“It Was the Hardest Place I Ever Played In”: Wayne Gretzky Once Revealed Why He ‘Hated’ Playing in Edmonton After His Controversial Trade

Not only is Wayne Gretzky the greatest player of ice hockey, but he also loves the game. Even after breaking several records and being named the greatest player in the sport’s history, Gretzky hated just one thing about the sport.

The controversial trade from Edmonton Oilers to L.A.Kings had disheartened him, but returning to Edmonton was Gretzky’s main difficulty. The legendary player once opened up about the deep wounds from post his trade from the Oilers.

Wayne Gretzky did not wanted to play in Edmonton anymore

Wayne Gretzky was not just the legend of the NHL but also a “hero” of the Edmonton Oilers and its fans. However, in 1988, the Oilers traded the “The Great One” to the L.A. Kings, which is considered one of the “most controversial trades” in history.

Although Gretzky was heartbroken, he moved to L.A. and joined the Kings. However, Gretzky was unable to forget the Edmonton fans and the team. In an interview with “In Depth with Graham Bensinger”, Gretzky revealed that moving to a different team was not the hard part, but returning to Edmonton for games, was the toughest for him.

He recalled, ”Listen, the first game I went back to was so difficult. For one because, first and foremost, the guys in that team. We won championships together, we were best friends, we saw our families grow together, our parents were all best friends.”

Although Gretzky did not face any difficulties in the first match, it was never easy for the veteran to return to Edmonton for any away game against his former team. “After that, for me, it was the hardest place I ever played in. I hated it. I never liked it. I never got over it. From the first game to the last game, the last shift I played there, I just was never comfortable at ever being an opponent playing in Edmonton.”

Read More: “I’m Probably More Competitive!”: Wayne Gretzky Once Tried to Downplay His Golfing Skills in Front of His Wife

Gretzky’s connection with the Edmonton team and its fans was and still is a special one. Even after all their differences, Gretzky had backed the Oilers’ decision to trade him for his good.

Was the transfer for Gretzky’s benefit?

In the same interview, host Bensinger had to bring up the controversial transfer and asked Gretzky about the details. Although Gretzky had disclosed his displeasure about the trade, he still backed the Oilers’ owner Peter Pocklington in his answer.

The legendary player confessed that he had not signed an extension with the Oilers, but he never planned on leaving the team. In fact, he had no plans about moving to another club, even in the future. However, the Oilers owners thought this might not be a progressive decision for the star player. Hence, they initiated the trade on their behalf.

Watch This Story: From Joe Dimaggio to Wayne Gretzky, most outstanding statistical accomplishments in US sports history

There are several angles and claims about the Gretzky trade. However, “The Great One” never let any of it affect his performance and went on to create history.