ST. LOUIS — Wayne Gretzky's stint with the St. Louis Blues was short but had an impact on both his career and the franchise's history.
On Feb. 27, 1996, the Blues acquired Wayne Gretzky from the Los Angeles Kings. In the trade, the Blues sent a fifth-round pick in 1996, a first-round pick in 1997, Craig Johnson, Patrice Tardif and Roman Vopat to the Kings.
When Gretzky joined the roster, he was immediately named the team's captain and showed St. Louis why he was named "The Great One."
He scored 21 points in 18 games with the Blues in the regular season and the team would make the playoffs with a 32-34-16 record.
Gretzky added 16 points in 13 playoff games before the Blues lost in Game 7 of the conference semifinals to the Detroit Red Wings.
Heading into the offseason, Gretzky's stint with the Blues came to an end. He would go on to decline a three-year deal worth $15 million from the Blues and sign with the New York Rangers on a two-year $8 million contract. Gretzky would be reunited with his longtime teammate with the Edmonton Oilers, Mark Messier. He would go on to play his final three seasons with the Rangers.
Wayne Gretzky played just 31 games of his 1,695 career games (regular season and playoffs) as a St. Louis Blue.
He has remained a popular figure in the St. Louis area and many have donned a Gretzky jersey at Enterprise Center over the years.
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