In September 2012, Lynden Dorval, a physics teacher in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, was fired for giving students a mark of zero for work that wasn’t handed in or tests not taken (CBC). It went against the school’s policy of not giving students zeroes, apparently, at Ross Sheppard High (and I’m sure at some other schools around the world).
Well, talk about STUPID school policies!
If you were Canadian and alive on August 9, 1988, your life stopped at least for a little while, if not got changed entirely. I know my life got changed entirely. That was the day the Edmonton Oilers traded the greatest NHL player ever, to an American team, in the same division. It was the trade of the century, without a doubt.
Over 20 years later, ESPN produced a phenomenal documentary on that trade called Kings Ransom, as part of their fabulous 30 for 30 series of documentaries. It puts a lot of new perspective and filled in a lot of gaps to the story. Also, with time, we could follow all the story lines to their conclusions, some of which were quite surprising, from the destinies of Peter Pocklington and Bruce McNall, to Wayne himself, his marriage, and what he has done for hockey in the US, especially California area, as well as hockey in Canada and hockey as a business.
It was too bad this documentary hasn’t gotten more buzz in Canada.
Below is the documentary in 4 video clips posted by a YouTube user called HockeyWebCaster. Thanks for posting.
I hope you enjoy and recommend to others who may be interested.
I cried a lot that day when Wayne was traded. Watching this documentary, I did it again. I wonder what the guy next to me on the Air Canada flight to San Francisco thought. 
The Edmonton Oilers have just been award the #1 overall pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.
If you were in their management, who would you pick?
Someone else?
Trade the pick away?
Beg Gretzky to return?
Do share a thought if you’ve got one in the poll below. I’ve listed the top 5 scouting picks.
.
.
The rest of the lottery picks panned out as follows. Just as the odds had it.
# 2 -Boston Bruins
# 3 – Florida Panthers
# 4 – Columbus Blue Jackets
# 5 – New York Islanders
The way the NHL lottery rules are, there isn’t much of a lottery. If you had to play the lottery that way, you probably wouldn’t ever bother.
It’s been a pretty dismal season for the Edmonton Oilers, and this fan. I’ve been a fan since the 1980s when I came to Canada and, being a little guy, was thrilled that a little guy could succeed so well. Gretzky has been my inspiration ever since. The way the Oilers are going, putting the Great One back in uniform couldn’t hurt them!
