“The Great One” Becomes a King

August 9, 1988: Coming off their fourth Stanley Cup win in the last five seasons, the Edmonton Oilers do the unthinkable: trade Wayne Gretzky, hockey’s biggest superstar. Just as he’s entering his competitive peak, Gretzky departs a team where he looked like the centerpiece of a budding dynasty. And his destination is the Los Angeles Kings… in a city that barely knows it has a hockey team.

Today, hockey changes forever, as Canada loses its greatest son to the United States. Why would the Oilers trade Gretzky? And how does Gretzky’s move reshape the entire NHL?

Special thanks to our guests: David Staples, columnist for The Edmonton Journal; Bruce McNall, former owner of the L.A. Kings and co-chair of A-Mark Entertainment; Luc Robitaille, NHL Hall of Famer and president of the L.A. Kings; and Bernie Nicholls, retired All-Star NHL center.

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