Wayne Gretzky describes his first game in Edmonton after being traded
Edmonton Oilers legend Wayne Gretzky is without a doubt the most iconic sports figure in Edmonton.
During last night's segment of NHL's Faceoff, hockey legend Wayne Gretzky AKA "The Great One" discussed with the panel his personal experience regarding playing his first game in Edmonton after being traded to the LA Kings.
According to Ryan Hall of Oilers Daily, described that he could look across the rink and see the same people in the seats game in and game out compared to other rinks like the kings where there are different fans every night due to the corporate seats.
-Ryan Hall
That trade back in 1988 is still regarded as being the biggest blockbuster trade in NHL history. The transaction clearly upset Gretzky, but also broke the hearts of thousands of fans in Oil Country.
After the transaction was completed, Wayne Gretzky broke down in tears in one of the most iconic sports interviews of all-time.
As much as it hurt, there is still a significant amount of respect held between Wayne Gretzky and Oilers fans. The Oilers raised a statue of him outside Rexall Place (Northlands Collesium), even going as far as to naming a road after him (Wayne Gretzky Dr.)
Although Wayne Gretzky was sent packing his bags to California, his recounts from his first game back after being traded strikes a certain type of nostalgia.
He still remembered certain faces in the crowd, emphasizing that his heart was always in Edmonton. As the old saying goes - once an Oiler, always an Oiler.
| POLL | ||
Do you remember when Wayne Gretzky was traded? | ||
| Yes | 122 | 93.8 % |
| No | 8 | 6.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
