Flanked By Real Enforcers

I don't think anyone would be surprised to know there's a statue of Wayne Gretzky in Edmonton. Of course, Gretzky won four Stanley Cups in the city with the Oilers, he was heralded as a hockey god for the records he set and success he had in the city, and he helped to put Edmonton on the sports map as the "City of Champions". The only problems was that he was traded in 1988 to the Los Angeles Kings, ruining what some may have felt was an undeniable chance to hoist multiple Stanley Cups for years to come. I'm not here to talk about the trade today, but the events surrounding that statue of Gretzky that currently sits inside Rogers Place in Edmonton where all can see The Great One immortalized in bronze.

On August 27, 1989, the bronze statue was unveiled at the old Northlands Coliseum after being designed by sculptor John Weaver, who worked for the Smithsonian Institute in Washington and the Alberta Provincial Museum. It weighs 950lbs. and stands in at a whopping 9'2" tall, and the work to get this bronzed Gretzky was paid for by Molson Breweries who gifted the statue to the city of Edmonton. From there, the statue stood in front of the old arena with Gretzky holding that replica Stanley Cup high in the air.

That's where we'll drop everyone in on the fun. Check out the details of this statue unveiling and tribute to Gretzky below!

Having never been Prime Minister in the country, it's astounding to me that Gretzky would have five SWAT team members guarding him, his wife, Janet, and daughter, Paulina, around the clock while he was honoured inside Northlands Coliseum and for his stay in Edmonton. Those five men volunteered as well, so they didn't see a dime of pay from the city of Edmonton. Adding to that, another 10-15 SWAT team members would be in the crowd of 14,000 people who paid 99 cents to see Gretzky be honoured by the Oilers and the city of Edmonton.

Were things really that crazy back in 1989 that he needed 24-hour protection in the city where he was worshipped for his scoring talents? What the heck was going on in Edmonton to warrant that?

Look, I get that people can have devotion to their teams that runs deep, but if the city is posting SWAT team members with a former player who returns to be honoured for all he did in the game and in the community we might have hit a critical stupidity point. We see it today on social media where people threaten players and their families and loved ones, and that's a line that not only cannot be crossed, but shouldn't even creep over the horizon for a fan.

For the record, Wayne Gretzky and his family were fine during their time in Edmonton, and perhaps this was the local officials being overzealous in their protection of Gretzky following the trade that shook the nation one year earlier. He shed a few tears in seeing the statue of himself, and he spoke with graciousness and humbleness that one expected of Gretzky during that era. At no point during the ceremony did it seem like he was in any danger of any sort thankfully.

I know Gretzky played his best hockey while flanked by guys who protected him like Semenko, McSorley, Messier, and McClelland, but to see him assigned real enforcers - guys who were instructed to ensure his and his family's safety by any means necessary - when he's coming back to be honoured by Edmonton for everything he did in and around the city, that's just something I never thought I'd read.

Keep your devotion in check, folks. After all, it's just a game.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!