How Wayne Gretzky Nearly Became a Detroit Red Wing in 1988

One of the biggest what-if scenarios in Detroit Red Wings history involves a player who never wore the Winged Wheel.

Wayne Gretzky.

Long before he became the face of hockey in Los Angeles, Gretzky was close to joining the Red Wings in a move that could have dramatically changed the direction of the franchise. And according to Gretzky himself, the Red Wings weren't simply a team expressing interest. It was where he initially expected to play.

The story dates to the summer of 1988, shortly after Gretzky helped the Edmonton Oilers win their fourth Stanley Cup in five seasons. Despite Edmonton's dominance, Oilers owner Peter Pocklington was exploring the possibility of trading the greatest player in the game. Gretzky eventually learned that his days in Edmonton might be numbered and with his contract situation giving him considerable influence over his destination, several teams emerged as possibilities.

Among them were the New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings and Detroit Red Wings. The Rangers and Flyers eventually faded from consideration, leaving Detroit and Los Angeles. For Gretzky, the Red Wings held a special attraction.

Growing up in Brantford, Ontario, he had idolized Gordie Howe and followed the Red Wings. Joining the organization would have offered an opportunity to play for the franchise that had helped shape his love of hockey. During a 2022 appearance on the Spittin Chiclets podcast, Gretzky recalled just how close he came to making that happen.

"We sat down and we decided I was going to Detroit," Gretzky said.

Edmonton Oilers Wayne Gretzky Credit: Porter Binks/USA TODAY NETWORK | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

At the time, the Red Wings were building around a young Steve Yzerman, who was developing into one of the NHL's premier offensive players. The possibility of Gretzky and Yzerman playing together seemed like a potential nightmare for the other 20 NHL franchises at the time.

Yzerman was coming off a 1987-88 season in which he scored 50 goals and 102 points in just 64 games. Gretzky had produced 149 points in 64 games with the Oilers.

But a conversation with Gretzky's father, Walter, changed everything. Walter encouraged his son to consider a different opportunity rather than follow in Howe's footsteps.

"There's only one Gordie Howe," Walter Gretzky told his son at the time.

Walter believed Los Angeles offered his son an opportunity to establish something entirely new. Gretzky ultimately followed that advice. On August 9, 1988, Edmonton traded Gretzky, Marty McSorley and Mike Krushelnyski to Los Angeles in exchange for Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas, three first-round draft picks and $15 million.

The trade transformed the NHL as Gretzky helped bring unprecedented attention to hockey in Southern California, while the Kings reached the Stanley Cup Final in 1993.

Meanwhile, Detroit continued building around Yzerman. During the 1988-89 season, Yzerman exploded for 65 goals and 155 points, while Gretzky scored 54 goals and 168 points in his first season with the Kings.

Had the two joined forces, the Red Wings would have featured an offensive combination unlike almost anything the league had seen.

Detroit Red Wings center Steve Yzerman Credit: Lou Capozzola-USA TODAY NETWORK | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Of course, no one can know how such a partnership would have affected the Red Wings' eventual championship teams. The Red Wings went on to win Stanley Cups in 1997, 1998, 2002 and 2008, while Gretzky finished his legendary career with 2,857 points, an NHL record that still stands and will probably never be broken.

For a brief moment in the summer of 1988, one of the greatest players in hockey history thought he was going to be a Red Wing. A conversation with his father helped send him somewhere else.

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