Which Racers owner signed 17-year-old Gretzky in 1978?

Nelson Skalbania, owner of the Indianapolis Racers, signed 17-year-old Wayne Gretzky in 1978. The agreement was a personal-services contract rather than a conventional NHL player contract, reflecting both WHA rules and the uncertainty surrounding the league’s future.

Skalbania understood that Gretzky was an exceptional young prospect and that owning his contract could be more valuable than owning a struggling WHA franchise. The reported deal was worth up to US$1.75 million over seven years, an extraordinary commitment for a teenager at the time.

The Racers’ financial problems quickly became decisive. Indianapolis was losing money heavily, and Gretzky appeared in only eight games before Skalbania moved him to the Edmonton Oilers in November 1978. The Racers folded that December after just 25 games of their final season.

Peter Pocklington is a frequent source of confusion because he became Gretzky’s next major team owner in Edmonton. Bruce McNall is also associated with Gretzky’s later Los Angeles years, but neither man signed him with Indianapolis. That role belonged to Skalbania.