Under the heading of "where were you when"...

[Big Easy Pens Fan]

So where were you on this day, 08/09 in the year 1988 when Wayne Gretzky was traded. Sorta like with Kennedy and Elvis, you pretty much remember where were you on this day in '88. And in my case it was like I was sitting right next to the fire because the familyand I were in Alberta, CA that day vacationing in the Canadian Rockies. We were driving along the Icefields Parkway between Banff and Jasper and no matter what radio station you tuned in to the only thing you heard was the gnashing of teeth, the disbelief and the despair that Wayne had been traded. The guy was a national treasure in Canada and all of a sudden he was being traded (in his absolute prime) to the LA Kings in the USofA for the (in today's market, paltry) sum of $15 million and some undistinguished players almost no one had ever heard of...at that time or since. 25 years. Has it really been that long now? In hindsight, this trade really helped the sport of hockey in general and the NHL in particular.

So, if you are old enough and a hockey fan back then, where were you that day and how did you feel about this.

BEPF

[Sam's Drunk Dog]

I can't remember. I had just turned 7 years old.

[Big Easy Pens Fan]

I can't remember. I had just turned 7 years old.

LOL. That's okay. I'm sure Sid doesn't remember it either. He was only 1 year and 2 days old.

BEPF

[ExPatriatePen]

I was probably putting in another 90 hour week and didn't find out about it for a couple of days.

1985-1989 was pretty much a blur for me. I kept a log back then and it shows that I worked an average of 78 hours a week at LSI in RIDC west in those days.

I remember, more than once, going to a hockey game and falling asleep between periods.

[columbia]

It was pretty shocking at the time, but now just sort of blends in with the other 100,000 or so memories of life.
I guess that means I'm jaded?

[ExPatriatePen]

It was pretty shocking at the time, but now just sort of blends in with the other 100,000 or so memories of life.
I guess that means I'm jaded?

I don't think so... to me, it didn't effect me personally. As a fan of the Pens during Marios "hayday", Gretz was respected but not revered.

However, I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when the Pens won the Crosby lottery.

[the wicked child]

I can't remember. I had just turned 7 years old.

It was the day before I turned 8, so I'm in the same boat. My earliest hockey memories are from 89 because I went to my first 2 games that year.

[Kaizer]

didnt even know what hockey was

[ExPatriatePen]

didnt even know what hockey was

futball on ice...

[Beveridge]

didnt even know what hockey was

Same. And my dad always tells me when I was about 4 and went to my first hockey game I asked if they weren't letting the one guy play.

Spoiler:

Apparently I asked this as one team was attacking in the offensive zone and the goalie looked lonely.

[GSdrums87]

I was negative three.

[Idoit40fans]

I was living in Japan at the time. Didn't know hockey existed.

[Pitts]

I can't remember. I had just turned 7 years old.

I was 23 and don't remember. That was during a section of my life that is quite foggy to recall.

[JS©]

I was 15 so I was probably skating miniramp during the day...and probably the night too.

I didn't remember him being part of the Kings until the season started.

[canaan]

I was living in Japan at the time. Didn't know hockey existed.

really?

[Idoit40fans]

No.

[canaan]

No.

you got me.