Very interesting indeed. The question then becomes do the Rangers win the Cup in 1994 without Messier? Also if Gretzky stays with Edmonton, do they win more than the 1 Cup they won in 1990? Also does a Messier-led Kings team make it to the finals in 1993? A very interesting topic indeed.
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Exhibit A as to how hockey doesn't matter on ESPN:
Last night an ESPN program was discussing how the Detroit Pistons needed a hero citing the heroes on the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Lions and no mention of the Detroit Red Wings. All this despite the Red Wings probably being the most succesful team in Detroit right now.
Whats funny is, Is that in his autobiography Phil Esposito said the Oilers were trying to blow the team up as early as 1987. Right after Coffey left Espo acquired Messier but the garden refused to give the money that Pocklington wanted. I wonder what happens if Messier comes to NY five years early.
It would probably have been Messier for the "aging" Nicholls. Edmonton fan would have complained that they didn't get Carson, until they saw Nicholls/Gretzky/Kurri on the PP.
Edmonton wins more Cups, no disrespect to Messier, but you've still got Wayne Gretzky on your team with no worse than Nicholls coming the other way and maybe a draft pick.
Very interesting indeed. The question then becomes do the Rangers win the Cup in 1994 without Messier? Also if Gretzky stays with Edmonton, do they win more than the 1 Cup they won in 1990? Also does a Messier-led Kings team make it to the finals in 1993? A very interesting topic indeed.
Is Messier still considered an all-time great leader if he goes to LAK and never wins in 90 or 94?
Would have Gretz and EDM met Mario and PIT in the finals?
That one trade altered 3/4 of a decade of the NHL.
The Oilers likely wouldn't have been able to acquire Petr Klima, Joe Murphy, and Adam Graves from Detroit had they not had Jimmy Carson. Petr Klima became a clutch player in 1990 for the Oilers and they put Graves and Murphy with Gelinas to form the Kid Line that also played well. But it's also likely that they could still capture a Stanley Cup with Gretzky in 1990 considering the chemistry he had with Jari Kurri.
Something else to consider: would the game of hockey grow as quickly as it did during the 90s had Gretzky stayed in Edmonton? Probably not.
How do things turn out if EDM trades 11 instead of 99?
I could have still bought $5 student tickets... 20 at a time.
After Gretzky came to town, the Forum sold out instantly (the entire season). For several years, the only way I got to see Kings games at the Forum was to buy tix from STHs when they were out of town.
hell, we might be watching NHL hockey right now...
True, and we probably don't see expansion in cities like San Jose, Tampa, Anaheim, Nashville or relocations to Phoenix and Dallas. It seems that as soon as Gretzky moved on to LA, the league gained more traction and attention and within a matter of years they had a ton more national attention throughout the States. This chain of events would never happen with any other player in the NHL.
How do things turn out if EDM trades 11 instead of 99?
How about this - Bettman wouldn't have been hired.
After Bruce McNall's success with the Gretzky-led Kings, when the league was looking for a new commish, they relied heavily on his opinion and he was the main proponent to hiring Bettman.
Bernie Nicholls doesn't score 70 goals and 150 points
Gretzky goes to NYR, Rangers win 2 Cups.
Are we assuming Gretz stays until at least '91 when Mess was shipped out for real, or that he is also traded shortly after Messier thus speeding up the firesale? In case one...Nicholls would probably still have scored 70 except with Edmonton...
True, and we probably don't see expansion in cities like San Jose, Tampa, Anaheim, Nashville or relocations to Phoenix and Dallas. It seems that as soon as Gretzky moved on to LA, the league gained more traction and attention and within a matter of years they had a ton more national attention throughout the States. This chain of events would never happen with any other player in the NHL.
San Jose was mitigation of a relocation attempt by the owners of the Minnesota North Stars. George and Gordon Gund were intent on moving the team to San Jose. They had owned the California Seals, which became the Cleveland Barons. They had, during Cleveland's time, purchased the North Stars as well. The two teams were merged into the Minnesota franchise. The league awarded the Gunds an expansion team in return for transferring the North Stars to a new owner. A dispersal draft of Minnesota's assets was held between the two clubs, and then an expansion draft was held.
Phoenix was the result of a Phoenix-based ownership group purchasing a failing NHL club in Winnipeg. The same can be said of Quebec/Colorado, but with a Denver-based group. This isn't league mandate. Of "southern" teams, Carolina, Dallas, Phoenix, and San Jose were all existing teams (or owners) who chose to move south. That's compared to Atlanta, Florida, Los Angeles, Nashville, and Tampa Bay who all came in brand new.
