Originally Posted by Edmonton Sun

August 12, 1988

Telling it like it is

By TERRY JONES
Edmonton Sun

Wayne Gretzky won't get into a war of words with Peter Pocklington. But in this exclusive interview, Janet Jones-Gretzky tells her husband's side of the story.

Janet Jones-Gretzky is not going to let Wayne Gretzky sit silent and go down in hockey history as an egomaniac and the Canadian treasure who turned traitor.

"Peter Pocklington is the reason Wayne Gretzky is no longer an Edmonton Oiler." she told The Edmonton Sun.

"The key to everything that happened was an event five days after our wedding. Pocklington gave Los Angeles Kings' owner Bruce McNall permission to take Wayne if he could do it.
"And that did it!"

Pocklington almost got away with keeping the Gretzkys quiet. But Pocklington's published comments about Gretzky having an ego the size of Manhattan and his suggestion that Gretzky's press conference tears were all an act was the final straw.

"I never intended to talk. But let's talk," said Janet. "The story of the trade as presented by Peter Pocklington is false. Pocklington is the reason Wayne's gone. `To see Wayne hurt like this hurts me. That's why I'm making the call to you. But everything is getting out of hand.' "I know the real story. I know the whole story. I know Wayne didn't deserve any of this. He wouldn't let Edmonton fans, Canada and, most important, his teammates down without good reason."

Gretzky's bride picked up the telephone and placed a call to this sports columnist early yesterday morning to volunteer the entire story.
"Wayne speaks from his heart. People who aren't good at lying aren't good at lying. The tears that came out were not all an act."
"To see Wayne hurt like this hurts me. That's why I'm making the call to you," said Janet. "But everything is really getting out of hand."

The following story is how it really happened, said Janet Jones. "The day after the Stanley Cup, Pocklington told Wayne about an offer from Vancouver. Nelson Skalbania called. Wayne said to Pocklington, `I can't believe you coming up to me with this the day after we won the Cup.'

"It was obvious Peter did not have Wayne's backing and he backed out of the Vancouver deal. "Before the wedding, Wayne had heard to many rumors about being traded and sold - Vancouver, Detroit, Los Angeles. He was hearing them from everywhere. `I brought my car to Edmonton and we had every intention of living the rest of our lives in Edmonton...'

"Wayne asked Pocklington about the rumors. He told Wayne there was nothing to them. `Come into my office and we'll talk about it,' Pocklington said. "Wayne told me, `Janet, all the rumors are false.' This was before the wedding. I brought my car to Edmonton and we had every intention of living the rest of our lives in Edmonton and spending time in Los Angeles in Wayne's off-season and when we could."

The key to it all came just five days after the wedding, says Janet. "Five days after the wedding, Wayne received the call from Bruce McNall.

"McNall told Wayne that he talked to Pocklington and Peter had told him, `If you can swing him over, you've got him.' "Wayne was as shocked at that moment as everybody in Edmonton must now be shocked. Pocklington and Glen Sather were on a fishing trip in the Arctic and they had Bruce McNall place that call.

`You play for a man for 10 years and he doesn't even have the courtesy to call you and tell you what is happening.' "Wayne couldn't believe it. He said, `This is crazy!' "That's where it all happened. Wayne saw the writing right there. You're sold. You're out of here. "The moment that call came, everything changed. It was a whole different ball game.

"Wayne's reaction was, `You've done WHAT?'"

"Think about it. Another owner calls you and tells you that. There was no call from Pocklington. You play for a man for 10 years and he doesn't even have the courtesy to call you and tell you what is happening. To get a phone call, out of the blue, from another owner on your honeymoon...

"Five days after the wedding, Wayne had no intention of leaving the Edmonton Oilers."

Janet says she has been lined up as the scapegoat since that day. "One of the first things that Pocklington said to Bruce McNall was, `Let's have Janet take the heat.' That's pure fact! That's what was said!

"Wayne said, `I'll take the heat. If this is the way I'm going to be treated, I'm not going to go back and play for that man.'"

Gretzky's new bride says she can't sit and watch the story go down the way it has been going down. "It's tearing Wayne up. He's sick about it. Watching him take all the heat at the press conference...it wasn't him at all!"

`You don't make deals for $18 million to satisfy Wayne Gretzky's wife. If this is to help my movie career, I wouldn't be expecting a child at this time.'

Janet said Wayne talked to Paul Coffey for advice. "He asked Paul how it felt and what went through his head when he left the Oilers. They talked about how you feel when an organization treats you like that." Janet says it's obvious Pocklington did it for the money.

"I'll tell you one thing. You don't make deals for $18 million to satisfy Wayne Gretzky's wife. If this is to help my movie career, I wouldn't be expecting a child at this time.

"The sad thing is that I really took a liking to Eva (Pocklington's wife). I don't want to say anything to hurt her. The last thing I ever wanted to do was talk. "I'm overwhelmed by this. I've been called Jezebel and Yoko Ono. I kind of expected that. I expected to take some heat that way. But it hurts. It gets to your heart."

Janet says she wants people to understand a few things.

"Wayne definitely wanted his son or daughter to be born in Canada. I had every intention of finding a doctor up there. "So much of what has been suggested is not true. It gets to your stomach. Edmonton meant so much to Wayne. Wayne's pride in being a Canadian is unbelievable. And you can't believe his pride in the City of Edmonton. He's still in shock.

"This has all caused a lot of stress. Wayne is so emotionally upset about it and it's so unfortunate to have all this happen on our honeymoon."

The bottom line?

"I guess Wayne thinks he made the right decision with the comments Pocklington has chosen to make. If that's the way the guy thinks, why would you want to work for him?"

Originally Posted by Janet Jones

The tears that came out were not all an act.