Brett Hull wanted Wayne Gretzky in St. Louis. That didn’t stop him from telling Gretzky to stay away.
Hull laid out the conversation during a talk at the NHL All-Star Game Fan Fair in St. Louis, prefacing it by noting that Gretzky “hates when I tell this story.” The subject was Mike Keenan, then the Blues’ head coach and general manager.
“I love you so much I’m going to tell you not to come here because these guys are idiots,” Hull told him at the time.
Gretzky wasn’t convinced, and argued that Keenan would adjust his approach for a player of his stature. Hull, who had been dealing with Keenan daily, knew better.
“I said no he won’t, I’ve been with this guy. He is crazy,” Hull said.
Why did Wayne Gretzky only play 18 games for the Blues?
By Hull’s account it took 20 days in St. Louis for Gretzky to concede the point. Whatever he concluded privately, the public version took a little longer.
Gretzky arrived from Los Angeles in February 1996 and put up 21 points in 18 regular-season games. Chris Pronger, a rookie on that team, has described the moment he believes finished it: Keenan storming into the dressing room after an 8-3 playoff loss in Detroit and berating every player in the room, Gretzky included.
READ MORE: The hilarious reason Wayne Gretzky played defense as a kid
The Blues pushed Detroit to a Game 7 before losing 1-0 in double overtime. Gretzky signed with the New York Rangers that July, having played 31 games in total for St. Louis across the regular season and playoffs.
Hull’s summary of what the franchise managed to throw away is the best line of the lot.
“Imagine having Babe Ruth come to play for the Cardinals and pissing him off so much he goes and signs with the Cubs? I mean, it’s crazy,” Hull said.
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