The historic jersey was from Game 4 of the 1988 Stanley Cup Final, where the Oilers captured their fourth straight Stanley Cup by sweeping the Boston Bruins, in what would be Gretzky's final game with the franchise. That decisive game, however, was anything but ordinary. It began on May 24 at Boston Garden but did not end until May 26 at Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton due to a power failure.
With the score tied 3-3, a switchgear failure and emergency generator failure caused a blackout that forced NHL president John Ziegler Jr. to declare the game suspended. The contest was subsequently rescheduled, moved back to Edmonton, and re-started as a new game at 0-0.
The Oilers went on to win 6-3, clinching the Cup. Within three months of that championship, Oilers owner Peter Pocklington completed a stunning trade, sending Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings along with Marty McSorley and Mike Krushelnyski. In return, the Oilers received Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas, three first-round picks, and $15 million in cash.
The move sent shockwaves through the hockey world. Despite the loss of their superstar, the Oilers rebounded quickly, winning the Stanley Cup again in 1990. That series against the Bruins also featured a power failure at Boston Garden, this time during Game 1.
Gretzky, meanwhile, would not win another championship before his retirement in 1999. The jersey's record price was supported by extensive authentication. com and MeiGray, with the latter reportedly 'conclusively determining' that Gretzky wore the sweater in Game 4, Game 1, and three other contests.
One of those additional games was a March 1, 1988, matchup against the Kings, where Gretzky passed Gordie Howe for the all-time career assists mark at 1,050. The identity of the buyer and the exact date of the latest auction were not immediately known.