[1][2] On August 9, 1988, in a move that drastically changed the dynamics of the NHL, the Oilers traded Gretzky (along with Marty McSorley and Mike Krushelnyski) to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas, $15 million in cash and the Kings' first-round draft picks in 1989 (Jason Miller), 1991 (Martin Rucinsky) and 1993 (Nick Stajduhar).
"The Trade", as it came to be known,[3] upset Canadians to the extent that New Democratic Party House Leader Nelson Riis demanded that the government block it[4] and Peter Pocklington was burned in effigy.
On October 6, 1988, Wayne Gretzky made his debut as a member of the Los Angeles Kings in a game against the Detroit Red Wings.
[6] In Gretzky's first season with the Kings, he led the team in scoring with 168 points on 54 goals and 114 assists, and won his ninth Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's Most Valuable Player.
The Kings, who then played their home games at the Great Western Forum, named Gretzky their captain (a position he held until his trade to St. Louis in 1996) and boasted numerous sellouts on their way to reaching the 1989 playoffs.