Title/Author:
“Gretzky’s
Tears: Hockey, America and the Day Everything Changed” by Stephen Brunt
Tags:
Ice Hockey,
professional, Oilers, Kings
Published:
November
1, 2009
Length:
304 pages
Rating:
5 of 5
stars (outstanding)
Review:
August 9,
1988 is a date that has become famous in hockey history. It was the date that Wayne Gretzky, considered
by many to be the greatest hockey player to ever lace up skates, was traded
from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings. At the time, the Oilers were a hockey
dynasty, having won the Stanley Cup four of the past five seasons, while the
Kings were barely a blip in Los Angeles and even in their own building, playing
second fiddle to basketball’s Los Angeles Lakers.
The trade
left not only Edmonton, but the entire country of Canada in shock and
despair. Los Angeles suddenly became a
hockey hotbed and Kings games were must-see events, complete with celebrity
guests. However, the burning question
remained: why was this trade made? Why
was the face of an entire sport traded from a team in the country where hockey
is the national sport to a franchise in a warm-weather city? This question is covered from many different
angles in this excellent book by Stephen Brunt.
Having
read some of Brunt’s work earlier, I was looking forward to his writing on this
event that stunned the entire sports world. The title of the book came from the
fact that Gretzky was shedding tears at the press conference announcing the
trade, stating that he was leaving Edmonton with a heavy heart and was sad to
be going. Brunt’s research reveals that
there was much more to this press conference than simply Gretzky showing his
emotions. There is evidence that some,
Brunt included, believe that this wasn’t the case at all, but instead something
that Gretzky actually wanted.
The owners of the two teams and architects of the trade, Peter Pocklington of the Oilers and Bruce McNall of the Kings, are subjects that Brunt covered quite well in both his research and writing. Neither man comes off looking very good in this book, and given the endings for both of them, especially McNall, I believed that this was an accurate portrayal of them. McNall especially was portrayed as a complex figure, building his fortune in a Ponzi-type scheme and then have it come crashing down. However, more than just acquiring Gretzky for his team, McNall has grandiose plans for the entire sport and had a more than willing accomplice in Commissioner Gary Bettman. These were far-reaching plans that, as Brunt points out, are still being felt more than 20 years after the trade.
Not only
does Brunt expose the roles of the three main people of the trade, he also dispels
some myths about the trade, such as Gretzky was demanding the trade because his
wife, Janet Jones, was an aspiring actress. This comparison to Yoko Ono was a
popular tabloid topic in Canada, but Brunt dismisses that rumor as well as
others and gets down to the real reason – the backroom discussions and dealings
that all three men were involved in.
Stephen
Brunt has written another winner with this book and is the most comprehensive
account of not only the trade itself, but also what became of the Los Angeles
Kings and Edmonton Oilers after the trade.
The research into Pocklington and McNall is also first-rate. This is a must-read for any hockey fan
interested in learning more about how this one transaction transformed the
game.
Did I skim?
No
Pace of the book:
Excellent
as I read this book very quickly. It
moved along seamlessly from Gretzky to Pocklington to McNall and then to all
parties involved in the trade.
Do I recommend?
All hockey
fans should read this in-depth account of the trade that stunned the sports
world and changed the culture of a sport, most likely for good
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