There’s a single day in Edmonton Oilers history that remains one of the darkest days in the organization’s history – August 9, 1988. It was the day that fans of the Oilers found out that their hero and NHL great — Wayne Gretzky — had been moved and sold by Peter Pocklington.
The dynasty in Edmonton was over. The king of hockey was now a King in Los Angeles. The remnants of the trade now scattered across the organization. As for the image of Gretzky at the podium, tears in his eyes, it’s one that has become iconic amongst hockey circles.
However, we’re not here to discuss the Gretzky trade as a whole, rather a singular piece that came to the Oilers before his hockey career fizzled out. This is the story of Nick Stajduhar — a junior star. A first-round NHL pick. The forgotten piece of the Gretzky trade.
Stajduhar Was a King Among Knights
Born in Kitchener, Ontario, Stajduhar was drafted by the London Knights in the third round, 47th overall in the 1990 OHL Priority Selection. He joined the Knights the following season and played four seasons with them.
