Kings, Oilers Deny Gretzky Trade Reports

Officials of both teams denied reports in Canada Wednesday that the Kings and the Edmonton Oilers are discussing a trade that would bring Wayne Gretzky to Los Angeles.

“As far as I know, it’s just a rumor,” said Rogie Vachon, the Kings’ general manager.

According to one report, which was broadcast locally and on Canadian television Wednesday night, the Kings would send Jimmy Carson, Luc Robitaille and $15 million to the Oilers for Gretzky, an eight-time National Hockey League most valuable player who last May led the Oilers to the NHL championship for the fourth time in five years.

Other rumors, reported in Montreal newspapers, said the Kings would send a package of draft choices and players, including Carson, and an unspecified sum of cash to the Oilers for the 27-year-old center, who last month was married to Janet Jones, an actress based in Los Angeles.

“These sorts of things have been discussed for the last six years or so,” Oiler General Manager Glen Sather told the Edmonton Journal. “Everytime it happens, I have to go through the exercise of telling you guys it’s just a rumor.

“I would think I would know if something was going on.”