“It Would Be Beneficial…”: Wayne Gretzky Made a Shocking Statement Following His Controversial Trade to LA Kings in 1988

Wayne Gretzky and his controversial trade is a topic that always keeps giving. Gretzky’s trade from Oilers Edmonton to Los Angeles Kings, which happened in 1988, is still one of the most discussed topics in NHL history. Was it Gretzky or was it the Oilers, who initiated the trade?

The news of Gretzky’s trade to the LA Kings from his beloved Oilers team had spread like a wildfire among hockey fans. Hence, following the announcement for the same, Gretzky addressed the media and gave his statement regarding the deal. Here is what the legendary ice hockey player once confessed.

Wayne Gretzky revealed an unknown benefit of the trade

According to Hockey Fanatic, in this conference, Gretzky revealed, “… I decided that for the benefit of myself, my new wife, and our expected child… it would be beneficial to let me play for the Los Angeles Kings.” Just a month prior to the controversial trade, Gretzky tied the knot to Hollywood actress Janet Jones. As a result, many believed that it was Jones who might have demanded the move to LA.

Although Gretzky’s statement had cleared most of the doubts, he later revealed that he never wished to get traded, hence starting the never-ending debate on the controversial trade. However, moving to LA eventually worked successfully for Gretzky.

Read More: “Don’t Believe Anything You Hear”: Wayne Gretzky Was Bewildered by His Father’s Reaction to His Controversial Trade In 2022

Gretzky and his family fell in love with LA

Privacy, for a famous sports personality like Wayne Gretzky, is rare. Hence, the NHL GOAT was thankful for his trade to LA, which granted him and his family of three at that time, to spend some quality time in the new city.

In his book, Gretzky mentioned that not many people recognized the ice hockey star in the “City of Angels”, as the sport and the legend were not famous in the States back then. If Gretzky had stayed back in Canada with the Edmonton team, he might have not been able to enjoy the downtime.

Watch This Story: Katie Lecky receives the same honors as Muhammad Ali, Wayne Gretzky, and Michael Jordon

No matter how controversial the trade was, as Gretzky mentioned, it really benefited him in many ways.