“The Roots That I Was Cutting Off Were Deep”: Days After His Star-Studded Wedding, NHL Goat Wayne Gretzky Suffered a Major Emotional Setback in 1988

Wayne Gretzky is a Canadian former ice-hockey champion with a two-decade-long magnificent career. The NHL greatest played for four teams from 1978 to 1999. On the personal front, he married an American actress, Janet Jones, in 1988. While the year marked the beginning of a new chapter in his personal life, it brought to an end a great run in his professional life.

Edmonton Oilers is the first team among the four teams ‘The Great One’ played for. During his run with the team from 1979 to 1988, Gretzky made great achievements and also memories. In 1988, he led his team to a fourth Stanley Cup title. Three months after the win, he was found crying at an Edmonton press conference.

The biggest trade in hockey history

25 days after Gretzky‘s wedding with his girlfriend and actress, Janet Jones touted as ‘Canada’s Royal Wedding’, the announcement of the trade of Gretzky and two other players of the Los Angeles Kings shook him. This biggest trade in hockey history cost over 15 million U.S. dollars to the Los Angeles Kings.

Later, Gretzky explained this emotional suspension stating, “The roots that I was cutting off(in Edmonton) were deep.” He recounted the rapport and connection he had with his team and “real basic things like scoring and congratulating each other…”

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Furthermore, he described the bond among his teammates at Edmonton, stating, “Everything with us was a celebration.” According to him, they had something to celebrate all the time–winning, scoring, championships, and creating records. Recalling the day he broke into tears, he said, “And.. I just started to cry.”

Wayne Gretzky developed an emotional connection with the sport at an early age

The NHL legend displayed unparalleled expertise in the sport during his career. He played with grace and ease. The former ice-hockey champion embraced the sport at the age of 3 while kids usually began not before 6 or 7. Thus, he was much ahead of his peers. Besides, he also had developed comfort on the ice.

Gretzky shared his childhood memories of skating in his autobiography. Winters meant spending time on the ice. He would get up in the morning and skate for an hour or more. He would again pick up his skates after returning from school. At his mom’s insistence, he would return home for dinner and go back to skating till 9 in the night.

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