The stunning and unexpected trade that sent Edmonton Oilers superstar Wayne Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings 25 years ago today was a landmark event for the NHL that changed the entire landscape of the sport in the United States.
It started an immediate explosion of interest and growth in the NHL throughout America; the impact of the deal is still being felt today and will continue to affect the league well into the future.
Without Gretzky's move to Hollywood in 1988, the league may not have been able to successfully expand to nontraditional American hockey markets in western and southern states throughout the early-to-mid 1990s.
His popularity, combined with the fact that he played in Los Angeles, put the NHL on national television, made headlines throughout the United States and had a gigantic influence on the sport's growth in new markets.
After the WHA merger in 1979, the league had 21 teams and the Kings were the only American franchise located west of Minnesota.
Shortly after Gretzky boosted the popularity of hockey as a member of the Kings, the NHL added five expansion clubs, including two in ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Nicholas Goss
How the Wayne Gretzky Trade Changed Hockey in the United States
August 8th, 2013 by Nicholas Goss Leave a reply »
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