The Trade refers to the Tuesday, August 9, 1988 NHL trade which saw Wayne Gretzky of the Edmonton Oilers traded to the Los Angeles Kings. Other players in the deal were Mike Krushelnyski and Marty McSorley who went with Gretzky to the Kings in exchange for Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas, the Kings' first-round draft choices in 1989 (acquired by New Jersey, who selected Jason Miller), 1991 (Martin Rucinsky), 1993 (Nick Stajduhar) and $15 million (US) (the Kings franchise had just been purchased for $20 million).
Gretzky had captained the Oilers to four Stanley Cup championships in the previous five seasons. In his eight year career, Gretzky had won seven Hart Trophy awards as league MVP, and six Art Ross Trophies as the league's leading point scorer. He had shattered every single season scoring record, and was the leading scorer in all three Canada Cup tournaments in which he played. He had become a symbol of Canadian pride, and news of the deal sent shockwaves through the nation.
The Kings' previous average attendance record of 12,620 fans per game had been set during the 1974-75 NHL season. In Gretzky's first year, average attendance rose to 14,875 per game. In future seasons, the Kings average attendance wouldn't fall below 15,000 until the 1995-96 NHL season, when Gretzky was traded to the St. Louis Blues.
External Link
editEdmonton Journal August 10, 1988 The Sporting News February 6, 1989]