–Glen Sather, Mark Messier, Steve Nash, Jerry Bruckheimer, Peter Mansbridge, Alan Thicke, and more share their memories from the trade –
– Sportsnet sits down with Bruce McNall and Peter Pocklington, the two faces that brokered the deal that forever changed hockey –
– Sportsnet’s Scott Morrison shares special reflection piece, Aug. 9 –
TORONTO (August 2, 2013) The date August 9, 1988 is a day that lives in infamy for Canadian hockey fans as the day it was announced that Wayne Gretzky had been traded to the Los Angeles Kings in one of the biggest deals pro sports has ever seen. Twenty-five years later, Sportsnet presents The Trade, a comprehensive five-part series that examines the details surrounding the deal that shook the hockey world and an entire nation to its core, and changed hockey forever. Part one of the series premieres Monday, August 5 during Connected at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT on Sportsnet East, Ontario, West and Pacific.
The series reflects on the impact of the trade with players, coaches, celebrities and more sharing their stories and memories with Sportsnet’sChristine Simpson. The Trade culminates on Friday, August 9 with Sportsnet’s executive producer of hockey Scott Morrison – who covered the trade when it was first announced – sharing a special reflection piece followed by a panel discussion with some of Sportsnet’s personalities on what the trade meant to hockey, its lasting impact and why it still remains a hot topic 25 years later.
Below is a look at Sportsnet’s week-long coverage of The Trade, premiering nightly during the evening edition of Connected at5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT on Sportsnet East, Ontario, West and Pacific (with encore presentations during the primetime editions), as well as special online-only features on sportsnet.ca:
Monday, August 5 – Recapping “The Trade” and Why It Mattered
- Sportsnet reviews the details of the Gretzky trade, offering a complete recap and breakdown of the deal and its key stakeholders. How did the unthinkable happen? What was the reaction across Canada and how did it impact hockey in Los Angeles?
On sportsnet.ca:
- By the Numbers: Breaking down the deal, figure by figure
Tuesday, August 6 – Battle of the Businessmen
- Sportsnet sits down with Bruce McNall and Peter Pocklington – the two faces that brokered the deal that forever changed the sport. Former Oilers head coach and general manager Glen Sather as well as Gretzky’s former agent Michael Barnett share their memories
- Sportsnet also hears from Jimmy Carson, the star who Los Angeles traded and who was labeled as Gretzky’s replacement in Edmonton
On sportsnet.ca:
- Twenty-five ways Gretzky’s trade changed hockey forever
- Mark Spector proposes the angle of how the trade changed the path of the Edmonton Oilers
Wednesday, August 7 – The Trade That Never Happened
- The little-known story of the never completed deal between the Edmonton Oilers and the Vancouver Canucks. Barnett, Pocklington, and Nelson Skalbania – the man responsible for signing 17-year-old Gretzky to the WHA – all weigh in
On sportsnet.ca:
- Michael Grange considers whether or not August 9, 1988 was the most devastating day for Canadian sports fans
Thursday, August 8 – Where Were You When The Trade Happened?
- Sprinter Donovan Bailey, musician Jim Cuddy, actor Alan Thicke, director Jerry Bruckheimer, news anchor Peter Mansbridge, NBA star Steve Nash and former Oilers teammate Mark Messier share their memories 25 years later
On sportsnet.ca:
- Stephen Brunt discusses his book Gretzky’s Tears that examined the biggest trade in NHL history
- Newspaper front pages from August 10, 1988, including the Edmonton Journal and Los Angeles Times
Friday, August 9 – Reflections on The Trade
- Morrison shares a special reflection piece, followed by a panel of Sportsnet personalities discussing the lasting impact of the trade
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About Sportsnet
Sportsnet connects Canadian sports fans to their favourite teams and athletes, using five platforms: TV, Radio, Print, Online and Mobile. Sportsnet is Fuelled By Fans, and delivers storytelling on a local, regional, national and global level. The multiplatform brand consists of Sportsnet, sportsnet.ca, Sportsnet 590 The FAN, Sportsnet 960 The FAN, Sportsnet magazine, Sportsnet Mobile and the Hockey Central app on iPad and Playbook. Sportsnet consists of four regional channels (Sportsnet East, Ontario, West and Pacific), and the nationally-distributed Sportsnet ONE, Sportsnet World, and Sportsnet 360. Sportsnet is the Canadian leader in NHL and MLB television broadcasts and is home to 162 Toronto Blue Jays games, plus MLB Playoffs and the World Series. Sportsnet is an official licensed broadcaster of the 2014 FIFA World Cup BrazilTM and also offers an exciting sports lineup including the NFL, the Memorial Cup, CIS Vanier Cup, Ultimate Fighting Championship®, Grand Slam of Curling, IZOD IndyCar Series, the Rogers Cup tennis tournament, and extensive soccer programming including Barclays Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, MLS Vancouver Whitecaps FC, CONCACAF and Canadian national team matches for men and women. Connected is the network’s nightly news program, providing regional and national coverage of the day’s events in the world of sports.