The Gretzky Trade At 20

Anyone who is a diehard hockey fan...remembers this day...August 9th, 1988. The day that left me in utter shock and awe like none other. The Devils first Stanley Cup probably comes close for me. Twenty years ago today, Wayne Gretzky was traded from the Edmonton Oilers (one of the best dynasties ever) to the Los Angeles Kings in a move that has had long lasting yet mixed effects.The biggest reason for this trade was owner of the Oilers, Peter Pocklington. He kept losing money throughout the 1980's and needed to cover business loans, and expenses that were mounting. Gradually, Pocklington would sell off all his assets from the Oilers...player by player. However, the biggest piece was the first one and that was Mr. Gretzky.The night the trade happened I was sitting there watching some baseball on television when ESPN (who actually covered hockey with considerable passion back then) went to a breaking news alert. Suddenly baseball was interrupted by hockey and no you would likely never see that on television today so you knew this alert was important. When Tom Mees announced the trade, our jaws hit the floor like bricks. They probably hit all at the same time as well. The graphic on the screen was as read........Wayne Gretzky traded to Los Angeles Kings via AP ReportMy dad heard me curse from upstairs. So of course he came downstairs to see what was going on. Even when he saw the story on ESPN, he was stunned. Simply my Dad asked me what it meant and all I could really say was, "The Kings are going to change hockey." I surely did not know how right I would be at the time.The rest as everyone knows is history. The LA Kings became a team that was actually good...and though Bruce McNall would have a fall similar to Enron, the Gretzky trade had many long reaching effects. The added markets in San Jose and Anaheim just for example....then Tampa, Florida, Atlanta, Minnesota, etc. etc. etc. Winnipeg moved to Phoenix and there was some Nashville team along the way. This doesn't likely happen as fast without Gretzky moving. The playing field shifted with some mixed results.Obviously teams like LA and Florida are not doing so well these days along with several others. However, San Jose and Anaheim are flourishing for the most part. So the direct lineage of teams from the Gretzky trade has worked well. If Phoenix keeps its upward trend, then they may be able to make a profit in the. Essentially Gretzky, Coyotes Coach, would make a bit of a circle here in a good way. By helping out a market that was so far in the red a few years ago...Gretzky and Don Maloney have done wonders with Phoenix.So if the Coyotes make the playoffs in the next year or two...we will look at that stunning trade from twenty years ago and not ask what effects did the trade have twenty years ago...but what effects will it have twenty years from right now? A really great question, if you ask me.Source