goalnut3133 Posted August 4, 2013 Share Posted August 4, 2013 Aug 9th marks the 25th anniversary of The Great One's shocking trade from the Oilers to the Kings. It was such a momentous occasion that Sportsnet and TSN have each produced a 5-part TV series, which begins Monday Aug 5th, to air on their respective networks, and ending off on the day of the anniversary. It seems each station will cover different aspects of the story and how this event changed hockey forever.I, myself, sort of dropped off from watching hockey, after the great run of the Oilers in the mid-80s, and just a year or two prior to this trade. By that time, I had lost interest, so didn't have much opinion or emotion about the trade (that I can remember, anyway).But I'd be interested to know how this event that shocked the hockey world affected some of you at that time, and what you felt about it, and the subsequent changes it made to the game. Or, if you are ambivalent about it...haha.http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/sports-networks-dig-deep-to-mark-25th-anniversary-of-gretzky-trade/article13572541/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JR Ewing Posted August 4, 2013 Share Posted August 4, 2013 August 9...In 1988, it was the day that Peter Pocklington kind of crushed my spirit. Our family was on vacation when we saw the news.In 2004, it was the day that, tied with the birth of my son, was the greatest of my life: the birth of my daughter.JR 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted August 4, 2013 Share Posted August 4, 2013 A buddy called me, told me Gretzky was traded, I dropped the phone, effectively ending our conversation. i went right to the beer store, got smash drunk and tried to forget the greatest player ever was now an LA King. Will never forget that moment that I dropped the phone, it was not an act, it was pure unadulterated shock. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yave1964 Posted August 4, 2013 Share Posted August 4, 2013 Was blown away that Edmonton would do that to a city, to a province and to a country. I remember it transcended sports and was the lead topic for days on the news in the USA even. I remember hearing people blame Pocklington, blaming Bruce Mcnall and Janet Jones. I had returned from three and a half years in Germany just weeks before the trade and couldn't understand it. Still after all of this time it still makes no sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JR Ewing Posted August 4, 2013 Share Posted August 4, 2013 Was blown away that Edmonton would do that to a city, to a province and to a country. I remember it transcended sports and was the lead topic for days on the news in the USA even. I remember hearing people blame Pocklington, blaming Bruce Mcnall and Janet Jones. I had returned from three and a half years in Germany just weeks before the trade and couldn't understand it. Still after all of this time it still makes no sense.You should have seen what it was like living in Edmonton in those days. A sort of stunned disbelief, panic, and hatred washed over everybody. It was disbelief that somebody would trade the best player in the world during the prime of his career, panic that he wouldn't be the last, and hatred for Janet Jones.JR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyercanuck Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 I couldn't believe they didn't lock Pocklington up.....for his own good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JR Ewing Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 I couldn't believe they didn't lock Pocklington up.....for his own good!He was public enemy #1 in Edmonton in those days and still is, really. He sold Gretzky (that wasn't a hockey trade) so he could cover bad business deals with his meat packing company, Gainers. In just a few short years, he'd gone on to have stripped down the hockey team for parts, close down (perhaps) the largest employer in town and attempt to sell the team to interests in Texas. He ended up declaring bankruptcy and, in true rich guy fashion, ended up living at the Pebble Beach Golf Course, next to the other broke guys.Later on, he was charged bankruptcy fraud, and settled on a plea deal which saw him receive probation and house arrest and, a few months ago, was ordered to pay out $5M in a securities fraud case. At every step of the way, he's had a laundry list of people to blame; it's never his fault.But, as my Dad has always said, if the same type of stuff keeps happening to you, and you're the common denominator, you have to ask what's more likey: that it's always somebody else's fault, or your own?JR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyercanuck Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 @JR Ewing Ya, I heard about his business dealings. You know that trade wasn't a hockey move. It was all about the money. I remember the day it happened, and maybe we weren't AS shocked here in Ontario, there were plenty of people with WTF??? expressions on their faces that day. My sister, who's a big hockey fan, but a Leaf fan, cried. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goalnut3133 Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 He was public enemy #1 in Edmonton in those days and still is, really. He sold Gretzky (that wasn't a hockey trade) so he could cover bad business deals with his meat packing company, Gainers. In just a few short years, he'd gone on to have stripped down the hockey team for parts, close down (perhaps) the largest employer in town and attempt to sell the team to interests in Texas. He ended up declaring bankruptcy and, in true rich guy fashion, ended up living at the Pebble Beach Golf Course, next to the other broke guys.Later on, he was charged bankruptcy fraud, and settled on a plea deal which saw him receive probation and house arrest and, a few months ago, was ordered to pay out $5M in a securities fraud case. At every step of the way, he's had a laundry list of people to blame; it's never his fault.But, as my Dad has always said, if the same type of stuff keeps happening to you, and you're the common denominator, you have to ask what's more likey: that it's always somebody else's fault, or your own?JRThat's unbelievable! (yet believable). Does anyone remember the very first game after this when Edmonton played LA...& what ensued, response of the crowd, etc.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JR Ewing Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 (edited) That's unbelievable! (yet believable).Does anyone remember the very first game after this when Edmonton played LA...& what ensued, response of the crowd, etc.?In his first game back, fans gave him a protracted standing ovation, and still cheered when he was credited with assists for the Kings. Not very many people held the trade against him, with most of the hatred being aimed pretty much directly at Peter Pocklington. Even by the next Autumn, a lot of folks were over the irrational hate-on for Janet Gretzky.I will always be a Wayne Gretzky fan.JR Edited August 7, 2013 by JR Ewing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goalnut3133 Posted August 7, 2013 Share Posted August 7, 2013 In his first game back, fans gave him a protracted standing ovation, and still cheered when he was credited with assists for the Kings. Not very many people held the trade against him, with most of the hatred being aimed pretty much directly at Peter Pocklington. Even by the next Autumn, a lot of folks were over the irrational hate-on for Janet Gretzky.I will always be a Wayne Gretzky fan.JR(Wow that's a very classy response towards him, I'm glad. When you're liked, you're liked. Even as our 'rival' team, it is impossible to forget the Oiler's reign of that 80s period & the respect in general they commanded. (JR- speaking of usernames, my #31 is in honour of Grant Fuhr--LOVED watching him play in those days!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunnyman Posted October 3, 2013 Share Posted October 3, 2013 Of course I saw the FIRST game of Gretzky being a Blue after winning tickets on the radio with my best "let's go BLUES!!!!" cheer. My (then) girlfriend commented on how fast Gretzky was. I told her that she got to see a hall of famer playing for my favourite franchise, and this was my ultimate dream.Pleas, please, please no comments (except nice ones) about the Great One as a St. Louis Blue, PLEASE!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 Pocklington trading Gretzky was the worst sports move since Babe Ruth got the boot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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