It’s sat outside Rexall Place for nearly three decades, but on Thursday, the iconic bronze statue of Wayne Gretzky was on the move.
The statue of The Great One has been outside Rexall since August 1989. Soon, it will stand outside the new Rogers Place arena.
Gretzky spent a decade in Edmonton Oilers colours, winning four Stanley Cups and rewriting the NHL record book.
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On Thursday, the Northlands team held an outdoor BBQ and posed for one last group photo with the Gretzky statue.
Then, the moving crew arrived. The same man that delivered the statue to Rexall Place in 1989 came to pick it up. He also used the same tarp from 27 years ago.
The statue was designed by sculptor John Weaver, who worked for the Smithsonian Institute in Washington and the Alberta Provincial Museum. Weaver passed away in 2012.
The 950-pound bronze figure stands 9’2” and was funded by Molson Breweries and gifted to the City of Edmonton.
Bronzesmith Don Begg also helped create the Gretzky statue at Studio West in Cochrane, Alta.
Begg was back with the statue on Thursday to witness this new phase in its life.
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Before being placed outside its new home at Rogers Place, the tribute to #99 will be cleaned. Soon, it will sit in a public area on the 104 Avenue sidewalk outside the Oilers Hall of Fame Room.
The team plans to announce details of its official installation at Rogers Place and a public unveiling.
Share your photos with the Wayne Gretzky statue with us on Twitter (@GlobalEdmonton) on the Global Edmonton Facebook page or through email (edmonton@globalnews.ca). You can also share any special memories you have of the statue in the comments section below.
Watch below: On Thursday, Edmonton’s famous statue of Wayne Gretzky, one that’s spent more than a quarter-century standing outside the Oilers’ former home, was moved. Appropriately, it’s leaving Rexall Place to be re-erected at the Oilers’ new downtown arena. Global News asked Edmontonians to share some of their favourite photographs with the popular monument dedicated to The Great One.
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