The Wayne Gretzky Trade: 25 years later
Wayne Gretzky's closest confidantes reveal surprising details on the 25th anniversary of him being traded to the Los Angeles Kings by the Edmonton Oilers in 1998.
Move from Edmonton to L.A. shocked hockey world
To mark the 25th anniversary of Wayne Gretzky's move from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings, the NHL superstar's closest confidantes reveal surprising details of "The Trade" on The National.
Canadian entertainment icon Alan Thicke, former Kings owner Bruce McNall, and Hockey Night in Canada colour commentator Craig Simpson share their behind-the-scenes accounts of the events leading up to The Great One’s shocking announcement on Aug. 9, 1988.
Watch the feature above in its entirety.
Looking for more on the Gretzky trade anniversary?
- Listen to Don Cherry's real-time take on the deal from the CBC Radio archives.
- Trace the Oilers' struggles to recapture their glory days since the trade.
- Find out nine things No. 99 has done since the deal in this Canadian Press interactive feature.
- Decide which team won the trade in our statistical breakdown and watch highlights of the key players.
- Did Gretzky really want out of Edmonton? His pal Eddie Mio and maligned Oilers owner Peter Pocklington give conflicting accounts in this video clip from the CBC News archives.
- Relive the "other" Gretzky trade — the 1978 WHA swap that launched the teenager's Oilers career — in another vintage clip from the CBC News.