The way I remember it is that when Roenick was a high school senior (and heading into his draft year), it was pretty clear that he would be playing in the NHL very soon. Wayne Gretzky arranged a meeting between himself and Roenick's family and convinced him to play for Hull of the Quebec League, which Gretzky owned, for whatever amount of time Roenick remained in juniors. (Which wasn't long, less than 3 months)
---There's a reference in these reports (Game 73) to the Kings also agreeing to have their training camp in 1989 in Hull, per Gretzky's request---
"....It doesn't have the same intrigue as the Flames' planned trip to Russia in September, but the Kings announced their own training camp switch for next season. They'll set up in Hull, Quebec, where Wayne Gretzky not-so-coincidentally owns the QMJHL Hull Olympiques .....
I suspect that if you're an 18-year-old about to enter the NHL world in 1988 and Wayne Gretzky personally asks you and your family to do him a small "favor" (28 games plus playoffs in this case), it would hold a lot of sway.
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