Great Trades In Hockey History: The Eric Lindros Trade(s)!

Eric Lindros was the obvious choice for the first selection in the 1991 NHL Entry draft. No player had dominated the Canadian junior hockey scene like Lindros had since the days of Mario Lemieux, or Wayne Gretzky before him, or Bobby Orr before him.

The only problem was the Quebec Nordiques held that coveted selection. Lindros made it quite clear that he did not want to play for the Nordiques, as he did not like their ownership and management groups. Critics suggested he was just a greedy kid who knew he could make more money if he played in the United States. Plus the team was downright awful, the tax laws were unforgiving, and his endorsement potential would be little in a small French town. Despite many lucrative trade offers, the Nords took Lindros first overall. Lindros refused to put the jersey on at the proceedings.

The Nords tried to sign Lindros. They reportedly offered over $50 million over 10 years, to which Lindros responded "If they offered me $100 million, I would not play for them." Clearly it wasn't a money issue for the Big E, who shocked many by turning down such a lucrative contract. "They don't want to win. I don't think everyone in their organization has the same goal: winning the Stanley Cup."

It was obvious that it would not be in the cards. The entire season elapsed before anything would be done to resolve the situation. During that season Lindros played mostly for the Canadian National team. He started the year in the Canada Cup, where he physically dominated NHL competition. He had memorable hits on Joel Otto, Martin Rucinsky and Ulf Sameulsson. He definitely did not look out of place, despite being only 18 years old, and the only non-NHLer to ever represent Canada at that tournament. Lindros also represented Canada the World Junior championships, and the Olympics, where he helped Canada win a silver medal.

Quebec finally dealt Lindros a year after drafting him. Actually, just to complicate the soap opera even more, they traded him twice. They had reached agreements with both the Flyers and the New York Rangers. The Flyers felt an agreement was made, only to have Quebec then go to New York and see if they would up the ante any. They did, and Quebec then agreed to trade Lindros to the Rangers. The Flyers cried foul. The NHL had to call in an arbitrator to settle the dispute. Finally, arbitrator Larry Bertuzzi concluded the deal first reached with Philadelphia was a legally binding agreement.

The Nordiques received defensemen Kerry Huffman and Steve Duchesne, goalie Ron Hextall, forwards Mike Ricci, Chris Simon, and Peter Forsberg, draft picks and cash reportedly in the neighborhood of $10 million US. By the way, the Rangers offer reportedly consisted of Alexei Kovalev, Tony Amonte, Doug Weight, John Vanbiesbrouck, cash and draft picks. Either way, the deal was a blockbuster of the most ridiculous of proportions! In fact even at the time of the deal it looked like the Nords got more for the soon to be rookie Lindros than the Oilers had gotten for trading Wayne Gretzky in his prime.



Lindros was every bit as good as advertised, though injuries plagued him nearly as much as his critics. The Nordiques hit the jackpot with their return, especially in the form of Peter Forsberg. But the city would lose the team to Colorado. The following year the newly renamed Avalanche landed Patrick Roy from Montreal - something that would never have happened had the team stayed in Quebec - and won the Stanley Cup!

Great Trades In Hockey History: The Butch Goring Trade

On March 10th, 1980, New York Islanders GM Bill Torrey traded Billy Harris and Dave Lewis to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Butch Goring.

Torrey thought he was acquiring the second line center his team had been missing, and he had. But in doing so he also set the standard for all trade deadline deals to be judged.

With Goring on board, the Islanders were finally able to forget about a few missteps in previous years and emerge as Stanley Cup champions - for the next four years.

Goring was a major contributor to that dynasty, scoring 27 goals, 35 assists and 62 points in 78 playoff games in those 4 years, and capturing the 1981 Conn Smythe trophy as the Stanley Cup MVP.

Rink Rap With Mick Colageo recently caught a few new Denis Potvin quotes about Goring's importance.

There was an element missing, and I think a lot of it had to do with the combination of maturity, which we recognized at that point, and maybe (playing) a little too uptight,” said Potvin.It wasn’t the newcomer’s point-per-game production that made the trade pay off. It was his effect in the other players.

“Between my brother (Jean) and Butch Goring, we had two of the funniest guys in a dressing room around. That really lightened things up for us,” said Potvin. “One thing I’ll never forget is what Butch did. After a couple of games, he stood up and said, ‘I don’t think you guys realize how much respect everyteam in the league has for you. I don’t think you guys know how good you are.’ Coming from a guy who was 30 years old, it meant a lot to us.”

The Islanders were a bland 29-26-7 at the time of the trade, and arguably the greatest Stanley Cup dynasty ever after it. 

Great Trades In Hockey History: The Frank Mahovlich Trade

There have been some shocking trades in the history of the National Hockey League. No trade was bigger than the Wayne Gretzky trade from Edmonton to Los Angeles. But in 1968, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings shocked the hockey world with the trade of The Big M - Frank Mahovlich.

The Leafs dynasty days of the 1960s were officially behind them with this trade. The Leafs had won the Stanley Cup in 1962, 1963, 1964 and 1967, thanks in large part to a cast of veterans. Father time had finally caught up with those oldtimers, but the true star of the 1960s Maple Leafs still had plenty of hockey left in him. Frank Mahovlich was the handsome superstar of Leafs. Though he was at-times maligned by the Leafs fans and especially coach Imlach, the trade of The Big M was, at the time, nearly as shocking as the Gretzky trade 20 years later.

The Leafs moved Frank Mahovlich, Pete Stemkowski, Garry Unger and the rights to Carl Brewer for Paul Henderson, Floyd Smith and Norm Ullman.

The Leafs move was a desperate attempt to extend the dynasty one more spring, according to The Hockey News as seen above. It did not work. Though Ullman and Henderson in particular went on to solid careers in Toronto, the Maple Leafs began an awkward slide down the standings.

Mahovlich, meanwhile, enjoyed some of his best years personally in Detroit. Playing on a line with Alex Delvecchio and Gordie Howe, he scored 49 goals the next season. But the Wings were never a Stanley Cup threat. Mahovlich did enjoy two more Stanley Cup championships in Montreal, as he was moved to Les Canadiens in 1971, reuniting him with his younger brother Peter.

Here's a great YouTube clip featuring Punch Imlach announcing the trade and the reactions of Frank Mahovlich, Pete Stemkowski, Garry Unger and King Clancy.


And here's a YouTube video clip of the first match between Detroit and Toronto following the big trade.



And, of course, who can forget this monstrosity of a hockey card - the badly cropped head of Frank Mahovlich pasted onto a generic Red Wings player's body!

Great Trades In Hockey History: Wayne Gretzky Trade

It is almost as hard to believe the headline screamed across the world, changing it forever, now as it was back then. On August 9th, 1988 Wayne Gretzky was traded from Edmonton to Los Angeles.

Also See: Alternative Trades: Yzerman? Linden? Leetch?

I remember the day well. I refused to listen to the radio when I first heard it. Still lost in an age of innocence, trading the greatest player in the game was impossible, or at least so I thought. Everyone thought that.

The Oilers had just won their fourth Cup in five years and Gretzky was 27, coming off a year where he put up 40 goals and 149 points in 64 regular season games and 12 goals, 43 points in 19 playoff games. The local radio must have been playing a terrible prank.

After listening to the news reports several times over it finally dawned on me that this was indeed true. Then came the teary eyed press conference followed by the Kings jersey unveiling that cemented a whole new reality in the completely shaken hockey world.

Wayne Gretzky had been traded.

It was probably the biggest trade in the history of sports, or certainly tied with the Babe Ruth transaction. The impact of the move was beyond what anyone could imagine, and is still unfolding.

The NHL went Hollywood and has since gone through immense expansion in US sun belt zones. For a while hockey was even cool in the US, something the rest of the western world already knew though they now craved it even more.

Though Canadians love to accuse these virgin US markets of not being able to support the NHL, in reality grassroots hockey in these parts is now starting to blossom. More kids in America, notably in California and other sunny climes, picked up the game, and now some are starting to make a run at their own NHL dreams.

In Canada, the ramifications were also immense. We all lost a little something when they took Gretzky out of the Canadian prairies. In many ways #99 exemplified the Canadian image: Hard-working and talented yet humble and determined. He wasn’t just a hockey player, he was a national treasure.For many Canadians, the date of August 9th, 1988 marks the date Canada started losing control of hockey, although in reality it was more of an awakening to a long time reality than a beginning.

Hockey quickly became a big business, and the American dollar and entertainment marketplace called the shots. Gretzky was taken. Soon the Stanley Cup would be hoisted in unthinkable cities like Raleigh, Tampa Bay, Dallas and Anaheim. Though it always seemed America remained disinterested in Canada's game, the game was sold out irreversibly starting on the day Canadians learned who Bruce McNall was.

For me personally, the trade helped cement me as a great hockey fan. The trade set up a season full of intrigue every time the Kings played the Oilers. Gretzky and his new team returned to Edmonton on October 20, 1988, and the Great One scored on his first shift. Later that spring, Gretzky and the Kings eliminated the Oilers from the playoffs. On October 15, 1989, Gretzky made his most heroic return visit of all. In front of cheering fans at Northlands Coliseum, he broke Gordie Howe’s NHL all-time points record by scoring his 1,850th and 1,851st point.

Some great memories, indeed. In some ways my awakening allowed me to cherish Gretzky's Hollywood days more so than his younger days when the Oilers were kings. A whole new hockey landscape was created for me. I don't just mean in the old Smythe Division where the Oilers and Kings faced off regularly. I mean it was a complete awakening for me to realize that hockey was a business, and hockey players are businessmen. My innocence may have been lost, and Canada's greatest hero may have flew south, but my love for Canada's game only grew stronger.

Other players involved in the trade:

Jimmy Carson - He was traded for The Great One. Though he had one of the most impressive three year starts in NHL history, he could never live down the trade.

Marty McSorley - Popular Marty McSorley worked hard to shed his goon image and become known as a good player. Then he blew it.

Mike Krushelnyski - When Mike Krushelnyski potted 43 goals in 1984-85, the Oilers thought they finally found a LW to play with Wayne Gretzky.

Martin Gelinas - Martin Gelinas earned a lot of respect for his hard working, honest game. He showed up every night, gave it his all and was a great teammate..

Also see: Whatever Happened To Those Draft Picks?
Also see: They Said It: Quotes From 20 Years Ago
Also see: Hockey In California Pre-Dates Gretzky
Also see: Wayne Gretzky Trivia
Also see: Wayne Gretzky vs. Mario Lemieux

Great Trades In Hockey History: King Clancy

Perhaps no single player had as big an effect of the Toronto Maple Leafs franchise than did Francis "King" Clancy.

"King," a nickname inherited from his equally outstanding athletic father (a football star), joined the Ottawa Senators at the young age of 18, and soon became a regular. He quickly established himself as one of the NHL's elite. Playing along sign George Boucher, Clancy helped the Sens win Stanley Cups in 1924 and 1927.

Despite being an imp of a hockey player at just 5'7" and 150 pounds, Clancy was an electrifying on- ice presence. As wonderful a skater and stickhandler as he was, King was equally vigorous without the puck. When he reigned as one of the NHL's best blue liners with the old Senators, everyone admired him..

One of Clancy's biggest admirers was Conn Smythe, the architect of the Maple Leafs. Clancy aggressively pursued the acquisition of this player more than any other, as he knew that no other player could have such an impact on his new Maple Leafs team. Smythe, a celebrated gambler, took a big chance in the minds of most when he traded away Eric Pettinger, Art Smith and $35,000 cash (much of the money raised on a long shot bet in a horse race) in exchange for Clancy in October of 1931. It was the biggest deal in hockey history at the time. The financially troubled Sens jumped at the deal as the Great Depression was in full swing, but the team was never the same on the ice.

The Leafs were vastly improved with the pugnacious yet charismatic Clancy on their blue line. Much like the Wayne Gretzky trade to Los Angeles many years later, Clancy brought excitement and success to Toronto and set the standards for excellence for decades to come. He instilled a winning attitude complete with a Stanley Cup championship - the franchise's first while known as Maple Leafs - in 1932.

Clancy was the most celebrate Leaf ever. On St. Patrick's Day 1934, the team honoured him in a game against the New York Rangers. He was brought onto the ice in a special float. He wore a fake white beard and regal robes only to remove them and reveal a rare all-green Leafs sweater with a four-leaf clover on the back. He wore the sweater for the first period of the game before the Rangers complained about the different coloured jersey on the ice.

Clancy went on to a lifetime of work for the Leafs, serving as a coach and executive. Curiously, later in life he became known more as Harold Ballard's mercurial side kick rather than as what he truly was - one of the greatest hockey players of all time.