kelownabomberfan

The Trade that shocked the hockey world happened 25 years ago, ripping Wayne Gretzky from Edmonton and forever making Peter Pocklington a pariah in the City of Champions. But there exists an alternate universe where Wayne Gretzky was never traded from Edmonton—because he was a Winnipeg Jet. In Peter Gzowski's best-selling classic The Game of Our Lives, which follows the 1980-81 Edmonton Oilers, a team on the brink of becoming a dynasty, Gzowski tells a story of how Wayne Gretzky was almost traded to the Winnipeg Jets instead of the Edmonton Oilers. The deal never happened because Jets owner Michael Gobuty wasn't a bolder backgammon player. At the time, Nelson Skalbania's Indianapolis Racers franchise of the WHA was not working out. That's an understatement. The team was a financial disaster, even with a young phenom like Wayne Gretzky playing. The Racers lost close to $1 million in 1978-79 (closer to $3.5 million in today's dollars, which is a good year in Phoenix, I suppose) and was not included in plans for a WHA-NHL merger that would eventually take place in 1979. However dire the team's situation was, Skalbania had Gretzky, who he had signed to a seven-year personal services contract when the young prodigy was 17 years old. And Gretzky alone was going to make Skalbania a tidy profit. Skalbania called Michael Gobuty, one of the owners of the Winnipeg Jets, to talk about Gretzky. Of course, with the benefit of hindsight it's obvious Gobuty should have paid whatever Skalbania wanted, but at the time it was believed that Skalbania wanted too much money for the burgeoning superstar, and some of Gobuty's advisors—who aren't confirmed but Gzowski guesses was coach Rudy Pilous—weren't sold on Gretzky, thinking he was "too scrawny". Despite the hesitation on the part of the Jets, the two owners had one final meeting on board Gobuty's plane (where all big-money deals were required by law to be made in the 1980s). Flying over the country Skalbania proposed a risky, totally 80s-movie-plot deal, as Gwotzki describes in the book: Deal off. Next, Skalbania called Peter Pocklington, who agreed to Skalbania's asking price and Gretzky was an Oiler. Just like that, Gobuty lost out on the greatest hockey player ever, and Winnipeg Jets fans are left wondering whether they could have watched one of the league's greatest dynasties develop in Winnipeg instead of Edmonton.

now imagine if Hawerchuk got to play with Kurri, Messier and Anderson while Gretzky had to play on a line with Paul MacLean and Larry Hopkins. And that might have happened, if Gobuty had put down the cheddar to get Gretzky from Skalbania instead of Pocklington.

I hope Armia isn't hurt too bad. He's been one of the few nice stories this year. Looking forward to him continuing to gain confidence next year. Maybe we can draft a Finnish buddy for him to play with too. EDIT

makes you wonder how any goalies ever got any shut-outs back then. But you also see why no one is ever going to catch Gretzky playing in the modern era. Jagr is going to have to play until he's 150.

Well, now they do, thanks to the Liberals being back in power.

the big difference in the game from then to now, in my opinion, is the goalies. In those highlights Mike Vernon and Reggie Lemelin are letting in goals that would just not happen in this day and age anymore. And more's the pity.

he was on MH370, and was mysteriously rescued from some island that now no one can find.

Maurice was counting players in the dressing room this morning and thought they were one short because Stafford was invisible.

I am not a fan of Dr. Drai or Yak but that's just my bias against any player who isn't from North America showing. That and the fact that Yakupov has basically been a giant bust. Who knows though, he could get traded and do a Tyler Seguin and light it up, given the ice time, a bit of confidence and decent line-mates.

Hawerchuk scores a beauty at the 7:00 mark on a partial break-away. And yes, that's Scotty Bowman doing the colour with Don Whitman doing the play-by-play.

and yet how many years did Messier and Gretzky play together?

here's hoping that Addison Richards isn't already well on his way to being Jade Etienne 2.0.

Taylor Hall is on the cusp of being an NHL star for a long time. You would be crazy to get rid of him. RNH and Eberle, ok. I also would find a way to unload Yakupov too.

Go to the 1:00 minute mark. Talk about talent. Hawerchuk had the softest hands I've ever seen.

reunite the "Trei Krone" line of Lundholm, Steen and Lindstrom. We called them the "Trei Groaner" line as they would pass and pass and pass and never shoot.

Matthew Tkachuk - final piece of the puzzle...

A friend of mine went to a Flyers Rangers game the year after Lindbergh died. The Ranger fans were chanting at Hextall "buy a Porsche!" That's hard-core.

Love the picture of the Queen being back at a Jets game, loved that portrait.

All shwarmas will be tailored to people who have to chew with glass jaws...?

I miss Shawn Cronin...

Bobby Hull will probably coach. I doubt he can skate anymore.

Yeesh. All I said was he was bringing back memories, not that he IS Dale Hawerchuk reincarnated. I thought it appropriate as it was Hawerchuk who told the Jets to go off the board and grab Schiefle early. As for a team leader, I think we are watching Schiefle make a case for future captain. He is really coming into his own now.

Scheif bringing back memories of Dale Hawerchuk in his prime. Talk about dominant out there tonight!

Fffffftt...when have the Jets ever had any success drafting a Finn in the first round....

I see a big need for Tkachuk on the Jets. I am hoping we get him in the top 4.