A portrait of New York Rangers centers Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky on September 25, 1996 in New York. (Sporting News via Getty Images)
As a hockey child of the 1990s, I missed out on high-flying, stat-stuffing, Edmonton Oilers-era Wayne Gretzky. Instead, my entrée to the Great One came during his stint with the Los Angeles Kings — specifically when L.A. made its surprise run to the Stanley Cup Final in 1993 — followed several years later by a memorable few months with one of my favorite teams at the time, the St. Louis Blues. Though he was far removed from the days of 92 goals or 215 points, this thirtysomething version of Gretzky still had the ability to dazzle with that old magic.
Which brings us to Gretzky’s free agency in the summer of 1996 — exactly 30 years ago today. After giving up three players and two picks for No. 99, it was expected that St. Louis would bring Gretzky back for another go-round with pals Brett Hull and Grant Fuhr. But the Blues were run by “Iron” Mike Keenan — meaning the team first offered Gretzky an in-season extension and then pulled it after the playoffs in favor of a lesser offer (which, of course, the Great One rejected). One thing led to another, and before you knew it, Gretzky had signed a 2-year contract with the New York Rangers.
The deal had a lot of promise. It reunited Gretzky with former Oilers teammate Mark Messier, and both were coming off seasons with at least 95 Adjusted Points in 1995-96. Both also starred in an NHL on FOX ad that cast the pair as an Odd Couple living on the Upper East Side — about 55 blocks uptown, and across town, from Madison Square Garden:
New York needed Gretzky’s playmaking, while Gretzky craved another shot at the Cup. And he would certainly get one of those — even if the Rangers’ championship window slammed shut almost immediately after No. 99’s first season on Broadway.
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Both Gretzky and the Rangers were at a crossroads by the summer of 1996.