Terrace hockey writer and researcher Joe Pelletier's just-published "The Greatest Hockey Trades of All Time" is a meticulously researched and well-curated ode to one of the most exciting parts about North American hockey.
"Every fan loves hockey trades. It's such a big part of being a fan," said Pelletier.
The trade that inspired the book was the Toronto Maple Leafs acquiring renowned defenceman King Clancy in 1930.
"It's such an important trade that still to this day, it affects how the Maple Leafs are one of the most important franchises in all of sports," Pelletier said. "Without that trade, they never would have gotten Maple Leaf Gardens built. It was the starting point of them being a true juggernaut in the world of pro sports."
The Maple Leaf Gardens was home to the Leafs for 68 seasons and it all began from that one trade.
The book is separated into sections. It begins with the 10 most important trades in history, then the real blockbusters, franchise by franchise, more notable trades, and sections about potential trades that did not happened and an odd trade.
Pelletier dedicates the end of the book to the hockey player who was traded for a bus, Tom Martin. Martin was a left winger who appeared in 92 NHL games and played pro hockey for seven years, but his biggest claim to fame happened in junior hockey when he was traded to the Victoria Cougar of the Western Hockey League in exchange for a used bus.
"It might have been the best deal I ever made," joked Breakers' owner John Hamilton.
"I heard the bus was a really nice," said Martin, a couple of years later.
A notable potential trade was Wayne Gretzky to the Vancouver Canucks around the time that Gretzky was traded to the Los Angeles Kings in 1988. Peter Pocklington, former owner of the Edmonton Oilers, wanted $25 million in cash, goaltender Kirk McLean, left winger Greg Adams and three first-round draft picks in exchange for The Great One. Brian Burke, the Canucks' director of hockey operations, said he would have loved to have him on the team, but the the franchise could not afford the cash.
"I'm a hockey fan. I follow all teams as much as I can, but I'm a Canucks fan," said Pelletier.
Among his favourite Canucks trades is the one in 1983 trade where the team exchanged left winger Curt Fraser to the Chicago Blackhawks for left winger Tony Tanti, who was his favourite player growing up.
Others include the trade for goalie Roberto Luongo from the Florida Panthers. That took them to the next level of competitiveness, said Pelletier.
He also admires the number of trades involved in securing the second and third draft picks to select Henrik and Daniel Sedin in 1999.
"It was such a fascinating amount of work they had to do. It was a big gamble at the time and obviously it paid off," he said of that transaction.
Pelletier has written for the NHL and Hockey Canada. He is also a hockey consultant for the Canadian Museum of History in Ottawa.
His latest book is available for purchase at Misty River Books and Sonny's Collectables in Terrace and on Amazon.
He has previously published four hockey books, including ones about the history of Canucks hockey, as well as the history of international hockey. They are available on Amazon.
