The best player on the Edmonton Oilers is leaving the team.
No it’s not Connor McDavid … Sorry, I probably should have rephrased that.
Wayne Gretzky is leaving his position with the Oilers front office to join Turner Sports as part of their NHL coverage beginning next season, according to Andrew Marchand of the New York Post.
— Wayne Gretzky (@WayneGretzky) May 25, 2021
On Tuesday afternoon, less than 12 hours after the Edmonton Oilers had been swept out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Winnipeg Jets, Gretzky announced that he was leaving his position as Vice Chairman of the club. Gretzky had served in the Vice Chairman role since 2016.
Gretzky’s free agency lasted all of maybe five minutes, as reports surfaced that he was heading to Turner Sports to be part of TNT’s coverage of the league, which will begin next season. According to Marchand, Gretzky will be paid around $3M per year to be the lead analyst of TNT’s NHL coverage, per his sources.
Gretzky had been the target for Turner Sports and ESPN as the networks prepare to be the joint broadcast homes of the NHL starting next season and running through the 2027-28 season.