Wayne Gretzky: I thought I was untradeable

Wayne Gretzky on his surprise at the legitimacy of trade rumors immediately after he helped win fourth Stanley Cup for the Edmonton Oilers and why he hated coming back to play in Edmonton when with the Kings and throughout the rest of his career.
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[@johnnypopovich905]

If Gretzky never scored a goal in his whole career...he would still be the all time points leader...let that sink in...this man has more assists than any other player in NHL history has points.....

[@safe3220]

never watched hockey but it sounds like he was pretty good

[@AmokCanuck]

@@safe3220 meh he was alright

[@liammcintyre8970]

safe decent

[@hotdog19opl31]

@@safe3220 me too. sounds like an insane statline.

[@hotdog19opl31]

Im dumb but how do u score points without goals in nhl? I actually have zero clue

[@darthstarkiller6605]

4 Stanley cups in a row? Ehhhh better trade him winning isn’t fun

[@LEEMAN-X]

Lmao

[@tionlover]

Darth Star Killer 😂😂 it’s a trip cuz’ they won the cup two seasons after trading ‘em

[@ibefullofme]

It's because the owner had no money and was in danger of losing the team

[@jonbedker5229]

He betrayed them. They offered him a 10 year deal making him the highest payed player in hockey, plus a 10% annual increase in salary.. More than the Kings eventually gave him.He refused. Edmonton couldn't take the risk of him leaving in free agency without getting something in return. It was Gretsky chosing to leave and 100% would have left in free agency. The tears at the press conference were not because they traded him, but because his wife wanted to move and he didnt really want to..

[@Hank-js1wf]

2 in a row

[@mr.e8432]

I know exactly how Gretzky feels. When I went from O’Reilly’s Insurance to Kovalski’s Plumbing and Heating, I was crushed. Guys at our level never expect stuff like this to happen.

[@holoholopainen1627]

You call That similar ? Was whole Canada & LA KINGS - watching You make Your " move " ?

[@sastrinidis]

@@holoholopainen1627 humors not your thing, huh?

[@holoholopainen1627]

@@sastrinidis Thanks Mate ! I was to Toronto - That Day ! Many Canadiens couldnt believe - That LA KINGS - would offer #99 - anything - That They Didnt & Dont have in Canada ! OILERS HAD WON 4 Stanleys !

[@diegodelgado9764]

Lmao you broke down and cried too lol

[@aquaman199]

Nerd

[@rogerc23]

I grew up in Calgary in the 80s. You can't understand true hate of this man unless you did the same. But after true hate, comes true love. Thank you Wayne.

[@jamesmckendry2247]

Roger C Ha Ha Ha.... I can understand why you hated Wayne!!! He burnt the Calgary Fools so many times he felt bad enough to tell Steve Smith to let you guys win a series.... Wayne was all class!!

[@bmcdermott32]

josh douglas you dummy Conor McDavid is the best there is. Keep hating on a losing team. You’ll be right on that damn wagon once they’re great... which they will be 5 cups bitch..;)

[@thepainkiller4939]

@@bmcdermott32 The Oilers? They are going nowhere. MacDavid needs to mobe on.

[@ImCedReacts]

@@thepainkiller4939 anyone ignoring the Oilers are 1 3rd line scorer, 1 good Dman and one great goalie away from a Cup contention has no Hockey knowledge what so ever.

[@indagdnm]

I grew up in Edmonton in the 80's and moved to Calgary as an adult. He was and is the greatest!

[@crazyrabbits]

I like how he catches himself and refuses to say Pocklington's name. The man didn't even deserve the namedrop.

[@CommanderTK9091]

Veji Jahaj can’t blame him when Edmonton’s market is tiny and he just couldn’t afford to keep a bunch of studs anymore. Truly he lucked out with getting Gretzky in the first place.

[@elbowgang9715]

@Veji Jahaj yeah he would've been nice here in Detroit but we had Steve Yzerman

[@BlindVeganRescue]

Gretzky demanded to be traded you moron. The owner didnt want to trade him.

[@user-bi7bf9nd8k]

@@BlindVeganRescue Care to provide evidence for this asinine take?

[@BlindVeganRescue]

@@user-bi7bf9nd8k he was given the right to refuse the trade and also he lived in LA already. He was going to LA no matter what...the trade just made it happen sooner and he could have easily stayed if he had wanted to. He didn't want to. It was clear.

[@melodicdreamer72]

The trade to Los Angeles was pivotal in opening up the NHL to the states. I don't think we would have as many teams today if it wasn't for the trade. Wayne was the right guy at the right time for the betterment of the league.

[@syncmonism]

For the betterment of WHO though? The team owners? yes (except in cases where franchises have failed). For players who want to become pro hockey players? yes. For fans who already followed hockey? In most cases no, not unless they lived somewhere like LA or Florida. Many Canadians lament how hockey just isn't the same as it used to be, but considering that the players are still over 50% canadian (and about 11% American), then I guess it still benefits the Canadian economy to grow the sport internationally?

[@Jazz-gb9lp]

Googlar hockey isn't the same because it's getting pussified not because it expanded to the states 😂

[@Canuck307]

The Bettmant of the league? Agreed. F@*$ that guy

[@holoholopainen1627]

Florida & California has almost as manu NHL TEAMS - as Canada !

[@mikephalen3162]

I think that's total baloney. Hockey, in particular the NHL, wasn't bettered because Gretzky was moved to LA. Hockey didn't benefit from putting clubs in cities that didn't support them. Hockey didn't benefit from the watering down of talent.

[@jessechen4971]

Gretzky doesn't have the "but um uh" syndrome.

[@RawDogTV]

Jesse Chen can you elaborate on that

[@TheTeezyfy]

he has the "you know" syndrome

[@Khorney]

I think that he's in general a bit smarter than most hockey players and his memory seems pretty good.

[@kylestoddart]

ha ha no man gretz has the "listen" syndrome lol

[@tribaltroll]

At least he doesn't have the "obviously" syndrome. God, put a fork in my ears

[@chrisyschoi]

For anyone who knows or doesnt know ice hockey, wayne gretzky is the greatest. During, the interview, he’s some emotional and real, i respect him so much cuz he’s remembering how he felt so many years ago. He’s the goat of hockey. Legends never die...

[@plantecsmiths1622]

Gretzky pretty humble for a hockey player, not cocky, not a big ego

[@titoodenigbo]

plantec smiths He’s pretty humble for arguably the greatest athlete ever

[@V12carlover]

i wish he played his last game in edmonton

[@zer0darkthirty-23muhfuckas5]

V12carlover he's the goat

[@demitriusrawluk5747]

Le Tigidou If he wasn't traded everyone else would've stayed as well.

[@edmontonboy99]

Yeah I wish, that’s the one thing I want changed. The Oilers probably would’ve won probably how many cups you could name.

[@TheFloyd87]

@@demitriusrawluk5747 the New York Rangers wouldn't have won the Stanley Cup in 94. Messier tikkanen graves Lowe Anderson and McTavish wouldnt have been part of that team.

[@GamerzDailyFix]

He should of been a Canuck

[@CLooLoo]

I remember that press conference. I cried. It was very upsetting to hear Gretzky was being traded and the Oilers were being split up. Best player line up and team in the world. I remember seeing them practice at WEM rink! Can you imagine that today? Thanks Wayne Gretzky for great memories, I’m still a huge fan today.

[@blackielawless8814]

Back in 84’ Gretz came to my show in Edmonton backstage we had a great time with both of our bodyguards chillin girls everywhere ahhh what a magical night!

[@bigmanxlhr]

Always a gentle man. Very nice guy. Humble.

[@bowiebeingbowie]

His voice is still so young

[@VwapTrader]

Bijou Bowie Canadian voice

[@philiplauzon1743]

An example of great talent and true humility. Amazing human 99

[@nicksacco5041]

You land the greatest interviews man, should have way more subs

[@nateone6632]

so true he interviews people the way i think the most famous dudes would be

[@synthesis4030]

He doesn’t need subs lol he has a tv show

[@caelanregister4966]

Gretzky is being so humble when he says he thought he was untouchable “just like every player does”. He’s acting like he didn’t have EVERY REASON in the world to feel untradable, having already proven himself as one of the greatest athletes to ever play any sport.

[@lancemilliken9078]

Hockey is such a unique sport and I considerate the greatest sport in the world. Back in the 70s, 80s and early 90s, it was not uncommon for a player to play a decade or longer for a team, practically their entire career if not, their entire career, in the same city. Hockey is just a down-to-earth sport and the majority of the players are extremely humble and very rarely will you see a player boast about his own accolades, he's always complementing the other guys around him. Just the concept of Gretzky referring to fans as friends speaks volumes

[@JJJJ-gl2uf]

There were many trades in the 70, 80s and 90s. Not so many before that because prior to that era teams essentially "owned" players for life. There was no such thing as free agency that the player could use as leverage against his team. The rise of the WHA in the early 70s started to change things a lot. As for being humble, players today are well-schooled in PR and Gretzky is one of the best at it. I don't believe half the stuff they say because these days many players are told what to say in front of a camera, so as to avoid public backlash on social media if they utter one wrong word. I prefer the times when they spoke honestly and openly about their life in sports and held nothing back. Having said that, Gretzky is a genuinely decent guy and compared to NBA and the NFL hockey players are generally a more likeable bunch.

[@TheVesylum]

God, I love Gretzky.

[@OriginalPuro]

What does fantasy figures have to do with this?

[@mattporter7129]

TheVesylum h

[@dcamp671]

I was a Bossy fan, so I really hated Wayne. Love him now as an ambassador of the game though.

[@walkergillette3918]

YOUR A PUSSY

[@robertstroud7561]

Can't say I'm a big fan of Gretzky. He crushed me and my team too many times through he years! He always has been a class act, though.

[@LuLtvGAMING]

Graham, You are seriously one of the best interviewers of our time. You rock! Subscribed forever

[@ItsTheMunz]

In his final years he’d only score like 8 goals a year but still would rack up like 80-90 points on his assists. His passing alone was revolutionary not just for hockey, but in sports.

[@ThisIsMeAD]

Not true at all, lol the two years of his career where he finished with less than 10 goals, he didn't even surpass 65 points, don't just blindly talk if you don't know what you're talking about. Not only was his goal production dropping, so was his assist production, and for many of those years he was a minus, he was playing pretty poorly defensively as well.

[@ItsTheMunz]

Adam Davison sorry for offending your sensitivity to exact stats. I was recalling from memory. I’m pretty sure the point still stands.

[@Hank-js1wf]

HopelessMunz ur point doesn’t stand. Cause it doesn’t make sense

[@yudm3098]

HopelessMunz yea If you ever watched how he played you know he was a cherry picker that played very little defense

[@Hank-js1wf]

Yudm Yt yep that explains everything u have never watched hockey

[@jameshayes6366]

Gretzky is such a class act what a legend

[@motley331]

Here's my recollection of Wayne Gretzky ... I always thought he was a little over-rated and part of the media hype machine. The media always has to have someone to hover over. So that was my opinion as a result of perceived media hype. Until .... the first time I saw him play in person. His work ethic was awe inspiring. When the play was away from him and heading into his own end, he would dig in with all his might to get back into the play. I'm talking head down ... skating like a mad man. And how about our own first string center? He would FLOAT just ahead of center ice ... waiting for the puck to come to him. So disappointing. I won't tell you what city I reside in. But ... from that moment on, I was a W.G. fan.

[@PittsburghHODLr]

He signed two autographs for me on the same day once. I had dyed blonde hair and the great one remembered me from earlier in the day but still signed again, great guy! Huge Mario fan but nothing but respect for Gretzky.

[@bourgeoismedia7988]

I lived in Edmonton when he played there, thanks for the awesome memories!!!

[@endlessmountain]

I was a very young teen when this trade occurred and I always thought he wanted traded to LAK because of his wife and that was what was talked about for the 'why' in the Toronto media that summer in the late 80s.

[@playmkr278]

Silver Charts - I've never really heard differently.

[@soliloquyguy6852]

I think Wayne is covering up for his wife and himself. He was married one month before he was traded. Janet Jones his wife was living in L.A. and pursuing her acting career. Everyone at the time was saying it was b/c of his wife's career that he was going to L.A (even before there was a trade in the making. Honestly Wayne wants us all to believe Edmonton just didn't want him around for another year at least with likelihood to negotiate more years? Come on he got engaged at the beginning at 1988 and Oilers & many others in public knew the writing was on the wall and rumors were that Gretzky was going to demand a trade South of the border ASAP. People were comparing Jones to Yoko Ono. I don't believe Gretzky's being totally honest here. This was no coincidence or one sided 'smart' business decision by corporate heads in Edmonton after winning their 4th Stanley Cup who out of the blue thought it would be best to get rid of the greatest player in the league for no apparent reason. Wayne must think Canadians are really stupid and that he is such a "Great" one that everyone believes he has a halo above his head accepting his word as Gospel. Does anyone really believe for one second that Janet Jones was going to come and live in Edmonton while pursuing her acting career in Hollywood? Wayne is a sly talker and knows his fans who worship him will likely believe just about anything he has to say. He's telling a concocted half baked cover up story to protect his wife and himself preferring to place all the blame on the Oilers organization. Truth be told I find it cowardly of him to not come clean.

[@hofifut]

Everything in this thread is true. But some things you can't just say. For instance, you have 3 kids. When the kids or your friends ask who you like the most, I'm sure there's a favourite. But you just can't say it. You say you like them all equally. Same thing with the Gretzky/wife thing. He can't say his wife had anything to do with the desire to leave. BTW, I was a teen also when I was an Oiler's fan. Big time love for them. But for some reason, I wasn't a big fan of Gretzky. I only liked him to the extent that he was good offensively. When he got traded to LA, I hated him even more. Loved it when the Oilers won the cup in 1990 (without Wayne)

[@HondoTrailside]

soliliquyguy Don't write yourself and your values into the story. Your version doesn't make any more sense than his. All he said was that he didn't want to sign an extension, he was willing to wait to the end of the season, and take a deal then. He didn't say he would have stayed for ever. But to the owners his market value was higher then. The idea his wedding had anything to do with it doesn't make any sense. He could have simply held off on the announcement till later. What? They couldn't wait any longer for the wedding night? JJ never had much of a career. It basically died when she got married, she only worked as an actress 8 times after they were married, in such classic leading roles as "racine pitcher"; they stayed together; now for 30 years; they had five kids. All Gretsky had to say was he loves the Edmonton fans, but family has to come first, and he was off to LA. The lie doesn't work better than the truth. People who tell a ton of lies don't end up married for 30 years. Probably one of the reasons Gretsky is a significant hokey player is because he is true to himself. If you make a lot of excuses. Pollute the narrative of who you are, it has performance costs. You don't grow. Bill Burr, I think it is, has this story about Seinfeld. He says a bunch of them were performing at this club and it was hard. All the comics went a little in the gutter to get bigger laughs. S. just went out and did his regular act, he didn't care how it was received. When asked why, S. said it was because he had his eye on appearing on The Tonight Show. That was always his focus. You want to shoot for the big goals, you don't compromise who you are.

[@HondoTrailside]

"Everything in this thread is true. But some things you can't just say. For instance, you have 3 kids. When the kids or your friends ask who you "like the most, I'm sure there's a favourite. But you just can't say it. You say you like them all equally. Same thing with the Gretzky/wife thing. He can't say his wife had anything to do with the desire to leave." The thing is do you really love one more than the others, in the normal family context. A small person might say to themselves that Chip was their only boy; and they always wanted a boy; and Chip and he spent all their time together. Chip seemed smarter, and also was the best looking. And the girls kept to themselves, etc... Then one day one of the girls doesn't come home, the years drag on and her body is never found, and you know there was a serial killer working at that time in the area. And you can't even eat, and your wife long ago left you because neither of you could look at the other without seeing your missing child. And while you don't feel proud about it, the pain will only end if you eat your gun. So fools feel they are lying about not having a preference, and wiser people have a hold of the bigger picture and wouldn't dare tempt fate. When I worked in sales there were people who couldn't move junk. There were people who could easily stick some customer with it; The guys I admired could move the same products and actually make the client feel good, and match their needs. So which is Gretsky: The failure; the cheat; or the person who just happens to be at a higher level? And it would have been an easy sale. JJ was gorgeous and also the kind of person who would be around for 30 years, and that you could raise a family with. All he would have had to say was they were in love, and he had to put family first. If hockey fans don't get it then hockey has just crossed over into toxic, and you need to adjust your priorities.

[@enigmaz9]

61 NHL records, 4 Stanley cups. In one season he scored 92 goals and 120 assists, the man was beyond legendary. You know who has second place with the most goals in a season? He does with 87 goals in a single season, I am so glad I go to watch him play.

[@michaelgriffiths8068]

My favourite Gretzky stat is he not only scored the fastest 1000 points (in 424 games), but also the 2nd fastest 1000 points (in 433 games) when scored his second 1000 points. Then you have 1987, when he didn’t even score 200 points, but somehow led the NHL in points with his assists alone, DESPITE leading the NHL in goals as well. To lead the league in assists and goals simultaneously is crazy enough, but to take away every single one of your league leading goals, yet still win the scoring title just with your assists is pretty much insane.

[@ProudBostonian]

Gretzky seems like a very humble guy, I have nothing but respect for what he accomplished on the ice. That said in my opinion Bobby Orr is the greatest hockey player of all time. For several reasons but I won’t get into that. This was a very interesting interview to watch

[@brockemon]

Great interview

[@andy42x]

Bring back the old school Jofa helmets!!

[@brycemcneil4404]

Peter Pocklington is the #1 reason Gretzky was traded. Anyone who says otherwise is a fool. Anyone thinking he was just following Janet to LA......he had offseasons and his entire retirement to do that. But dude never won a Cup again, and you know it bugs him.

[@HondoTrailside]

And JJ hardly had a career after they married. They had 5 kids. Sounds like they had a plan and executed on it. I think she could have come to Edmonton if that had been that.

[@ronbonora7872]

I agree, the owner need money to pay off loans!

[@shanefoote4808]

Oilers easily would have won a few more cups with core staying together. Canadian dollar and no cap made Pocklington trade him.

[@Paul-vf2wl]

@@shanefoote4808 He would have been a free agent 2 years later he wasn't going to stay for less money Oilers couldn't afford him

[@grizzlyadamblack]

Such a great actor loved him in the departed

[@john26razor340]

what?

[@wolfgang4136]

Hes just a humble and cool guy!!👍👍👍

[@jessewestad6797]

You will always be my hero

[@brainynbrawny9562]

Just stumbled onto you through Victor Conte interviews... thoroughly enjoying your stuff! A new subscriber - clicked the BELL, too! ;)

[@aquaman199]

I grew up watching wayne gretzky at northlands coliseum

[@jessewestad6797]

Your my life long hero, I love you

[@ziggysanderson]

"I like to think I played hard for them" lol... He won 4 championships in 5 years,might be the greatest understatement of all time!

[@rushrush1209]

I wonder how many fans of the Edmonton Oilers were no longer fans after Gretzky got traded. To the Oilers credit, they won 1 Cup two years later. It took the Kings 24 years later to win their first Cup.

[@ajconstantine3593]

I hate sports interviewers. You’re the only one I like, GB. 👏👏

[@HondoTrailside]

And what was Pocklington doing around the time this was being taped? Matter related to his six month in prison sentence, to be followed by a further six months of house arrest for breaching his probation on a perjury conviction related to a bankruptcy fraud case. Yeah, maybe I will take Wayne' side.

[@ImaCanadianxD]

You can tell when someone is old as shit when they use the word "taped" instead of "recorded"

[@nonsketchsquad]

@@ImaCanadianxD lmao

[@gooddypm]

@@ImaCanadianxD maybe because back then it was taped. The term recording is a modern digital idiom .

[@richardpizzario3627]

You can tell he is a smart man, bery eloquent.

[@7viewerlogic670]

Interesting video.

[@chrisg7381]

The greatest athlete of all time. I said it and I mean it. Feel free to @ me.

[@benjumusprime9740]

Chris G agreed

[@edgaralvarez1401]

Bo jackson. Jordan. Oj simpson

[@ronbonora7872]

one of the greatest athletes of all time. include Pele, Howe, Orr, Richard, Chamberlain, Jordon among others!

[@johnnypopovich905]

100% he hold so many records thatll never be broken...his going to LA really opened the American market....dominated his sport

[@fagbag9553]

Honis Wagner izzzzzz

[@noahsimmering5975]

You should do an interview with Bobby Orr

[@errolwilcox747]

The most dominant professional athlete of any sport, in history. Well-dressed, well-spoken, humble... a breath of fresh air compared to the whiny, foul-mouthed, spoiled babies in sports today.

[@BrybesBills]

Errol Wilcox glad we still have brees in the game. you’re def right that it’s hard finding humble athletes who dominate

[@klooger28]

I think technically don bradman was more dominant, but most north americans don't know much about cricket to be fair.

[@khure711]

Ricky Carmichael is the most dominant in the modern era. Most successful AMA Motocros/AMA Supercross Champion ever Known as the G.O.A.T-the Greatest Of All Time Known for being successful on wide-ranging machinery Earned a combined 150 pro overall wins. He notched 72 AMA MX overalls, 48 AMA Supercross main events, 26 AMA Motocross Lites overalls and 12 AMA Supercross Lites main events. He is the only rider in AMA Motocross with an undefeated season at the sport's top level, a feat he accomplished an astounding three times, in 2002, 2004, and 2005.

[@tna420wrestling]

his love for EDM is strong yo.

[@matthewbroz25]

This was a power move by the NHL to try and grow the league in the new markets. Im not a huge hockey fan but looking from a 30,000 foot view thats what I always saw

[@jrei7448]

worst trade ever! He could easily have 10 Stanley Cups . Jordan would not be near as famous if this trade had not happened. Even though he was a king man, he should have stayed in Edmonton for another 6 yrs.

[@canadaeh6757]

They would of won Cups through about 1995-96 when Colorado, NJ and Detroit rose up. Easily could of won 4-5 more Cups...

[@Rondo413]

Lol too bad but that’s like saying if Jordan wouldn’t retired he’d have 8 straight championships so cry cry cry Jordan still would have been way up

[@snakeman6124]

LMMFAO YES Jordan would be....Dumbass

[@capybaracrip820]

Basketball is better than hockey.

[@americanbully6239]

W Raymond Jordans from the United States Gretzky’s from Canada

[@plantecsmiths1622]

1:44 Gretzky wasn't going to sign a contract with the oilers. 2:11 he didn't want to sign an extension right away

[@Lorenzo-hn1pr]

CLASS ACT!!!

[@tenzinlee6393]

Just realized that I've never seen his face or heard his voice.

[@paulden3158]

Me neither 😄

[@bmoshareholderappleshareho855]

He was not traded. He was sold. There is a big difference.

[@ronbonora7872]

I agree. He was sold to payoff bank debt!

[@DaRealPatrickP]

Where do I see the whole interview ?

[@kozmeetorez]

Too many people on here looking at this from a fans perspective instead of a business perspective. If anybody here was in the same position as Pocklington They would be forced to do the same thing. Fortunately it worked out in his favor because he got 15 million and still won the cup. It was very smart and shrewd decision.

[@lukaww4391]

The Great One 2857 points 1487 games, 894 goals, 1963 assists

[@mariorossi3933]

Gretzky Is Hockey next to his Idol Gordie Howe.

[@Bennyeg]

Every Graham Bensinger comment is either the title is misleading or Graham is a great interviewer

[@billny33]

So much is made of how many rings various elite superstars win. But I never hear any kind of Gretz vs Mess comparisons. Gretzky gets 4 rings with Edmonton alongside Messier. Once they go their separate ways, Messier gets the Oilers back to win one more Cup Final without Gretzky, THEN goes to NY and wins a legendary cup with the title starved Rangers. Meanwhile Gretzky does get the Kings to a cup final in epic fashion to his credit, but fails to knock off the plucky Canadiens, never gets a Cup for the Kings, or the Blues, or the Rangers after that, even after he and Messier reunited. Imagine if that happened with Jordan-Pippen after they split ways what that would have done to Jordan's legacy? It also tells me that the Oilers were so good that they didn't need Gretzky to win, so maybe Gretzky wasn't the main reason they won, and he was never able to elevate any other team to a cup victory when Messier was able to, twice. There's no question who is the more talented and skilled player but perhaps Messier was the better winner and the better leader of men while still at least being in the neighborhood skillwise? I'm not saying, I'm just saying...

[@ogpigeon4431]

good take!

[@kozmeetorez]

Your right, I’ve been saying this for the longest.

[@zali9930]

Is wayne going in to meet don corleone after? Where was this filmed?

[@patryk2497]

Born in 1994 - Nostalgia I was born In 1994 too buddy !!!!

[@VwapTrader]

Patryk 24 I was born in 1996 I’m two years younger than both of you old fucks

[@Byzantine41]

His trade to the L.A. Kings made Hockey popular in mainstream U.S. until commissioner Bettman fucked it all up. Now its so under the radar even among former strong fans.

[@reyjusuf]

I wouldve asked for the Kings' first round pick for the next 20 years

[@brendo6196]

Yes but they ended up getting a lot of first round picks anyway lol

[@high-defRJ]

I love hockey, basically because of Mighty Ducks trilogy that I enjoyed as a kid, prompting me to play hockey in youth and into high school. But without The Trade, hockey wouldn't have existed in California, and just maybe, the movie wouldn't have been made.

[@maxray7489]

I heard some where he alomost came to the wings for yzerman and cash with all due respect I’m glad we did t do that

[@EmailBacon]

Who was he traded with?

[@204angling3]

0:08 Someone farted lmao

[@veryreallygoodname1676]

Cool

[@Ka_Gg]

I was watching a documentary on this that explained it completely differently. That one said that the Oilers were pretty much cash broke and couldn't keep him even if they wanted to. That's why $15M was in the trade. To keep that amount in perspective, Gretzky was making less than $1M per season and was the highest paid player at the time. I'm not saying it was a smart move, but there's more behind it than just "eh, we can let Gretzky go".

[@broadstreet21]

Yeah Pocklington said in a newspaper article that reading Gretz was not fun. He didn't want to break up that great team, but he knew he had no option.

[@MrSean03839]

Wayne was ready to move on. His new wife was an actress and wanted to be in LA. Happy wife, happy life. Things were not so complicated really. If Wayne had wanted to stay in Edmonton he would have signed an extension, pretty basic.

[@thepanman8]

He didnt have a choice in this matter

[@MrSean03839]

@@thepanman8 Huh, you are saying it was not his choice to sign an extension contract when it was offered? LoL!

[@thepanman8]

@@MrSean03839 so naieve to think pocklington didnt have a hand in that, no matter what gretzky's choice was. With your "LOL" highschool shit

[@MrSean03839]

@@thepanman8 Sure bud, nice try. Wayne had an offer to extend his contract and stay where he was. But he just married an American actress who lived/worked in LA. Gee, Wayne did not sign the extension and was traded to LA of all places. I'm sure Wayne had nothing to do with any of that. LoL!!!!!

[@jmctigret]

The goat 🏒

[@zakiaslam8228]

Woah he almost played for vancouver??

[@Kerem9_8]

Woah we traded our 2013 1st round pick for to tampa. They got vasi. We couldve got vasi

[@steveott9962]

@@Kerem9_8 Vasi was drafted in 2012

[@acgmedical9129]

Team owners operate on levels even beyond player knowledge. For example, Babe Ruth was actually traded because the owner of the team had a true passion for the theatre. He was low on funds outside of ownership already tied to a baseball team so he traded his best player to fund a theatre play. You can look it up if you dig deep enough. Babe wasn’t traded for talent or mistalent, he was traded as an asset to fund another project and nothing more.

[@whoopdattrick9390]

He wanted to go to LA.he saved the game for the usa

[@twentyoneHz]

Gretzky could’ve been to Edmonton what Kobe Bryant is to the lakers; stayed with the same his whole career as a king

[@Shinobi33]

Not only will there never be a player like Gretzky. There will never be another team like Edmonton. Small town team built through the draft that just dominated and won so soon.

[@Shinobi33]

@Donair is Tasty so Gretsky and Messier were undrafted free agents that were absorbed from a lower league?

[@Shinobi33]

@Donair is Tasty 1979 NHL entry draft after the WHA folded. Read it and weep jackass.

[@Shinobi33]

@Donair is Tasty who's the goof now. Built through the draft. Whether it be expansion or supplement it still was through the draft. And when those first couple of contracts ended their best players got too expensive and they couldn't keep them. So.....how was I wrong?

[@DHARMYOGCOM]

I told mess I wouldn’t do this

[@jimbob4416]

Never heard of Wayne Gretzky

[@simonmarshall19]

What are the Chances of Pocklington going to the Hockey Hall Of Fame ?

[@willzimmermann6615]

Da fuckin scoring stick G.O.A.T 99#🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐

[@pandoralover21]

you don't trade the greatest player in the history of the sport

[@walkergillette3918]

FUCK YOU

[@Paul-vf2wl]

You do when you can't afford him

[@akallstar5]

They won a cup without him and LA never won with him... idk did it really work out that badly for Edmonton? Even Messier won a cup without a super team

[@akallstar5]

@Donair is Tasty I’m not so sure

[@Matt-cr4vv]

I wouldn’t go so far as to absolve the Edmonton owner for making the trade at the time I do think Wayne skated off pretty lucky in escaping the vitriol of the trade. It wasn’t like this season had been the first time trade offers were being made to the Oilers and he’d turned down deals in the past. Jerry Buss had made an offer to send the same dollar figure for Wayne in years prior that he’d declined. But at the time of this trade happening it’s not necessarily like the owner had much of a choice at the time. Wayne was well within his rights to say he was going to play the final year of his contract and then seek his rights in the free agency market over signing an extension to stay with the oilers. And I also don’t fully doubt that Wayne would’ve been happy to stay if the oilers would have provided him a fair market value deal to stay put. But as the owner of the Oilers he knew he wouldn’t have a chance to match the offers Wayne would get and that the reality was he would probably lose Wayne to another team and get nothing in return. So making a move to get players, multiple first round draft picks and $15M in cash to trade him over risking losing him anyways but getting nothing in return made a lot of sense. And Wayne says he gets it now but it should’ve also made some level of sense at that time. That’s always one thing players don’t want to recognize. For them it’s always ok to look out for their interest, like standing firm to exercise their rights to test the market and make sure they get their fair value before ageeeing to stay put, but they’ll at the time always get mad at ownership for protecting their interests by looking at the horizon and recognizing they’re not likely to retain the player and making a move while they can to try and keep their team somewhat intact rather than risk receiving nothing in return. I’d feel more on the Wayne was the victim spectrum if Wayne had offered terms he’d sign and stay to and the ownership said no and moved on anyways. Ironic how both the owner of the oilers and the owner of the Kings at this time both got in criminal trouble for being crooks though.

[@patrickreilly2338]

Nobody is untradeable in the game of money

[@irubanomlas]

imo he would’ve gotten a couple hundred more points in his career had he not been traded around

[@nickknepper6417]

The title has no traction on how they portray the story.

[@jessewestad6797]

You say how hard it was on you, what about how much we loved yoy

[@CoolHandC]

Gretzky was planning to go to L.A. via a trade or as a FA. There were rumors of The Great One wanting to be closer to his wife and kids in California and Edmonton didn’t want to lose him for nothing.

[@jamesanthony5681]

Are you Canadian, and were you around at the time? He got traded about 3 1/2 weeks after he got married in the summer of '88. He had no kids at the time, and it was a shock to everyone in Canada when that happened. Gretzky was at his peak, and the Oilers could have won about 3 more cups with that core group (making it 7), surpassing the great Canadiens dynasty of the 1950's that won 5 in a row. Wayne was very much aware of that, and I believe he would have stayed in Edmonton for that.

[@CoolHandC]

@@jamesanthony5681 it was in the tabloids and sports news even before he got married. He wanted to live closer to his wife. If he wanted to stay, no way in hell Edmonton would have traded him. Do you think the Oilers GM woke up one day and said hey, I’m going to trade the best player in hockey? Think of it this way, why would The Great One want to go to LA to play hockey?

[@jamesanthony5681]

@@CoolHandC It was in the tabloids? Well then, it MUST have been true. Gretzky said *NOTHING* about his future before the actual trade went down, and that's why it was such a huge shock in Canada. McNall wanted Gretzky and Pocklington obliged, especially since he (Pocklington) needed money. When Wayne found out that Edmonton was looking to move him behind his back, that's when he (Gretzky) took matter into his own hands. Anybody would have done the same, and how could he trust Pocklington after that? Whatever respect Gretzky had for him was gone when Pocklington bad mouthed him to the press. And yes, GM Glen Sather did wake up one day and traded the greatest player in the game.

[@CoolHandC]

@@jamesanthony5681 so it’s just a coincidence that he was traded to the team it was reported he wanted to go? You do realize that the tabloids did report on some stories that were true. Like I said, it was reported months in advance that he wanted to be traded to LA. I’m sure you can find the articles online.

[@jamesanthony5681]

@@CoolHandC It's pretty clear that you don't what you're talking about. Gretzky never spoke to the press about his future - *TO ANYBODY* - and that's why it was such a shock to fans in Canada. Do you get that? Give the man at least that much credit for not being stupid. You're not Canadian and you didn't live in Canada at the time.

[@neilgoldring6494]

Hey Wayne? Do you want to be part owner of the Vancouver Canucks? No!!! ( hangs up the phone) 😅

[@samuelzavala845]

Micheal Jordan of Hockey!

[@YukonDemon]

No, Michael Jordan is the Wayne Gretzky of basketball... 🤣🤣🤣

[@shanefoote4808]

Great to hear more info on trade from Wayne.. but interviewer needs to do homework.. everyone know who the Oilers owner is.. use his name.

[@annihilationHaven]

Imagine having the ability to generate tens of millions of dollars without ever having to work with more than a handful of people, your teammates on the ice, and the photographer for endorsements. It would make one laugh if it weren't true. I remember walking along a suburban street in montreal in the early 90's and seeing Gretzky's face on a giant poster in 3 different businesses, which were operating on the same street, almost side by side. One of them was for michelin tires if my memory is correct.

[@Mister__Jey]

So Magic Johnson couldn't be traded, Larry Bird couldn't be, Michael Jordan couldn't be. These players weren't tradeable

[@chaingang0054]

He was going to be on the canucks? Could you imagine

[@manuelfilimon2779]

Yup, the ownership wanted him to sign the contract on the night, but he wanted to sign in the morning of the next day. So he said, this ain't happening.

[@TheFloyd87]

Had Gretzky signed with the Canucks then Linden wouldn't have been captain and the team wouldn't have had the team it had in the early to mid nineties

[@broadstreet21]

I'd like to imagine he'd turn the Canucks into the Oilers 2.0 dynasty if he'd sign there. Wouldn't be that simple though.

[@TheFloyd87]

@@broadstreet21 there would be no West coast express in the first half of the 2000's and naslund would still be in the pittsburgh.. because the Penguins wouldn't be lower in the standings then Crosby wouldn't be drafted by the pens.

[@broadstreet21]

@@TheFloyd87 Well in that case, has the West Coast Express ever won any Stanley Cups?

[@fredblack3507]

Rip Walter Gretzky

[@sandie302]

Edmonton flooded that summer.... with tears . Wayne was to good to be a crappy Oiler

[@sandie302]

@Bryan Halstead Oilers sucked ever since...Go Kings

[@jimturner4937]

The interviewer's hair is hilarious.

[@scottlebrun6782]

I hate that guy

[@PittsburghHODLr]

he has great hair, you're a hater.

[@zachrineer2577]

graham is nearly a dead ringer as a look alike for my brother. my brother has the exact same hair. hes been ousted by our family

[@hammastytava]

Looks like Jean Ralphio

[@tyronejones4245]

@@zachrineer2577 Were they jealous of his hair? That's caused problems in a lot of families

[@victoriadixon5521]

that's a lie. he knew very well that he was going to Detroit, la, or Philadelphia.

[@declaytor]

Victoria Dixon Gretzky moving to LA put the NHL in the mainstream

[@dsndansegovnetwork4054]

What a great idea Trading away Gretzky

[@jarredconnorg2980]

He was sold. Big difference.

[@flyersboy01]

people always talking about goats like lebrons vs mj or brady vs montana or messi v cristiano but one thing is absolutely certain is that no one will ever enter the hockey goat conversation. gretzky has that locked up

[@TheSkeletor612]

Lemieux was better

[@ronbonora7872]

how about Howe, Rocket Richard, and Bobby Orr to mention a few!