The Time When Wayne Gretzky Almost Became a Winnipeg Jet

Published on June 15th, 2025 4:39 pm EST
Written By: Dave Manuel


The greatest player in NHL history almost wore a different jersey. And no - not the Kings, not the Blues, and not the Rangers. Before he ever stepped onto the ice for the Edmonton Oilers, Wayne Gretzky was this close to becoming a Winnipeg Jet.

Before Gretzky tore up NHL records, he was a teenage phenom navigating the chaos of the World Hockey Association. In 1978, the NHL wouldn't touch underage players. Gretzky, just 17, was too young to be drafted. So he turned to the WHA, where the rules were loose and the money - if you could find it - was better.

He signed with the Indianapolis Racers, owned by flamboyant businessman Nelson Skalbania. But the Racers were hemorrhaging cash. After just eight games - yes, eight - Skalbania looked to offload his most valuable asset.

That's when things got interesting.

Skalbania needed a buyer. Fast. Multiple WHA teams were interested, but one of them, the Winnipeg Jets, had a championship roster already in place. Adding Gretzky would've taken them to another level.

Jets owner Michael Gobuty was all-in. He flew down to Indianapolis. At one point, he reportedly challenged Skalbania to a game of backgammon, wagering Gretzky's contract on the outcome. Gobuty says he won, and left believing a deal was done.

But before anything was signed, Gobuty checked in with Jets GM Rudy Pilous. Pilous wasn't convinced.

"He's too skinny," Pilous allegedly said. "They'll kill him."

Just like that, the Jets passed.

With Winnipeg stepping back, Skalbania turned to Peter Pocklington, owner of the Edmonton Oilers. Pocklington didn't blink. He ponied up around $700,000 to acquire Gretzky - along with goalie Eddie Mio and forward Peter Driscoll.

More importantly, he signed Gretzky to a 21-year personal services contract. That kind of long-term bet scared other owners. Not Pocklington.

Oilers coach Glen Sather backed it 100 percent: "Whatever you have to do, get him."

Gretzky later recalled the surreal feeling of being traded as a teenager:

"I was probably really overwhelmed... I wasn't ready to be the guy you build a team around at 17."

The trip to Edmonton was pure WHA drama. Gretzky, Driscoll, and Mio flew north on a tiny Learjet, their bags spilling out of the hold. When they landed, the crew asked, "Who's paying for this?" Mio whipped out his credit card and covered the $10,000 tab.

Imagine Gretzky skating with Bobby Hull in Winnipeg. Imagine a loaded Jets team led by a generational playmaker, just as the WHA folded into the NHL. It almost happened.

Instead, the Oilers became a juggernaut. Four Cups. A dozen Hall of Famers. A run that defined 1980s hockey.

The Jets? They joined the NHL too - but without the guy who could've changed their entire future.

Sometimes the biggest moves in sports are the ones that never happen.

And in Winnipeg, this one still stings.