Wayne Gretzky is known as the great one and is trade from the Edmonton Oilers to
and is trade from the Edmonton Oilers to
and is trade from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings changed the NHL
the Los Angeles Kings changed the NHL
the Los Angeles Kings changed the NHL forever hi I’m Rebecca Braden and
forever hi I’m Rebecca Braden and
forever hi I’m Rebecca Braden and welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re
welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re
welcome to watchmojo.com and today we’re speaking with sportswriter Stephen brunt
speaking with sportswriter Stephen brunt
speaking with sportswriter Stephen brunt about Gretzky’s tears
about Gretzky’s tears
about Gretzky’s tears what made Gretzky the great one there’s
what made Gretzky the great one there’s
what made Gretzky the great one there’s no real precedent for Wayne Gretzky in
no real precedent for Wayne Gretzky in
no real precedent for Wayne Gretzky in hockey and there’s no one who came after
hockey and there’s no one who came after
hockey and there’s no one who came after him who plays like him he’s he’s a
him who plays like him he’s he’s a
him who plays like him he’s he’s a one-off he’s like a great musician or a
one-off he’s like a great musician or a
one-off he’s like a great musician or a great artist he imagined the game in
great artist he imagined the game in
great artist he imagined the game in some ways and did that without huge
some ways and did that without huge
some ways and did that without huge physical gift and yet you know something
physical gift and yet you know something
physical gift and yet you know something else about him allowed him to play
else about him allowed him to play
else about him allowed him to play hockey and to score goals and to set up
hockey and to score goals and to set up
hockey and to score goals and to set up goals and to see the pattern of the game
goals and to see the pattern of the game
goals and to see the pattern of the game the larger game better than anyone I
the larger game better than anyone I
the larger game better than anyone I think it would ever lived so you could
think it would ever lived so you could
think it would ever lived so you could start by giving us some background as to
start by giving us some background as to
start by giving us some background as to the lead-up to Gretzky Strait the
the lead-up to Gretzky Strait the
the lead-up to Gretzky Strait the Edmonton Oilers had just won their
Edmonton Oilers had just won their
Edmonton Oilers had just won their fourth Stanley Cup Gretzky was
fourth Stanley Cup Gretzky was
fourth Stanley Cup Gretzky was acknowledged by certainly by hockey fans
acknowledged by certainly by hockey fans
acknowledged by certainly by hockey fans as maybe the greatest player who ever
as maybe the greatest player who ever
as maybe the greatest player who ever lived Peter Pocklington who owned the
lived Peter Pocklington who owned the
lived Peter Pocklington who owned the Oilers was in financial trouble he had
Oilers was in financial trouble he had
Oilers was in financial trouble he had issues he was a wheeler dealer in his
issues he was a wheeler dealer in his
issues he was a wheeler dealer in his own right and he also understood that
own right and he also understood that
own right and he also understood that Gretzky was going to be he’d lose him
Gretzky was going to be he’d lose him
Gretzky was going to be he’d lose him eventually at the end of his contract at
eventually at the end of his contract at
eventually at the end of his contract at the same time a guy in LA named Bruce
the same time a guy in LA named Bruce
the same time a guy in LA named Bruce McNall and bought the Los Angeles Kings
McNall and bought the Los Angeles Kings
McNall and bought the Los Angeles Kings he had money or at least he had other
he had money or at least he had other
he had money or at least he had other people’s money and he had an idea which
people’s money and he had an idea which
people’s money and he had an idea which was what if we bring the greatest hockey
was what if we bring the greatest hockey
was what if we bring the greatest hockey player in the world to California to
player in the world to California to
player in the world to California to Hollywood what would happen the title
Hollywood what would happen the title
Hollywood what would happen the title Gretzky’s tears obviously refers to a
Gretzky’s tears obviously refers to a
Gretzky’s tears obviously refers to a very specific moment in his career the
very specific moment in his career the
very specific moment in his career the press conference if you could just kind
press conference if you could just kind
press conference if you could just kind of give us some background about that
of give us some background about that
of give us some background about that everybody who was alive then in Canada
everybody who was alive then in Canada
everybody who was alive then in Canada remembers there’s a watershed moment you
remembers there’s a watershed moment you
remembers there’s a watershed moment you really remember where you were when you
really remember where you were when you
really remember where you were when you saw it it was earth-shaking that Gretzky
saw it it was earth-shaking that Gretzky
saw it it was earth-shaking that Gretzky could be traded and you have to see
could be traded and you have to see
could be traded and you have to see someone like him weeping in public
someone like him weeping in public
someone like him weeping in public whatever his words said he seemed to be
whatever his words said he seemed to be
whatever his words said he seemed to be saying something else by his tears if
saying something else by his tears if
saying something else by his tears if you’re a Canadian you had to believe
you’re a Canadian you had to believe
you’re a Canadian you had to believe that he was being torn out of the
that he was being torn out of the
that he was being torn out of the country against his will
country against his will
country against his will why would somebody like Wayne Gretzky
why would somebody like Wayne Gretzky
why would somebody like Wayne Gretzky ever want to leave Edmonton why would he
ever want to leave Edmonton why would he
ever want to leave Edmonton why would he ever want to leave a perfect hockey team
ever want to leave a perfect hockey team
ever want to leave a perfect hockey team why would he ever want to leave us they
why would he ever want to leave us they
why would he ever want to leave us they say that the trade from Edmonton to LA
say that the trade from Edmonton to LA
say that the trade from Edmonton to LA changed the face of hockey can you kind
changed the face of hockey can you kind
changed the face of hockey can you kind of outline the ripple effects that we’re
of outline the ripple effects that we’re
of outline the ripple effects that we’re still seeing today Bruce McNall his idea
still seeing today Bruce McNall his idea
still seeing today Bruce McNall his idea was that you could take the most famous
was that you could take the most famous
was that you could take the most famous hockey player in the world and sell them
hockey player in the world and sell them
hockey player in the world and sell them to people who didn’t know anything about
to people who didn’t know anything about
to people who didn’t know anything about hockey then you could take that formula
hockey then you could take that formula
hockey then you could take that formula and spread it here there and everywhere
and spread it here there and everywhere
and spread it here there and everywhere and sell hockey to people who who had no
and sell hockey to people who who had no
and sell hockey to people who who had no history with the
history with the
history with the or no cultural affinity with the game
or no cultural affinity with the game
or no cultural affinity with the game you know the fact is it worked in LA
you know the fact is it worked in LA
you know the fact is it worked in LA people did pay attention and they did
people did pay attention and they did
people did pay attention and they did buy tickets and if the larger America
buy tickets and if the larger America
buy tickets and if the larger America paid attention but what also came out of
paid attention but what also came out of
paid attention but what also came out of that for the NHL was a new business
that for the NHL was a new business
that for the NHL was a new business philosophy you know hockey would be sold
philosophy you know hockey would be sold
philosophy you know hockey would be sold to people who didn’t know anything about
to people who didn’t know anything about
to people who didn’t know anything about hockey but because it had this glamour
hockey but because it had this glamour
hockey but because it had this glamour and the star power now it didn’t matter
and the star power now it didn’t matter
and the star power now it didn’t matter that’s how the NHL wound up in Florida
that’s how the NHL wound up in Florida
that’s how the NHL wound up in Florida and how it wound up in Texas and how it
and how it wound up in Texas and how it
and how it wound up in Texas and how it wound up in San Jose and it’s definitely
wound up in San Jose and it’s definitely
wound up in San Jose and it’s definitely how the Winnipeg Jets wound up in
how the Winnipeg Jets wound up in
how the Winnipeg Jets wound up in Phoenix once Gretzky was gone it didn’t
Phoenix once Gretzky was gone it didn’t
Phoenix once Gretzky was gone it didn’t have staying power it didn’t really put
have staying power it didn’t really put
have staying power it didn’t really put down roots it turned out to be more of a
down roots it turned out to be more of a
down roots it turned out to be more of a pyramid scheme than anything else are we
pyramid scheme than anything else are we
pyramid scheme than anything else are we ever going to see another great one I
ever going to see another great one I
ever going to see another great one I think we’re gonna keep trying to invent
think we’re gonna keep trying to invent
think we’re gonna keep trying to invent them because I think it’s it’s a
them because I think it’s it’s a
them because I think it’s it’s a powerful myth I think we’ve turned
powerful myth I think we’ve turned
powerful myth I think we’ve turned Sidney Crosby into that whether it is
Sidney Crosby into that whether it is
Sidney Crosby into that whether it is that or not in some ways we need that
that or not in some ways we need that
that or not in some ways we need that story you know we need the next one to
story you know we need the next one to
story you know we need the next one to pop up because it reaffirms for us
pop up because it reaffirms for us
pop up because it reaffirms for us something about what it is to be
something about what it is to be
something about what it is to be Canadian thank you very much thank you
”
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