The post 37 Years Ago: How Scribe Says He Broke the Gretzky Trade With 6 Phone Calls appeared first on NHL Trade Talk.
On August 9, 1988, the hockey world was turned upside down when Wayne Gretzky — the sport’s biggest star — was traded from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings. The move not only shocked fans but also made the careers of some very successful journalists and hosts. And, as Keith Olbermann revealed in a commemorative post today, it was a scoop that required almost no legwork.
Olbermann, then working at KTLA Channel 5 in Los Angeles, recalled how the tip came together in the most unlikely way. That evening, he began receiving calls from viewers who had just seen Kings owner Bruce McNall at a Los Angeles golf course, openly telling people to “buy your Kings tickets now” because he had just traded for Gretzky. At first skeptical — suspecting a prank from a rival station — Olbermann picked up five such calls in succession.
Then came the clincher: a fan phoned in claiming to be holding the actual check for part of the trade payment. That was enough for Olbermann to move forward. He quickly turned the information into a script, which colleague Gordon Edes helped place on the Associated Press wire.
The deal itself was staggering. Los Angeles acquired Gretzky, Marty McSorley, and Mike Krushelnyski in exchange for Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas, three first-round draft picks, and $15 million cash. Financial records from the NHL later showed the Kings’ franchise value doubled from $50 million to over $100 million by 1993. Gretzky’s arrival also fueled a run to the 1993 Stanley Cup Final and helped ignite a surge of interest in hockey across non-traditional U.S. markets — with a 1993 Journal of Sport & Social Issues study citing a 35% jump in NHL viewership outside Canada and the northern U.S.
Wayne Gretzky Oilers NHL Trade Talk
Olbermann’s “greatest scoop with the least amount of work,” as he jokingly called it, stands as an example of how sometimes journalism is as much about being in the right place — or answering the right phone — as it is about exhaustive investigation.
Thirty-seven years later, the Gretzky trade remains one of the most consequential transactions in sports history — and one of journalism’s most improbable breaking-news tales. When questioned by a fan about what else he’s done in sports journalism and said, “all downhill from there… You could have done something with your life.”, Olberman responded:
Next: 2 Scenarios Where Oilers Could Push for Unthinkable McDavid Trade
The post 37 Years Ago: How Scribe Says He Broke the Gretzky Trade With 6 Phone Calls appeared first on NHL Trade Talk.
Continue reading...
On August 9, 1988, the hockey world was turned upside down when Wayne Gretzky — the sport’s biggest star — was traded from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings. The move not only shocked fans but also made the careers of some very successful journalists and hosts. And, as Keith Olbermann revealed in a commemorative post today, it was a scoop that required almost no legwork.
Olbermann, then working at KTLA Channel 5 in Los Angeles, recalled how the tip came together in the most unlikely way. That evening, he began receiving calls from viewers who had just seen Kings owner Bruce McNall at a Los Angeles golf course, openly telling people to “buy your Kings tickets now” because he had just traded for Gretzky. At first skeptical — suspecting a prank from a rival station — Olbermann picked up five such calls in succession.
Then came the clincher: a fan phoned in claiming to be holding the actual check for part of the trade payment. That was enough for Olbermann to move forward. He quickly turned the information into a script, which colleague Gordon Edes helped place on the Associated Press wire.
The Gretzky Trade Changed The NHL Forever
The deal itself was staggering. Los Angeles acquired Gretzky, Marty McSorley, and Mike Krushelnyski in exchange for Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas, three first-round draft picks, and $15 million cash. Financial records from the NHL later showed the Kings’ franchise value doubled from $50 million to over $100 million by 1993. Gretzky’s arrival also fueled a run to the 1993 Stanley Cup Final and helped ignite a surge of interest in hockey across non-traditional U.S. markets — with a 1993 Journal of Sport & Social Issues study citing a 35% jump in NHL viewership outside Canada and the northern U.S.
Wayne Gretzky Oilers NHL Trade Talk
Olbermann’s “greatest scoop with the least amount of work,” as he jokingly called it, stands as an example of how sometimes journalism is as much about being in the right place — or answering the right phone — as it is about exhaustive investigation.
Thirty-seven years later, the Gretzky trade remains one of the most consequential transactions in sports history — and one of journalism’s most improbable breaking-news tales. When questioned by a fan about what else he’s done in sports journalism and said, “all downhill from there… You could have done something with your life.”, Olberman responded:
Next: 2 Scenarios Where Oilers Could Push for Unthinkable McDavid Trade
The post 37 Years Ago: How Scribe Says He Broke the Gretzky Trade With 6 Phone Calls appeared first on NHL Trade Talk.
Continue reading...
