Matt Ross: The Trade: 8-9-1988

There’s no argument. He’s the greatest of any time.

I still remember reading the headline in the Pittsburgh newspaper the day o the trade: "Greatzky to kings Imminent." I had to read it a few times to understand and have it sink in. I was shocked like everyone else. It made no sense.

No question that the trade was an enormous boon the NHL, more than they ever expected.the league took off after that deal. Probably wouldn't have teams in Anaheim, Arizona, San jose, Vegas, Florida without that happening.

When I think of this trade I always wonder what would have happened in Edmonton had he stayed. Would they have won more Cups? Hard to believe they wouldn't have. But the Kings were exciting to watch with him on the team.

These two statements seem to be contradictory:

Pocklington and and Glen Sather (Oilers GM) tried to cancel the deal in the eleventh hour. They pulled Gretzky aside right before the press conference and told him they would call it off, but Gretz refused. Pocklington said:

"My mistake was not going over to him and putting my arm around him and saying, 'Wayne, it's OK, pal. If you want to call it off, let's do it.'"
- Matt Ross

The first paragraph says that they asked Gretzky if he wanted to call it off and he refused, the second says that Pocklington regrets not asking him.

These two statements seem to be contradictory:



The first paragraph says that they asked Gretzky if he wanted to call it off and he refused, the second says that Pocklington regrets not asking him.
- tkecanuck341

I don’t think so. They did ask him and I think Pocklington regrets not asking him in a way that was more genuine and drove home to Wayne that they truly wanted him there and that the trade was probably a mistake. Hence why he said he wished he would have put his arm around him, etc.

Everything I’ve watched and read about it over the years has always made me feel that the relationship between Wayne, Sather and especially Pocklington had got so strained that it was beyond repair. I think the weight and gravity of trading the best player in the world really hit Sather and Pocklington and they tried to stop it at the last minute. Gretz has said that he was pretty furious about how things went leading up to the presser and he made up his mind that he was moving on from the Oilers - essentially sticking it to them when they changed their minds at the last second and tried keeping him.

I think if they had come to him earlier, things could have been salvaged. He probably would have been an Oiler for life, but, by the time they did come to him, the damage had already been done.

That’s how I’ve interpreted things.

I still remember reading the headline in the Pittsburgh newspaper the day o the trade: "Greatzky to kings Imminent." I had to read it a few times to understand and have it sink in. I was shocked like everyone else. It made no sense.

No question that the trade was an enormous boon the NHL, more than they ever expected.the league took off after that deal. Probably wouldn't have teams in Anaheim, Arizona, San jose, Vegas, Florida without that happening.

When I think of this trade I always wonder what would have happened in Edmonton had he stayed. Would they have won more Cups? Hard to believe they wouldn't have. But the Kings were exciting to watch with him on the team.
- Sams_Dog

Totally agree on that second paragraph, Sams_Dog

I’ve thought about what would have happened if they kept him around, too. I have to believe a lot more winning. Haha. I guess you need to factor in if they could keep the guys around him and so forth.

Def fun to think about “what could have been,” but I think it shaped up pretty awesome for the league in the end.

I wonder what the offers were from NY and Detroit that were rejected?

I wonder what the offers were from NY and Detroit that were rejected?
- TommyGTrain

There were rumors of it being Steve Yzerman in the trade. I’m not sure how truthful those rumors are, just what has circulated over the years.

I wonder what the offers were from NY and Detroit that were rejected?
- TommyGTrain

here you go

Reports from the New York Times in 1988 indicate that Rangers GM Phil Espositio was approached by Edmonton GM Glen Sather about Gretzky at the draft that June.

The Oilers said that they approached the Rangers because their owners at the time, Gulf and Western, "could afford him."

Espositio said at the time that he was interested in Gretzky but that once they started discussing terms he lost interest.

The Rangers GM said at the time that it would be great to have Gretzky but "who's he going to play with."

In recent years, Esposito said that the Rangers and Oilers agreed on players but could not agree on money.

Esposito said that the Rangers were prepared to send Kelly Kisio, Tomas Sandstrom and John Vanbiesbrouck to Edmonton.

here you go

Reports from the New York Times in 1988 indicate that Rangers GM Phil Espositio was approached by Edmonton GM Glen Sather about Gretzky at the draft that June.

The Oilers said that they approached the Rangers because their owners at the time, Gulf and Western, "could afford him."

Espositio said at the time that he was interested in Gretzky but that once they started discussing terms he lost interest.

The Rangers GM said at the time that it would be great to have Gretzky but "who's he going to play with."

In recent years, Esposito said that the Rangers and Oilers agreed on players but could not agree on money.

Esposito said that the Rangers were prepared to send Kelly Kisio, Tomas Sandstrom and John Vanbiesbrouck to Edmonton.
- jimbo83

Awesome stuff, Jimbo. Thanks for sharing.

Yzerman would have been wild.

I bet a bunch of teams probably just didn’t have the players/money to satisfy what Edmonton was looking for, but they probably still put pitches out there. I’d love to see what all those were, you know?

The trade is so interesting because I can’t think of a time when a star star athlete had his pick of where to go and ended up choosing a struggling team. I know the examples exists, but I can’t think of any at the moment. The Kings were 10+ games below .500 in the previous couple years before Gretzky joined.

A great tribute, thank you

Gretzky was house-sitting for Alan Thicke and watching his son, Robin, when he got the news that the deal was done.

Great stuff, Matt, but you buried the lede!

A great tribute, thank you
- gonch

You got it, Gonch

Great stuff, Matt, but you buried the lede!
- Only_A_Ladd

?

?
- Matt.Ross

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bury_the_lede

"Gretzky was house-sitting for Alan Thicke and watching his son, Robin, when he got the news that the deal was done."

Jokes, Matt, jokes.

There’s no argument. He’s the greatest of any time.
- pucks4all

Stats don't lie. He has more assists alone than anyone in history has total points. No one has dominated a sport like that.

https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bury_the_lede

"Gretzky was house-sitting for Alan Thicke and watching his son, Robin, when he got the news that the deal was done."

Jokes, Matt, jokes.
- Only_A_Ladd

Well played, Only_A_Ladd. Haha.

Stats don't lie. He has more assists alone than anyone in history has total points. No one has dominated a sport like that.
- RogerRoeper

Agree. I try to make the argument for Mario but I can't. It all comes back to this.