艾德蒙頓油人隊（Edmonton Oilers）在1988年交易他們的明星球員韋恩·格雷茨基（Wayne Gretzky），在當時的冰球界引起巨大的轟動和爭議。這次交易會發生的背後有多種原因：

財務問題：艾德蒙頓油人隊的老闆彼得·波克林頓（Peter Pocklington）當時面臨著嚴重的財務困難。波克林頓的其他業務出現財務問題，急需現金流來維持。他決定交易格雷茨基，以獲得大筆現金和其他資源。

交易條件：洛杉磯國王隊（Los Angeles Kings）為了得到格雷茨基，提出一個無法拒絕的交易條件。這包括1,500萬美元現金，在當時是一筆巨款、幾名球員（如馬丁·杰利納（Marty McSorley）和麥克·克魯斯（Mike Krushelnyski））、以及未來的1989年、1991年、1993年的首輪選秀權。油人隊除現金還得到Jimmy Carson及Marin Gelinas的國王隊球員，這些條件對財務困難的波克林頓來說非常具有吸引力。

格雷茨基的意願：格雷茨基本人對交易並不完全反對。當時他的新婚妻子珍妮特·瓊斯（Janet Jones）是一名美國女演員，居住在洛杉磯。交易到國王隊對格雷茨基的家庭生活和妻子的事業都有利。

長期規劃：波克林頓可能認為，儘管交易掉格雷茨基會在短期內引起球迷的強烈反對，但從長遠來看，交易所得的資源可以幫助球隊重新建設，保持競爭力。儘管這次交易引發廣泛的爭議和批評，但格雷茨基在洛杉磯國王隊也取得巨大成功，提升冰球運動在美國特別是加州的受歡迎程度，並成功帶領球隊在1992~93年球季進入總冠軍賽，但最終敗給蒙特婁加拿大人隊。這次交易也改變NHL的市場，使格雷茨基成為冰球歷史上最具影響力的球員之一，之後整個聯盟也將他的球衣99號永久的退休。

The Edmonton Oilers' 1988 trade of their star player, Wayne Gretzky, caused a huge stir and controversy in the hockey world. Several factors contributed to this decision:

Financial Issues

The owner of the Edmonton Oilers, Peter Pocklington, was facing serious financial difficulties at the time. Pocklington's other businesses were experiencing financial problems, creating an urgent need for cash flow. He decided to trade Gretzky to obtain a significant amount of cash and other resources.

Trade Terms

The Los Angeles Kings offered an irresistible trade package to acquire Gretzky. This included $15 million in cash, which was a substantial sum at the time, as well as several players such as Marty McSorley and Mike Krushelnyski, and first-round draft picks for 1989, 1991, and 1993. The Oilers received players Jimmy Carson and Martin Gelinas from the Kings in addition to the cash. These terms were highly attractive to the cash-strapped Pocklington.

Gretzky's Willingness

Gretzky himself was not entirely opposed to the trade. His newlywed wife, Janet Jones, was an American actress living in Los Angeles. Moving to the Kings was beneficial for both Gretzky's family life and his wife's career.

Long-term Planning

Pocklington may have believed that trading Gretzky would provoke a strong negative reaction from fans in the short term, but that the resources gained from the trade could help rebuild the team and maintain its competitiveness in the long run. Despite the widespread controversy and criticism, Gretzky achieved great success with the Los Angeles Kings, significantly boosting the popularity of hockey in the United States, particularly in California. He led the Kings to the Stanley Cup Finals in the 1992-93 season, although they ultimately lost to the Montreal Canadiens.This trade also transformed the NHL market, making Gretzky one of the most influential players in hockey history. Subsequently, the entire league permanently retired his jersey number, 99.

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