It was on this day in 1989 that the Detroit Red Wings made a franchise-altering trade involving future All-Star Adam Oates.
For fans old enough to remember, it was on this day in 1989 that the Detroit Red Wings made one of the most regrettable trades in team history.
The club sent Adam Oates and Paul MacLean to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for veterans Bernie Federko and Tony McKegney, a move that is widely regarded as one of the worst not only in team history, but in League history.
Oates would go on to become known as one of the greatest passers in League history, and formed a deadly duo with future Red Wings forward Brett Hull, popularly referred to as "Hull and Oates".
Meanwhile, Federko only played a single season with the Red Wings before hanging up his skates, while McKegney would only last 14 games in a Detroit jersey before being traded again to the Quebec Nordiques.
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Oates, who would later be swept by the Red Wings with the Washington Capitals in the 1998 Stanley Cup Final, scored 54 goals with 145 assists in 246 career games with Detroit before the fateful trade.
Meanwhile, Federko scored 17 goals and added 40 assists in 73 games during his first and only campaign with the Red Wings before retiring.
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