodSpeak]

Lucky Man. You got to meet Gretkzy. I met his Coach before from Brantford but never met him. I used to play with some really sick players who made the NHL. Tried out for the ECHL for one of Atlanta Thrashers farm leagues but missed my mark. If that league was hard I couldn't imagine what it was like playing against Wayne. My God what a player. I've seen the best but he's in some other galaxy.

[UltMitSinner78]

The NHL are a bunch of sellouts. This is Canadas game but how many Canadian teams are there? 6. And 24 in the USA. How many of those teams in the USA don't give a flying fuck about hockey. Probabley half of them. NHL doesn't care as long as their pockets get lined. Fucky greedy bastards. Fuck tropical and hot places they should get no hocket teams/

[Sinister134]

No doubt oilers had the best team of all time back In the 80's... Gotta rebuild sometime... It's just no fun for us fans

[trulysarcastic]

When Messier left. it was one more blow to the team. They already traded Gretzky and Coffey. Then they traded Glenn Anderson and Fuhr to the leafs

[landrykkb]

Gretzky's trade to L.A. was what set the blueprints for the money racket that the NHL is today.

[likespaintball]

messier didnt make that team. That team was and is the greatest dynasty ever, they won not just because of messiers(Overrated) leader ship or greatzky but because there the highest scoreing team ever. They had like six 30 goal scorers and one of the greatest defencmen in the history of the game. The goalie was amazing. They have like six members from that decade that where on the team that are now in the Hall Of Fame. Wayne is the greatest player in the history of the game period.

[WeTrustChrist]

The Oilers won the cup a year after Gretzky was traded to the Kings. The day the Oilers dynasty died was when MESSIER was traded to the Rangers. Messier went on to win 2 President's cup Trophies (best team regular season), MVP of the league and the CUP all within 3 years of being dealt. MESSIER was the KEY piece of Oilers dynasty, not Gretzky.

[tacular3]

What if they traded Messier instead?

[raddman20031960]

@tacular3

For what? A bag of shit!!

[sethmusic]

pock should have gotten the entire kings franchise in the trade.....it still wouldnt have been even.

[tpjl25]

Before Wayne was a whore, he was a victim.

Pocklington has always been a pimp.

[JuliusC1973]

You could compare it to the New england Patriots trading away tom brady after the 2004 Superbowl or you could compare it to the Boston Red Sox trading way Babe Ruth. Gretzky being traded was shocking and truly signalled the dismatalling of one of the great teams of the 20th Century.

[azbaldy5]

i will never understand the trade. Pocklington, if he needed money should have sold the Oilers instead of gretzky. The Oilers of the 80's were probably the best hockey team EVER !

[JuliusC1973]

I'm certain soemone would have bought the Team and kept hte Roster intact. They were one of the greatest teams ever assembled in any sport. Tragically, we can look back in retrospective and take the trade of Paul Coffey a few months earlier to be the first sign that Pockington was going to sell this team off.

[azbaldy5]

a lot of what you have mentioned i read in a book called "Gretzky to Lemieux" about the '87 Canada cup when Coffey held out and they traded him. Pocklington was a doofus as an owner!

[JuliusC1973]

How does one trade away the Greatest Scoring Defensemen from a Stanley Cup Champion? Only an absolute idiot does that? I agree with Pockington being a doofus and short-sighted to boot.

[azbaldy5]

IF Nelson Skalbania would have kept the team instead of selling it to pocklington skalbania had the money to keep the players and they would have won 3 or 4 more cups in the NINTIES.

[JuliusC1973]

That is so true.

[nicelemon2]

Wayne does take care of the fans and I admire someone of his status who doesn't take himself too seriously.

[anarkidz2]

The Day after the trade, I was running for the elevator in Manulife Place to get to my office. The elevatoer was closing and I wasnt gonna make it. An arm came from within the elevator door to hold it for me.....It was Wayne Gretzky. That is what a class act that man was. You would think with all the media attention that the "Trade " created, he would want some privacy, but not Wayne. All he could think of at that second was to hold the door for me. I will never forget it.

[nowisnever]

@anarkidz2 I remember when wayne and I got some hookers after the trade... was a good time. u jelly?

[ChetCampbell72]

Remember this day vividly, was going into 11th grade back then when this happened.

I have no love at all for the Oilers, but I can't imagine how much this hurt to not only see him get traded, but to a division rival.

[romans52345]

@ChetCampbell72 i was going into second grade so i do not remember it well....

[tajnarabota]

Sure the Oil have 5 cups. But they also have the mark of having the greatest player in history and they traded him when he was in his prime - for Martin Gelinas, a couple other guys, and CASH. Plus they are the only team who have had a name ERASED from the Stanley Cup (Basil Pocklington). The problem is that Edmontonians take hockey WAY TOO SERIOUSLY - sure, Pocklington is a creep. But no need for death threats - I mean, come on. They even wanted the Courts to intervene! Just a game, folks.

[ChetCampbell72]

Think about it, the Oilers were/are a small market team, as players salaries started to rise the Oilers began losing players. This couldn't have come at a worse time considering the circumstances.

[lundhead]

I don't think Pocklington has ever been able to step foot in Edmonton since he left. Edmontonians live/breathe hockey and pretty much every Edmontonian was crushed when Gretzky got traded.

[89Gagner89]

this is really similar to when smyth got trade..... smyth isnt gretzky material but he was the heart and soul of the team kinda like wayne......

[gmls710]

no wonder why the oilers suck today. that and the coach sucks at his job

[rayodele]

damn. even though i'm a kings fan I still feel bad about how the trade went down.

nice video.

[dan448222]

Put some Commesnts please!