On this day: The Great One signs in NYC

Oilers legend. Kings legend. Rangers legend? Not quite, but Gretzky did have a huge impact on the franchise for years to come.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 6 years ago
On this day: The Great One signs in NYC
Keystone Press

Technically the anniversary of Wayne Gretzky’s free-agent signing with the New York Rangers happened yesterday, but it’s the offseason so you’ll have to excuse us if we get to these things a day late.

Nevertheless, July 21st, 1996: After finishing the 1995-96 season with the St. Louis Blues, Gretzky elects to join longtime friend Mark Messier in The Big Apple, signing a two-year, $10 million contract. After fielding serious offers from the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks, Gretzky decided that his chances were better in Broadway, much to the dismay of hockey Canadian fans.

How close was a Canadian return for The Great One? In a 2013 interview for Sportsnet 590 The Fan radio in Toronto, Gretzky opened up about his free-agent courtship for the first time ever saying, “at one point in time we were close to Toronto. Cliff Fletcher (Leafs GM) really dug in deep and tried to make it happen.” As for the Canucks, Gretzky said, “it was a difficult summer. At one point I thought I was going to be a Vancouver Canuck and it fell through the wayside,” Gretzky said, “Everything happens for a reason, and I ended up signing with the New York Rangers… and truly enjoyed it.”

Wow. As weird as Gretzky in a Blues jersey looks, just imagine him in a Leafs jersey or a Canuck jersey. Regardless, he chose the Rangers as his final destination in the NHL. In New York, Gretzky never reached the heights he did with the Oilers or the Kings, but he did lead the team in scoring for each of his three years before retiring in, appropriately enough, 1999.

Source: NHL.com