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30 for 30

Kings Ransom

  • Episode aired Oct 6, 2009
  • 53m
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
1.4K
YOUR RATING
S1.E1
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Kings Ransom (2009)
  • Documentary
  • Biography
  • History
Peter Berg's documentary on Wayne Gretzky, his decision to leave Edmonton for Los Angeles, and that decision's effects on hockey and its fans.Peter Berg's documentary on Wayne Gretzky, his decision to leave Edmonton for Los Angeles, and that decision's effects on hockey and its fans.Peter Berg's documentary on Wayne Gretzky, his decision to leave Edmonton for Los Angeles, and that decision's effects on hockey and its fans.
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
1.4K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Peter Berg
  • Stars
    • Peter Berg
    • Walter Gretzky
    • Wayne Gretzky
Top credits
  • Director
    • Peter Berg
  • Stars
    • Peter Berg
    • Walter Gretzky
    • Wayne Gretzky
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 3User reviews
    • 7Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos

    Kings Ransom (2009)
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    Top cast

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    Peter Berg
    Peter Berg
    • Selfas Self
    Walter Gretzky
    • Selfas Self
    Wayne Gretzky
    Wayne Gretzky
    • Selfas Self
    Jim Hill
    • Selfas Self
    • (archive sound)
    Janet Jones
    Janet Jones
    • Selfas Self
    • (as Janet Jones Gretzky)
    Jim Matheson
    • Selfas Self
    Bruce McNall
    • Selfas Self
    Marty McSorley
    • Selfas Self
    Bob Miller
    • Selfas Self
    Gord Miller
    • Selfas Self
    • (archive footage)
    Rod Phillips
    • Selfas Self
    Peter Pocklington
    • Selfas Self
    Luc Robitaille
    Luc Robitaille
    • Selfas Self
    Glen Sather
    Glen Sather
    • Selfas Self
    Pierce Brosnan
    Pierce Brosnan
    • Selfas Self
    • (archive footage)
    • (uncredited)
    John Candy
    John Candy
    • Selfas Self
    • (archive footage)
    • (uncredited)
    Paul Coffey
    Paul Coffey
    • Selfas Self
    • (archive footage)
    • (uncredited)
    Kevin Costner
    Kevin Costner
    • Selfas Self
    • (archive footage)
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Peter Berg
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

    Storyline

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    On August 9, 1988, the NHL was forever changed with the single stroke of a pen. The Edmonton Oilers, fresh off their fourth Stanley Cup victory in five years, signed a deal that sent Wayne Gretzky, a Canadian national treasure and the greatest hockey player ever to play the game, to the Los Angeles Kings in a multi-player, multi-million dollar deal. As bewildered Oiler fans struggled to make sense of the unthinkable, fans in Los Angeles were rushing to purchase season tickets at a rate so fast it overwhelmed the Kings box office. Overnight, a franchise largely overlooked in its 21-year existence was suddenly playing to sellout crowds and standing ovations, and a league often relegated to "little brother" status exploded from 21 teams to 30 in less than a decade. Acclaimed director Peter Berg presents the captivating story of the trade that knocked the wind out of an entire country, and placed a star-studded city right at the humble feet of a 27-year-old kid, known simply as "The Great One." —Anonymous
    • hockey
    • hockey player
    • year 1988
    • california
    • los angeles california
    • 4 more
    • Plot summary
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    • Genres
      • Documentary
      • Biography
      • History
      • Sport
    • Parents guide
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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      Wayne Gretzky was traded to the Los Angeles Kings for $15 million.
    • Quotes

      [LAST TITLE CARDS]: In his first season with The Kings, Wayne Gretzky won the Hart Trophy as the league's MVP.

    User reviews3

    Review
    Top review
    Nice Start to the Series
    30 at 30: King's Ransom (2009)

    *** (out of 4)

    The first film in ESPN's series has director Peter Berg taking a look at the 1988 trade that sent Wayne Gretzky from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings. This trade is considered to be the biggest in sports history as the Edmonton owner got around $15 million in cash and sent the entire face of hockey packing bags, which causes him countless death threats from the people in Edmonton. The documentary takes a look at both sides of the trade and shows what impact it had on the cities moving forward. Gretzky is in the film and gives his thoughts and feelings on the trade years after it all went down and it's interesting to hear him say he wouldn't change a thing considering he wouldn't win another Stanley Cut but the team he left would win another two years after the trade. No one will ever question the greatness of Gretzky but I do wonder if he's telling the truth here when he said he wouldn't do anything over. The two owners are also interviewed and you can't help but understand why the trade was done even though fans are still going to cry foul. Berg does a very nice job at getting all the details out there and this includes new interviews as well as the original news conference as well as other footage from various stations covering the event.
    helpful•4
    6
    • Michael_Elliott
    • Nov 4, 2009

    Details

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    • Release date
      • October 6, 2009 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Production companies
      • Asylum Entertainment
      • ESPN Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      53 minutes
    • Color
      • Color

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