Trouble in Gretzkyville: For the first time, The Great One finds himself shunned by hometown fans

In the fall of 1985, The New York Times Magazine ran a lengthy profile of Wayne Gretzky, then the beloved captain of the Edmonton Oilers. The story was titled “King of the New Canada.”Until very recently, it was barely an exaggeration – especially in Edmonton. Gretzky had arrived in the city at 17, and quickly became its golden son. Hockey fan or not, everyone In Edmonton had witnessed his evolution from a great player to the Great One, the closest thing there was to royalty. Even better, really, because you could run into Gretzky at a restaurant downtown and he’d give you an autograph.