When Wayne Gretzky's wife Janet made her feelings known about being blamed for The Great One's shocking trade from Oilers

NHL legend Wayne Gretzky had an exceptional nine-year tenure with the Edmonton Oilers, where he came to be known as "The Great One."

Gretzky set numerous records in an Oilers jersey, including three historic 200-point seasons and a 92-goal season. However, months after leading Edmonton to its fourth Stanley Cup championship in five years, a shocking event unfolded.

On Aug. 9, 1988, "The Great One" was traded from the Oilers to the LA Kings in a blockbuster deal that stunned the hockey world and devastated Canadian fans. In Canada, the trade was perceived as a national tragedy, with fans and media seeking someone to blame.

Janet Jones, the American actress and Wayne Gretzky's new wife, became a primary target. Many speculated that she had pushed Gretzky to move to Los Angeles to advance her Hollywood career.

Some media outlets even branded her "hockey's Yoko Ono," likening her to the figure blamed for breaking up The Beatles, and radio stations called her a "blonde Jezebel."

In response, Janet Jones addressed the criticism in an August 1988 interview with the Los Angeles Times. She said if people wanted to blame her and use her as an excuse for the trade, she had no issues with it.

"Until people really know the real story—which some people will never know—our family and our friends know the real story...," she began, but didn’t finish the sentence. “There were so many factors to this story, but if people want to blame me and use me as an excuse, that's all right."

Janet also defended Gretzky, pointing out that then-Oilers owner Peter Pocklington's financial motives, not her influence, drove the trade, and dismissed claims that the deal was made to boost her acting career.

"(Oilers owner Peter) Pocklington is the reason Wayne's gone," Janet told a reporter for the Edmonton Sun by phone. "You don’t make deals for $18 million to satisfy Wayne Gretzky’s wife. If this is to help my movie career, I wouldn’t be expecting a child at this time.

"I brought my car to Edmonton, and we had every intention of living the rest of our lives in Edmonton and spending time in Los Angeles in Wayne’s offseason when we could."

One of the biggest reasons why Gretzky's trade narrative intensified was that his departure from the Oilers to the Kings occurred just 24 days after their wedding.

Wayne Gretzky's trade from Edmonton Oilers to LA Kings was driven by multiple factors

According to multiple sources, Edmonton Oilers owner Peter Pocklington faced financial difficulties due to his struggling business ventures and Wayne Gretzky's contract, which a small market like Edmonton couldn't sustain at the time.

Pocklington claimed Gretzky approached him with the trade idea, while "The Great One" maintained he was initially informed of the trade rumors by his father, Walter, shortly after the 1988 Stanley Cup.

As part of the deal, Gretzky’s teammates Marty McSorley and Mike Krushelnyski were also included in the trade, with “The Great One” ultimately agreeing to the move after a conversation with Kings owner Bruce McNall during his honeymoon.

Wayne Gretzky spent eight seasons with the Kings, appearing in 539 games and collecting 918 points (246 goals and 672 assists).