Ramba uchinyora ndima iyi - Zvino ava kusvika kumakore okupedzisira ebasa rake, Gretzky aida mumwe mukana wokukunda mukombe asati aenda pamudyandigere. Zvisinei, kuora mwoyo kwakaita kuti Gretzky aedze kudzvinyirira manejimendi nekuda kuti Madzimambo awane tarenda rakakodzera - mukuru-anorova kumberi uye anodzivirira anodzivirira kuti atambe padivi pake, kana kuti angatsvaga kutamba kumwe kunhu kana chibvumirano chake chapera pakupera kwemwaka. Asi nhau dzokuparadzwa kwebhizimisi dzakapfuurira dzakaita kuti zvive zvisingabviri mune zvemari zvichipiwa mikana yevatambi vanoongorora vachidzoka. Musi waFebruary 27, 1996, Gretzky akatengeswa kuSt. Louis Blues, kune vechidiki vechidiki Craig Johnson, Patrice Tardif, Roman Vopat, wekutanga-kutenderera mukusarudzwa kwe1997 (Matt Zultek) uye wechishanu-kutenderera sarudzo mu 1996 draft
(Peter Hogan). Kunze kwaCraig Johnson uyo aizowana nzvimbo yakakosha pachikwata kwemamwe mwaka minomwe, vamwe vese vatambi vanobatanidzwa vakaenda mukati menguva pfupi pfupi, uye hapana kana dhizaini yakasarudzwa kubva mukutengeserana yakatamba mutambo mumwe chete weMadzimambo, nokudaro ichiita kuti ive imwe yeyakaipisisa kutengeserana munhoroondo yefranchise.