It has been 30 years since the St. Louis Blues stunned the hockey world by acquiring Wayne Gretzky. The Blues aimed to strengthen their roster and believed Gretzky was the perfect fit. This unexpected trade had the potential to propel St. Louis to a Stanley Cup.
Gretzky, then 35, was still a very efficient player and reliable playmaking center. He wasn’t the 200 point player he was during his prime years on the Edmonton Oilers. However, he was two seasons removed from scoring 130 points and still scored over a point-per-game in the NHL.
At the time of the trade, ‘The Great One’ led the Los Angeles Kings in scoring. He scored 15 goals and added 66 assists for a total of 81 points in 62 games.
| Blues Acquire | Kings Acquire |
| Wayne Gretzky | Patrice Tardif Craig Johnson Roman Vopat 1996 5th round pick (Peter Hogan) 1997 1st round pick (Matt Zultek) |
Blues head coach Mike Keenan now had an elite playmaker that he could pair with Brett Hull, who led St. Louis in scoring. Hull, then 32, was known for his goal-scoring ability and now had ‘The Great One’ feeding him the puck.
Gretzky was eventually named team captain and remained productive. He scored eight goals and registered 13 assists for a total of 21 points in 18 games.
Blues Star Brett Hull Expressed Excitement After Wayne Gretzky Trade Was Made Official
GettyVANCOUVER, CANADA: St. Louis Blue Brett Hull (L) chats with his new teammate Wayne Gretzky (R) 28 February in Vancouver, Canada, during his first workout since being traded from the Los Angeles Kings. Gretzky will play his first game with the Blues 29 February against the Canucks. AFP PHOTO Dan LEVINE (Photo credit should read DAN LEVINE/AFP via Getty Images)
Blues star Brett Hull was excited after the Wayne Gretzky trade was made official. Hull was known for having great chemistry with his linemates, most notably Adam Oates.
Now with Gretzky, the Blues had a realistic chance at reaching the Stanley Cup finals. In addition to Hull, St. Louis had a strong veteran presence with the likes of Grant Fuhr, Al MacInnis, and Shayne Corson. They also had a talented young defenseman in Chris Pronger.
“I’m just looking forward to [playing with Gretzky]. I just want to get out there tomorrow and practice,” Hull told reporters. “Of course [it’s a dream come true]. I mean, for a goal scorer, I guess you always want to have the greatest player to play with and I got him now.”
Hull emphasized that ‘The Great One’ was far from done.
“Don’t let other people outside of this neighborhood of St. louis Blues try to tell you that [Gretzky’s] washed up because he by far has got a lot of years left in him. He’s just a fantastic hockey player,” he said. “[Blues fans] are going to fall in love with this guy because he is just the most classy individual you’ll ever meet.”
Gretzky’s Time with the Blues was Short
Despite the Blues’ high hopes for Gretzky, his time with the team was short. He led the team during their playoff run, but they were unable to reach the finals.
In the 1st round, St. Louis eliminated the No. 4 seed Maple Leafs in six games. That set them up for a 2nd round matchup with the Detroit Red Wings, who had won the Presidents’ Trophy.
It was a back-and-forth playoff series that saw the Red Wings edge out the Blues in seven games. Game 7 ended in thrilling fashion, with Detroit captain Steve Yzerman scoring the game-winner 1:15 into double overtime.
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