Peter Pocklington

The man who traded Gretzky and built a dynasty.

Peter Hugh Pocklington (born November 18, 1941) is a Canadian entrepreneur. He was known among North American hockey fans as 'Peter Puck', an entrepreneur from oil-rich Alberta who was also the owner of the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Edmonton Oilers from 1976 to 1998, running the team during its dynasty years from 1983 to 1990. He earned the enmity of many Canadians when he traded hockey's greatest player, Wayne Gretzky, to the Los Angeles Kings.

Quick Facts

Born: 18 November 1941
Birthplace: Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
Occupation: Entrepreneur
Spouse: Eva
Known for: Owner of the Edmonton Oilers from 1976 to 1998

Lore & Background

Pocklington bought part ownership of the Edmonton Oilers in 1976. According to his biography, he offered a diamond ring his wife was wearing to dinner as his downpayment. Within a year, Pocklington bought out his partner, Nelson Skalbania. In the fall of 1978, Skalbania offered Pocklington the rights to a 17-year-old phenom Wayne Gretzky. A few months later, Pocklington parlayed the Gretzky signing into a merger between the WHA and the NHL; with this, the Oilers became members of the NHL. Five years later, the Oilers would win their first of five Stanley Cup championships they would capture under Pocklington's ownership.

Reader's Guide

Pocklington was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, to Basil Cohen Pocklington, an insurance executive who had immigrated from England as a young man, and his wife, Eileen (Dempsey), and grew up in London, Ontario. The greatest influence on young Pocklington was the legendary motivational speaker Earl Nightingale and his best-selling recording, The Strangest Secret. One of his earliest business ventures was to find old cars on the farms around his maternal grandparents' home in Carberry, Manitoba, buy them for $25, then ship them to Ontario by train, where he sold them for upwards of $500.

By the time Pocklington was 25, he owned his first car dealership, Westown Ford in Tilbury, Ontario. By 1971, when Pocklington was only 29, he left Ontario and moved west, where he bought Shirley Ford in Edmonton, Alberta. He also had the cash flow to buy Edmonton's fledgling team in the World Hockey Association (WHA), the Edmonton Oilers. Over the next 18 years, Pocklington also owned the Edmonton Trappers, the Edmonton Drillers, the Edmonton Brick Men, and the Kamloops Junior Oilers.

His business empire eventually exceeded $2 billion in sales; massive real estate holdings throughout Alberta and Ontario; Fidelity Trust; Palm Dairies; Canbra Foods; Magic Pantry; Kretschmar Foods; Green Acre Farms; and Gainers. Pocklington was also taken hostage by a gunman who broke into his home. The kidnapper was caught and Pocklington made a full recovery. In 1983, Pocklington entered the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada leadership convention.

He withdrew his candidacy before the second ballot and supported the eventual winner Brian Mulroney. Pocklington was an active philanthropist for many years in Edmonton. In 1998, after selling the Oilers, Pocklington moved to the U.S. with his wife Eva, and settled in Palm Desert, California.

Did You Know?

He campaigned for the Progressive Conservative Party leadership in 1983 on a platform of free trade, privatizing Crown corporations, and a flat tax.
On October 8, 2014, Pocklington received a standing ovation at a reunion of the Oilers' first Stanley Cup championship team.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Peter Pocklington controversial among fans?

His legacy is tarnished by the decision to trade Wayne Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings in 1988. Although he believed it was financially necessary, many supporters feel betrayed by moving the team's greatest icon.

When did Peter Pocklington buy and sell the Oilers?

He acquired the franchise in 1976 and held ownership until selling his controlling interest in 1998. This twenty-two-year tenure covered the expansion era through the peak of their championship run.