If you ask anyone unfamiliar with hockey to name one NHL player, odds are they will say Wayne Gretzky.
And they should.
Without him, the professional sport of hockey likely would not have gained as much popularity as it did in the United States. Gretzky dominated the league for two decades and still holds the all-time career points record with 2,857. During his NHL career, he played for the New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, Los Angeles Kings and, of course, the Edmonton Oilers.
But for Gretzky and his die-hard fans, they know that when he played for the Oilers, it was special.
Wayne Gretzky Says Playing for Edmonton Was Special
Around four months ago, Gretzky sat down with Cigar Aficionado for an exclusive interview. It was here that Gretzky revealed just how much he missed Edmonton once he was traded to the Kings on Aug. 9, 1988.
“From my point of view, did I miss Edmonton? A hundred percent. I loved every minute of it there. I should say, you know, the difference of playing, when I played in New York, St. Louis, and LA, I loved it,” Gretzky said.
“But when I played in Edmonton, it was a different crowd because it’s not as corporate, right? I could look across the ring, and I can remember seeing the same four or five people in the same seats for 35 out of 40 games.
I knew when they were in Hawaii or Christmas time because somebody else would be in their seats. So it was more of a family scenario, right? Whereas, you know, the bigger cities, it’s a little bit more corporate.”
Part of the reason the Gretzky trade was so painful for the Edmonton community was that the particular Oilers team in reference just had so much chemistry and future Hall of Famers; seeing that particular roster play together on the ice was like a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Gretzky said back in 2023 that any time he had to play against his former team following the trade were some of his worst experiences in his career.
“I loved every minute that I played in Edmonton. I loved the fans. They were so good to me,” Gretzky said. “But I hated playing against the Edmonton Oilers. That was the worst thing that happened from the trade. I always felt deep down inside of me, I’m an Oiler.”
“I loved every minute that I played in Edmonton. I loved the fans. They were so good to me. But I hated playing against the Edmonton Oilers. That was the worst thing that happened from the trade. I always felt deep down inside of me, I’m an Oiler.” – Wayne Gretzky#LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/svOfOyjwNE
— Eric Friesen 🏒 (@EricJFriesen) December 27, 2023
But, what’s history is history. And regardless of the fact that Gretzky loved his time in Edmonton, the fact remains that he retired as a New York Ranger.
