Wayne Gretzky Reveals Which Team He Turned Down 25% Ownership
Photo credit: ESPN
Many fans rightfully consider Wayne Gretzky to be the best hockey player ever to grace the ice. However, in light of his recent admissions, when it comes to being a businessman, it turns out he may not be a great one.
Wayne Gretzky Turned Down 25% Ownership Of The Canucks
In an interview he had on the Spittin' Chiclets Podcast late last year, Gretzky revealed that he had received a massive opportunity after winning the Stanley Cup from the owner of the Vancouver Canucks. This would have included an enormous salary increase and a whopping 25% ownership of the team. Despite the colossal upside of this deal, Gretzky turned this offer down.
Gretzky Regrets Refusing Deal With Vancouver
While many NHL fans now are aware of the size of this mistake, it took some time for the Great One to see. He described the deal in great detail, mentioning the total dollar amount increase in his salary. Afterward, he mentioned how dumb he felt, admitting that this was obviously not the smartest decision of his career.
"I talk to Nelson Skalbania all the time, right? He called me at 7 am when we won the Stanley Cup and said 'I'm gonna buy the Vancouver Canucks, I'll give you 25% ownership of the team and 3 million dollars a year,' now the highest-paid player in hockey was me at that time was 800 grand Canadian. I was like you know what Mr Skalbania you know I love you to death but it's not gonna work for me."
Though this is clearly not the highlight of Gretzky's career, he does not need ownership of this team for his legacy to stay standing. Hopefully, it can serve as a lesson for younger players in the league to make sure they grab better opportunities when they can.
| POLL | ||
17 MARS | 211 ANSWERS Wayne Gretzky Reveals Which Team He Turned Down 25% Ownership Would you have taken this deal? | ||
| Yes | 144 | 68.2 % |
| No | 67 | 31.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
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