"It became very difficult for us": When Wayne Gretzky expressed his unhappiness at lack of private life in Edmonton

Wayne Gretzky's trade from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings came as a surprise to the entire hockey community. In an ideal world, a hockey legend like 'The Great One' doesn't get traded to a different country, but it happened back in 1988, and several reasons can be cited for it.

The primary reason for the trade was then Oilers owner Peter Pocklington's alleged bankruptcy. He hoped to get a good return out of trading Gretzky that would also help his fortunes as the deal included a $15 million cash transfer from the Kings.

The secondary reason considered was Gretzky's marriage to Hollywood star Janet Jones. After their marriage that same year, it became an easy decision for the Oilers forward to choose LA.

While speaking in an exclusive interview with Los Angeles Times back in 1988, Wayne Gretzky had opened up about Edmonton being a small city, not allowing the couple the level of privacy they deserved. When they moved to Los Angeles, Gretzky and Jones didn't have to face the close-knit media scrutiny anymore.

"Extremely similar. It became very difficult for us in Edmonton--not that anybody treated us badly; everybody treated us first class--but it became very small. We had no privacy at all. We just got to the point where it became uncomfortable to be stared at. We always felt like we were on display," he had said.

Wayne Gretzky's disappointment at having to leave Edmonton

Wayne Gretzky had publicly stated that he wished to play in Edmonton till the end of his career. The forward had won four Stanley Cups with the team and would've hoped for more if the trade had not gone down.

He made his feelings clear in the interview about being asked to leave.

"I wasn’t miserable, I was just hurt at everything that had taken place. I was disappointed in the whole situation. I didn’t want to leave Edmonton. That was never the case where I stood up and said, “Get me out of here.” That never happened until they basically said they were going to trade me," Gretzky had said.

"My tears came from thinking about the people I had grown up with, players I wouldn’t play with anymore, thinking of the Stanley Cups we had won, the great times we had. It kind of all hit me."

Before the trade, Wayne Gretzky had 1,669 points with the Oilers. After 1988, he got another 1,188 points that also included a brief spell with the St. Louis Blues and finishing his career with the New York Rangers. Thus reinforcing that he didn't lose his magic regardless of where he played.