Wayne Gretzky's Trade: 22nd Anniversary

by Adam Gretz

Filed under: Kings, Oilers

It's been 22 years since the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings orchestrated one of the biggest trades in NHL history, as Edmonton agreed to send Wayne Gretzky (along with Marty McSorley and Mike Krushelnyski) to Los Angeles in exchange for Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas and three future first-round draft picks on Aug. 9, 1988. It was a trade that shocked not only the entire NHL, but all of Canada.

The Oilers were coming off their fourth Stanley Cup in five years as part of their dominant late-80s dynasty, of which Gretzky was, obviously, a huge part. During the 1987-88 playoffs (Gretzky's last with the Oilers) he tallied 43 points in just 19 postseason games, which is to this day the third-best playoff performance in NHL history.

Here's a trip down memory lane and the video of Gretzky's goodbye to Edmonton ...

 

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