In a candid conversation on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast, NHL legend Wayne Gretzky revealed just how close he came to joining the Vancouver Canucks, twice.
The first time was in 1988, right after the Edmonton Oilers won the Stanley Cup. The second was nearly a decade later, as a free agent in 1996.
While Gretzky is famously known for his move to the Los Angeles Kings, this lesser-known Vancouver story adds a fascinating “what if” to NHL history.
Wayne Gretzky Nearly Joined the Vancouver Canucks
Fresh off a Stanley Cup win in 1988, Wayne Gretzky was relaxing at home when his father warned him: “You know they’re trying to trade you.” Gretzky brushed it off, thinking it was just a rumor. But early the next morning, his phone rang. It was Nelson Skalbania, a Vancouver-based businessman with a bold proposal.
“He goes, ‘How would you like to be a Vancouver Canuck?’” Gretzky recalled. Skalbania said he planned to buy part of the team, offer Gretzky a salary, and even give him 25% ownership.
Gretzky, exhausted after the Finals, politely declined, at least for the moment.
Skalbania never followed through on the purchase, and though the idea fizzled out, Gretzky’s contract status gave him leverage. “You can trade me wherever you want,” he told the Oilers, “but I’m not going to re-sign.”
Eventually, Gretzky would choose the L.A. Kings over several interested teams. Vancouver, despite the flirtation, never became a serious landing spot.
Gretzky’s Second Almost Deal With Vancouver in 1996
Years later, in 1996, Vancouver tried again, with a formal free agent meeting in Seattle. Gretzky flew in to speak with Canucks GM Pat Quinn and owner John McCaw. At first, things looked promising.
But one odd moment stuck with Gretzky. “Pat [Quinn] was really adamant that Trevor Linden was his captain,” Gretzky said. “I assured him that my aspirations weren’t to take somebody’s captaincy away. If he was the captain, that was fine by me.”
After lunch, McCaw admitted he wasn’t good at negotiating and walked out. Gretzky followed, and the two spent the day chatting and walking Seattle’s boardwalk. But by the evening, a deal still hadn’t materialized. At 11 p.m., Gretzky’s agent returned to the hotel to think things over.
That hesitation may have cost Vancouver the deal.
The next morning, the Canucks pulled out, citing a need to wrap things up quickly. Former team executive George McPhee said, “We just felt like it wasn’t going to happen.”
There were later claims that the New York Rangers matched Vancouver’s offer, but Gretzky denied those rumors. “That’s not true at all,” he said. His first offer came from Dallas, not New York.
He emphasized that his decision wasn’t just about money; it was about one last shot at winning the Stanley Cup. Eventually, he did sign with the Rangers, but only after the Vancouver talks collapsed.
Even years later, Gretzky and Quinn would reflect on how close it came.“We used to look at each other and giggle and think, ‘What could have been,’” Gretzky said.
It remains one of the biggest what-ifs in Canucks history. For Gretzky, it’s another twist in a legendary career that still finds new stories to tell.
