By virtue of his heroics at Northlands Coliseum, he remains the city’s favourite son.
Which is why the bronze statue of Gretzky hoisting the Stanley Cup that sits outside Edmonton’s ice palace is as recognizable in this city as the monuments to Bobby Orr in Boston and the Babe in the Bronx. It is more than a statue, it is a piece of history and a part of the emotional landscape.
And no wonder its future whereabouts is cause for deliberation.
The city, which owns the statue, is hammering out an agreement for a new arena with the Katz Group, which owns a lot of things, including the Oilers. But forget about the rink. To many, a bigger question is what to do with Wayne.
Should his statue be left at Northlands? Should it be moved to the new downtown arena? Is there some more creative solution that can be brokered?
For his part, Gretzky is opting not to enter the debate.
“I’m truly honoured that the City of Edmonton chose to erect a statue in my honour, and I certainly respect their decision on whether or not to move it. I’m behind whatever decision they make 100 per cent.”
“Maybe there should be two,” says Paul Coffey, a Hall of Fame defenceman who won Stanley Cups as Gretzky’s teammate in 1984, 1985 and 1987 before being traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Officially, the city says it has not yet considered where to put the statue, which was forged by the late John Weaver and installed in 1989. But fans are debating it, and other interested parties are beginning to wade in.
“The only thing that matters is now,” one fan writes on a website called Connect2Edmonton.ca. “Winning cups 30 years ago does not pay the rent today.”
“The statue is not about living in the past, it’s about commemorating a great player Edmontonians were lucky enough to call one of us,” another argues. “Remembering what was, is just as important as what is now.”
Patrick LaForge, president and chief operating officer of the Oilers, heartily agrees with the latter sentiment.
“When I think back to that time, I think, ‘Good God, we won four Stanley Cups in five years,’ and then think about the skinny kid who led the charge,” LaForge says. “There is only one Wayne, and I think he belongs wherever the hockey team is.
“His statue captures the greatest memories of people at a time when I think everyone in Edmonton stood an inch or two taller.”
The only player to break the 200-point mark in a single NHL season, Gretzky was selected the league’s most valuable player for eight consecutive years. He is so beloved in the City of Champions that some fans have their ashes deposited at the foot of the towering, 15-foot statue that stands outside Rexall Place.
Jodi Tauber, a spokeswoman for the city’s arena project, said she understands how important the statue is.
“We know it is on people’s minds,” she says. “It is a local landmark. When I arrange to meet people, I arrange to meet them at the Gretzky statue.”
Cathy Kiss, vice-president of communications and government relations for Northlands, the non-profit organization that operates Rexall Place, says the group wants to be part of any discussions that take place involving the statue.
“He was certainly a huge part of the city and the Oilers, and a huge part of his career was played in our building.” Kiss says. “Having the statue out front is such a key piece for us.
“Edmontonians have such a connection to him. He still resonates with people.”
If the city decides two Waynes are better than one, the sculptor’s son, Henry Weaver, says that can be arranged. The mould still exists.
If the decision is made to move it downtown, that can be done, too.
“I see no problem with that, statues are moved all of the time,” Weaver says. “It just takes a little care and preparation.
“I think Wayne may just be standing there on bolts. If that is the case, we could put straps underneath his arms and lift him out of there with a crane. You wouldn’t need dynamite.”
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