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Entries with the tag: wayne+gretzky
Gretzky Says Gold For Canada
by Paul on 02/20/10 at 08:38 AM ET
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from CBC,
Wayne Gretzky is predicting a showdown between Team Canada and Russia in the men’s hockey gold-medal game at the Vancouver Olympics.
“And I pick Canada to win gold,” he told a roaring crowd Friday night at Molson Canadian Hockey House....
“The best thing that probably could have happened to this team was a close, tight game and it shows this team can win under pressure,” Gretzky said. “Going forward, I think they’ll just get better and stronger every night.”
He predicted Canada, Russia, the U.S. and Sweden will face off in the semifinals, though he didn’t rule out Finland showing its mettle.
Filed in: Non-NHL Hockey, International Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Wayne+Gretzky, Winter+Olympics,
Howe & Gretzky Swap Stories
by Paul on 02/06/10 at 03:17 PM ET
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from Kevin Mitchell of the Leader-Post,
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper played reporter Friday night with a couple of iconic story subjects.
Harper, a hockey buff who was in Saskatoon for the Kinsmen Sports Celebrity Dinner, grilled hockey greats Gordie Howe and Wayne Gretzky during a lengthy Q-and-A session before an appreciative sellout audience.
Howe was a surprise addition to the podium, brought onstage to a prolonged ovation while Harper and Gretzky talked about the first meeting between the two puck legends—at a Kinsmen celebrity dinner in Brantford when Gretzky was 10.
continue for some great stories from Howe and Gretzky…
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Tags: Gordie+How, Wayne+Gretzky,
Caps Playing Boudreau Style Of Hockey
by Paul on 02/04/10 at 04:05 PM ET
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from Pierre LeBrun of ESPN,
“You know what, they’re an exciting team,” Gretzky told ESPN.com on Wednesday.
The Great One cited Caps coach Bruce Boudreau and his history as a prolific junior player with the Toronto Marlies (Boudreau posted 165 points in 69 games in 1974-75).
“I think it goes back to when he played for George Armstrong with the Toronto Marlies,” Gretzky said. “He loves that transition hockey, head-manning the puck and going to the net. It’s very similar to the way the Marlies played in 1974-75 when they won the Memorial Cup. Obviously, the players are bigger and stronger these days, and the goaltenders are probably a little more athletic and they have bigger equipment, so it’s tougher to score. But the actual style of play, transition and head-manning the puck is similar.”
And just like Gretzky, Mark Messier and Paul Coffey leading the way offensively on those Oilers teams, the Caps have their own version.
“Their top guys, Ovechkin, Semin and Green, play a hard-tempo game every night,” said Gretzky. “They lead by example and pull the rest of the guys with them.”
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Evening Line
by Paul on 01/30/10 at 06:25 PM ET
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“I’m not here for the NHL, I don’t work for them, but I think we all have the same common goal to make the game of hockey bigger and better worldwide. I think the NHL knows and understands that. I hope that when they (the KHL, the IIHF and the NHL) meet in Vancouver (during the Olympics), they can all come to an understanding that will make both leagues happy.”
-Wayne Gretzky at the KHL All-Star Game. More by Risto Pakarinen at The Hockey News.
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Would Wayne Go Back To Phoenix?
by Paul on 12/12/09 at 10:20 PM ET
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from Mihira Lakshman of CBC,
The company that has just signed a letter of intent to purchase the Phoenix Coyotes is also reaching out to Wayne Gretzky as a potential partner, Hockey Night in Canada contributor Pierre LeBrun told Saturday’s Hotstove segment.
“I’m not getting the sense that he wants to do that,” LeBrun said.
It’s expected that Gretzky will also receive an offer from his former teammate and good friend Mark Messier to coach Team Canada’s entry at the world championships.
Since the NHL purchased the Coyotes from bankruptcy court this fall, Gretzky has remained silent on the situation and his future plans.
“He’s ticked off, and why wouldn’t he be,” HNIC analyst Mike Milbury speculated.
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The Maven With A Gretzky Tease
by Paul on 12/07/09 at 07:11 PM ET
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via Stan Fischler of Game On,
Wayne Gretzky’s recent comments on MSG Network clearly indicate that The Great One is in no rush to return to an ice job.
In an interview with MSG’s Al Trautwig, Gretzky admits he’s content watching his kids grow as athletes. Wayne took in a Penguins-Rangers game last week from an MSG ice-side seat alongside his still gorgeous wife Janet.
Who knows, maybe there’s a job for Wayne at the NHL alongside Brendan Shanahan? Wayne and Janet reportedly are shopping for a luxury apartment within a mile or two of the NHL headquarters. Coincidence, or what?
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Talking With Gretzky
by Paul on 11/16/09 at 02:25 PM ET
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from Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail,
I wanted to bounce a couple of rumours off Gretzky while I was at it. One - that he might be interested in getting involved in a second Toronto-based NHL team that would operate out of Vaughan in the north end of city.
“Nothing to it,” he said, although he mentioned that he played hockey Sunday nights for the Vaughan Nationals on the same team as Bill Kitchen, brother of former NHLer Mike Kitchen.
Another idea making the rounds: That Hockey Canada will ask him to coach at the 2010 world championships this spring, post-Olympics. So far, they haven’t contacted him about the opportunity, but he didn’t rule it out either. Gretzky did note that he’d played golf for a couple of days in California with former Oilers teammate Craig MacTavish, who will coach Canada’s entry in the Spengler Cup over Christmas. Gretzky put himself in the same category as MacTavish - of a coach currently between jobs but looking eventually to get back in.
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Life Goes On For Wayne
by Paul on 11/10/09 at 06:41 AM ET
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from Shawn P. Roarke of NHL.com,
For Gretzky, Monday night was not about the fallout from the sale of the Phoenix franchise, but rather a celebration of the career achievements of the Hall of Fame inductees—Luc Robitaille, Brian Leetch, Steve Yzerman and Brett Hull.
“It is what it is right now,” Gretzky said. “Right now, it’s just my time to sit back and enjoy my kids. You know what? The game is bigger than any individual or any person. Right now, it is just not a part of my life. It’s as simple as that.”
And, contrary to the speculation, he says he harbors no bitterness.
“No, not at all,” Gretzky said. “What’s there to be upset by? It’s the greatest game in the world. There’s nothing better than our sport. I’m very proud of it. Life goes on.”
Filed in: NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
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Gretzky Will Attend HHOF Induction Ceremony
by Paul on 11/09/09 at 03:04 PM ET
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from Tim Wharnsby of CBC,
Lou Lamoriello’s 67-year-old eyes did not deceive him. He did see Wayne Gretzky in his downtown Toronto hotel lobby on Monday morning, and the Great One will attend the Hockey Hall of Fame formal proceedings in the evening, according to Gretzky’s agent, Darren Blake.
Whether Gretzky will grace the induction ceremony with his presence in the Great Hall has been a talking point surrounding this year’s festivities.
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Will Gretzky Show For The HHOF Inductions?
by Paul on 11/08/09 at 08:49 AM ET
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via Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun,
If Wayne Gretzky, the single greatest attraction in hockey history, chooses to pass on tomorrow night’s Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony, what an embarrassment that will be for NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and his fellow owners.
And what an indictment of the damage remaining from the attempt to salvage the Phoenix Coyotes.
The very fact that the NHL has cut a deal to buy the Coyotes, which has basically excluded Gretzky and the money owed him, may save them a few million dollars in the process but won’t be worth the alienation created with the most important player the game has known. The relationship between Gretzky and the league is the worst it has ever been no matter what rhetoric is spread.
Of all that Bettman has bungled over the years, this may be his largest gaffe from a public relations point of view. Hockey is a hard enough sell in the United States and selling out Gretzky will end up costing them more in the long run than it would have cost them to pay The Great One what he was owed.
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Will Gretzky Show Up For HHOF Weekend?
by Paul on 11/05/09 at 11:47 AM ET
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from Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail,
Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremonies will take place in Toronto beginning this weekend and the question that’s got everybody abuzz in hockey circles right now is, will he or won’t he? Will Wayne Gretzky attend with his wife Janet when the careers of five of his closest friends in hockey are honoured? Or will he sit it out, part of his lingering discontent with the NHL over how shabbily he was treated during the Phoenix Coyotes bankruptcy hearings by an organization that he helped put on the map in the first place?
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Pay Wayne
by Paul on 11/01/09 at 08:36 AM ET
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from Larry Brooks of the NY Post,
...the NHL does seem to be offering words in support of Gretzky, even if action speaks louder. The league at this point appears to be offering talk, which obviously is much cheaper than $8.2 million.
“The decision was made this summer when the League decided to make a bid to purchase that it couldn’t assume Wayne’s contract. That was discussed with Wayne and his people before we filed our bid and they understood the rationale,” deputy commissioner Bill Daly wrote in an e-mail to Slap Shots on Friday night.
“That doesn’t mean he has to go it alone. We committed to him that we would do everything possible to get him paid outside the bankruptcy process,” Daly added. “We have suggested our willingness to pursue claims on his behalf and assist him in pursuing his own claims. And he remains able to seek recovery out of the pot of money that will be paid to the bankrupt estate.”
So the NHL claims it will assist the greatest assist man who ever has laced up a pair of skates but it will not guarantee he will get his money even after all of the untold revenue he produced for the league both directly and indirectly in the form of expansion fees from warm-weather markets made possible by Gretzky’s success in Los Angeles.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Phoenix Coyotes, NHL Talk, NHL Business of Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
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Paying Gretzky
by Paul on 10/30/09 at 11:16 PM ET
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from Elliotte Friedman of CBC,
Right now, the NHL’s bid provides for between $11-$12 million to three potential creditors – Gretzky, Moyes and the city of Glendale. Gretzky isn’t thrilled that there is no certainty of collecting. Apparently, he is not asking for all of the money up front or in some lump payment, but an acknowledgement that, at some point, he will collect.
One league source says that will happen.
“We recognize that a lot of us have jobs because of what he’s done for a long time. What has happened this summer has been totally unfair to him, but, because he’s Wayne Gretzky, it all ends up on him ...This is important, and we realize it is important.”
That is 100 per cent the proper philosophy. But, there is one concern.
At this time, it was not possible to get the board of governors to vote on raising the purchase price from $140 million to $148 million. And, there may be slight resistance to doing so. Some of the governors are apparently unhappy with Gretzky’s public disappointment, and could let that affect their decision.
That is a ridiculous attitude.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Phoenix Coyotes, NHL Talk, NHL Business of Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
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Trying To Make Things Right With Gretzky
by Paul on 10/20/09 at 12:44 PM ET
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from Elliotte Friedman of CBC,
Wayne Gretzky remains in radio silence, but both the NHL and the Canadian Olympic Team are making attempts to reach him.
Commissioner Gary Bettman emailed Gretzky last Thursday, hoping for the opportunity to meet with him face-to-face. According to NHL sources, the Great One said he is “not yet ready”, preferring to lay low, as he has done since stepping down as Coyotes head coach.
The league badly wants to repair the relationship with its greatest player and ambassador, realizing that no matter what happened in Phoenix, it’s not good for the sport to have him feeling alienated and unwanted. As both a player and a coach, he’s dealt with his share of criticism, but this particular situation has hurt him the most.
Considering how he stood up for Phoenix as a market – despite ample evidence to the contrary – and the beating taken from Canadian fans as a result, he was stunned to find out that he may not be paid even if he started the season as coach.
continued plus more NHL notes…
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He’s Done It!
by Paul on 10/15/09 at 11:13 AM ET
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from Shawn P. Roarke of NHL.com,
Wayne Gretzky broke a slew of records during a singular Hall of Fame career that literally rewrote the NHL’s record book, but none were as bittersweet as the biggest record of them all—the career points total.
Twenty years ago today—Oct. 15, 1989—Gretzky, then with the Los Angeles Kings, scored a goal against his former team, the Edmonton Oilers, to give him 1,851 points—a mind-boggling total considering Gretzky was in his just 11th NHL season.
continued and Bob Miller with the call in the video…
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Watch Kings Ransom
by Paul on 10/07/09 at 10:37 PM ET
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In case you missed or were unable to watch Kings Ransom on ESPN, you can view it below.
Kings Ransom is the story of the 1988 trade that brought Wayne Gretzky from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings.
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Wayne Gretzky- 30 For 30 On ESPN
by Paul on 10/06/09 at 10:15 AM ET
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from Peter Berg at ESPN,
My relationship with Wayne goes back to the 1990s when he invited me to play in his softball tournament in Brantford, Ontario. He wanted to get some actors in the game and I was a big hockey fan, having played it growing up in Chicago. I thought it would be a small game, but there were about 20,000 people there. First play of the game, I got a grounder at shortstop and threw out the runner and the crowd started booing me. Turns out it was Gordie Howe. I was humiliated. That began my personal relationship with Wayne.
continued and the video below is an expert of Kings Ransom which debuts on ESPN tonight at 8:00pm ET.
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Kings Have Interest In Gretzky
by Paul on 09/29/09 at 02:11 PM ET
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via Noah Love of the National Post,
Los Angeles Kings general manager hopes he can bring Gretzky back to the place where he left his biggest stamp.
Lombardi told Toronto radio station the FAN 590 on Tuesday that he would like the Great One to come back to the Kings in an advisory capacity.
While nothing has been finalized, Lombardi joked that Gretzky could be the team’s “minister of character.” L.A.’s young squad will have star veteran leadership for the first time in years this season in Ryan Smyth.
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Gretzky Will Return
by Paul on 09/24/09 at 10:20 PM ET
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from Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail,
Even the biggest names are all like moths to the flame, and for proof look no further than Gretzky’s long-time rival and close friend Mario Lemieux, who was so desperate to sell his interest in the Pittsburgh Penguins at one stage that he had a willing buyer named Jim Balsillie lined up to take the team off his hands.
In the end, Lemieux couldn’t do it. He kept the team instead.
Eventually the Penguins ended up with a new building and a new superstar in Sidney Crosby (who still lives chez Lemieux) and last year, Mario earned the Stanley Cup as an owner to go with the two he won as a player.
For Gretzky, it will likely unfold the same way. Somebody, somewhere down the road will want to hitch his wagon to Gretzky’s star, however tarnished it may be today, if not as a coach, then in some to be determined front-office role. That, too, is the nature of pro sport. It starts anew every year, providing opportunities for renewal and redemption.
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It’s About Time
by Paul on 09/24/09 at 07:38 PM ET
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from Scott Bordow of the East Valley Tribune,
Gretzky’s resignation Thursday was long overdue. Frankly, he should have been fired years ago, but no one in the Coyotes’ organization had the courage or conviction to stand up to him. They were still in awe of his legacy, the greatest player ever, the untouchable icon.
Well, look at where that idolatry got them....
I don’t blame Gretzky entirely for the Coyotes’ dismal results. He was working with one of the smaller payrolls in the NHL. But his decision to surround himself with sycophants and yes men stripped the organization of a vital resource — someone to stand up to Gretzky or question his decisions.
Who did Gretzky hire as general manager in 2001? His agent, Mike Barnett. Never mind that Barnett had no experience in an NHL front office. He was Wayne’s buddy.
That kind of cronyism ran rampant. Gretzky hired friends and relatives. Younger brother Keith was named director of amateur scouting. Marty McSorley, Gretzky’s former enforcer in Edmonton and Los Angeles, was hired as coach of the Coyotes’ American Hockey League affiliate even though he had no coaching experience.
Now, it’s not uncommon for coaches or GMs to hire people they’re familiar with. The difference with Gretzky is that he seemed to be handing out favors.
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Good Coach Gretzky
by Paul on 09/24/09 at 02:53 PM ET
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from Scott Morrison of CBC Sports,
For the past couple of seasons, the Coyotes have been building with youth and were improving with that youth. No, they didn’t make the playoffs over the four years, but remember back to the middle of last season when Gretzky had his team sitting fifth in the Western Conference and was being touted as a coach of the year candidate, and a Team Canada Olympic coaching candidate.
Now, that’s not to say he was among the very best coaches in the league, but Gretzky learned and adjusted over those four years and he got better. Indeed, he was a smarter and better coach the last game he worked than he was the first.
added 3:03pm, from Craig Custance of the Sporting News,
Will Gretzky’s failure as a head coach tarnish his legacy as hockey’s greatest player or does the Phoenix disaster just become a footnote.
That was the topic of conversation last year with somebody who spent as much time on the ice with Gretzky as anybody. Longtime referee Don Koharski shot down any thoughts that Gretzky’s failure as a coach might erode his image as a player.
“You’ll never forget him for his greatness on the ice,” Koharski said at the time. “Not a hockey fan or sports fan in the world will ever forget what he did for the game on the ice. All the naysayers out there are probably ready to pounce on him for his coaching career. But his coaching career isn’t going to be what he’s famous for.”
The failure in the desert made sure of that.
added 3:06pm,
NEW YORK (Sept. 24, 2009) – National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman today released this statement following the resignation of Wayne Gretzky as the Phoenix Coyotes’ Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations:
“As always, Wayne placed the welfare of the team ahead of his own in making this extremely difficult decision. While the Coyotes have not had the degree of on-ice success that always has been Wayne’s objective, there can be no question he has played a vital role in the youth movement that has positioned the Coyotes for success in the future.
“We have nothing but admiration for all that Wayne has done for the game, and are extremely hopeful there will be a prominent role for Wayne with the Coyotes if the League’s bid for the Club is successful. We look forward to his continued involvement.”
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Gretzky Announcement Coming
by Paul on 09/24/09 at 11:24 AM ET
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from TSN,
A major announcement addressing Wayne Gretzky’s future in Phoenix is expected within the hour.
The announcement will be posted on Gretzky.com.
I will update this post when the annoucement is made.
added 11:28am, Of course, Gretzky.com crashes!
added 11:52, Follow the original TSN link which has or will shortly state Gretzky has resigned as Phoenix coach.
added 11:55am, See released statement from Gretzky below…
added 12:03pm via Bob McKenzie’s Twitter,
just rumors at this point but dave tippett’s name is mentioned prominently as the next Phx coach
added 1:11pm, via Elliotte Friedman’s Twitter,
Tippett played with Samuelsson in Hartford, played under King with Olympic team, knows division. Looks like a done deal.
added 1:22pm, Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail with his views and also states Tippett looks like the coach.
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It Should Not End In This Way
by Paul on 09/22/09 at 09:42 AM ET
Comments (3)
from Damian Cox of the Spin at the Toronto Star,
Wayne Gretzky deserved to end his coaching tenure with the Phoenix Coyotes like every other man to assume the position behind an NHL bench.
You know, fired. Dismissed. Have the team claim it’s going in a different direction, or say it wants somebody who can work with young players. Or old players. Or can make the team fitter. Or understands how to win in the playoffs. Or can be a communicator. Or will shut down the country club atmosphere.
Whatever. Gretzky deserved to go out on his shield. In sport, there is sometimes honour in getting the axe.
But that appears not to be the way in which its going to go down for The Great One in Phoenix, and if you take stock in online polling, the remaining hockey fans there don’t mind. Asked by azcentral.com if they wanted to see Gretzky back as coach, 83 per cent responded, “No.”
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Gretzky Protecting His Interests
by Paul on 09/16/09 at 07:39 AM ET
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from Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic,
...the beleaguered Coyotes took the ice for Tuesday night’s preseason game against the Los Angeles Kings with Ulf Samuelsson directing traffic from behind the bench. Gretzky probably was wishing he could watch his team from afar, except the Coyotes don’t have a television contract yet.
That’s too bad. Gretzky should’ve seen how pathetic it all looked inside Jobing.com Arena, with tiny pockets of loyal fans scattered throughout a giant hockey palace. The low turnout was expected yet ominous. The Coyotes didn’t spend a dime on preseason advertising, not with all of the uncertainty in the air. And maybe if the Great One saw it, he would’ve felt twinges of shame.
“Wayne . . . we’ve had regular communication,” Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney said. “He’s in a very difficult position contractually.”
No doubt, it’s tough being the Great One.
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Resign Wayne
by Paul on 09/12/09 at 06:52 PM ET
Comments (4)
from Scott Bordow of the East Valley Tribune,
Had Gretzky been successful in a suit and tie, it would behoove the Coyotes to wait on him. But let’s face it: He’s been a disaster as an executive and marginal as a coach. The Coyotes have yet to make the playoffs under his tenure.
Is that entirely his fault? Of course not. But he had the loudest voice in the organization and the biggest stick. He has to take responsibility.
More than likely, the legal battle between NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and Balsillie will drag on for months. The players will suffer, the fans will suffer, the organization will suffer.
Gretzky’s resignation won’t solve any of that. But the last thing the Coyotes need right now is another distraction.
Do the right thing, Wayne.
Walk away.
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What About Gretzky
by Paul on 09/11/09 at 09:36 PM ET
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from CBC Sports,
The Phoenix Coyotes will open training camp Saturday with the issue of the team’s new ownership still muddied and the future of head coach Wayne Gretzky unclear.
A two-day court-supervised auction for the NHL team ended Friday much the way it began, with Judge Redfield T. Baum seemingly no closer to making a decision as to whether the league or Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie is better equipped to run the team.
The bigger buzz in Phoenix once court adjourned for the day was Gretzky. Will he be standing behind the Coyotes’ bench for their season opener Oct. 3 in Los Angeles?
Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes said the plan is to have Gretzky return. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told reporters he would assume as much. The rumour mill, according to Hockey Night in Radio host Jeff Marek, is churning out the name of former NHL defence Ulf Samuelsson as a potential successor to Gretzky.
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Gretzky Will Stay With Phoenix If Ice Edge Gets The Team
by Paul on 08/29/09 at 07:24 AM ET
Comments (2)
from Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star,
If Ice Edge LLC nets the Phoenix Coyotes, then it may be thanks to a big assist from Wayne Gretzky.
The group of Canadian and American hockey-loving investors seem to have gotten their wish in getting Gretzky to have a bigger role with the club in the first inkling that the Great One has chosen a side in the bankruptcy case.
“Mr. Gretzky is actively working with Ice Edge Team LLC and Ice Edge Arena LLC (together, the `Ice Edge Group’) who may become the eventual owners of the team,” said a brief the NHL filed in support of its own bid for the bankrupt club.
“We have been working with Wayne very closely throughout this process,” said Ice Edge CEO Daryl Jones. “If we are successful, and we expect to be, he will have a major role in the Coyotes.”
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Plans For Gretzky
by Paul on 07/27/09 at 08:09 AM ET
Comments (3)
from CBC Sports,
One of the groups interested in keeping the Phoenix Coyotes in Arizona has offered some unique ideas on how it would proceed with the club.
In a letter of intent submitted Friday to Arizona bankruptcy judge Redfield T. Baum, Ice Edge Holdings said that Wayne Gretzky would play a significant role with the Coyotes under its ownership.
“Ice Edge is seeking to solidify the Team’s relationship with its managing partner and head coach, Wayne Gretzky, and intends to offer Mr. Gretzky the opportunity to participate … as a major shareholder of the newly constituted Coyotes franchise,” the group said in its filing....
The letter of intent also said that the presence of the all-time NHL scoring leader hasn’t been fully maximized in the club’s dealings with potential corporate sponsors.
It’s in sharp contrast to the bid for the Coyotes officially submitted by Friday’s deadline by a group led by Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf.
The Reinsdorf bid details the assumption of 170 contracts, including those of Coyotes players and management. Conspicuously absent from the list is Gretzky.
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Gretzky Remains Loyal To Phoenix
by Paul on 06/24/09 at 08:52 AM ET
Comments (1)
from Rod Mickleburgh of the Globe and Mail,
In an interview yesterday with The Globe and Mail, Gretzky was asked about cost-cutting measures suggested by the suburb of Glendale, Ariz., where the Coyotes play their home games, to keep the team from moving.
Glendale’s austerity proposals include chopping Gretzky’s salary to $1.6-million and elimination of his 1-per-cent slice of club revenue.
Gretzky said he came to Phoenix 10 years ago to start something.
“And I love the city. ... It’s a great sports town. Whatever is going to make it work for the city of Phoenix, I’m 100 per cent behind it.”
Pressed as to whether that meant he was willing to look at a pay reduction, as suggested by Glendale officials, Gretzky replied: “Yeah.”
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Gretzky The Highest Paid Coach
by Paul on 02/14/09 at 02:49 PM ET
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from Matthew Sekeres and David Shoalts of the Globe and Mail,
The Phoenix Coyotes are among the poorest teams in the NHL, but head coach Wayne Gretzky makes far more than any other coach in the league.
Gretzky earns between $7-million and $8-million (all currency U.S.) per year on a five-year contract, or more than seven times the average annual salary for an NHL head coach, according to several sources. The contract is so generous that even though Gretzky was said by one source to have agreed to defer up to half his salary this season, he would still be the best-paid bench boss in the league.
The huge compensation came based on the notion that Gretzky would help sell tickets at the Jobing.com Arena in suburban Glendale. But now, in Gretzky’s fourth season behind the bench, that does not appear to be the case.
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Tags: Wayne+Gretzky,
The State Of The Coyotes
by Paul on 01/21/09 at 04:14 PM ET
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from Joe LaPointe of the New York Times,
Gretzky has spent the last several weeks seeking new investors for a team expected to lose at least $30 million this season. “Yeah, I’ve talked to a few guys,” he said this week. “More or less introductions to meeting with the league and meeting with Mr. Moyes.”
In some ways, his current franchise manifests some of the problems that used to plague the W.H.A. About 20 employees were laid off last month. There have been recent reports, particularly in The Globe and Mail of Toronto, of N.H.L. concern and involvement in the Coyotes’ business decisions.
But team and league officials said speculation about bankruptcy or a move to another city is false. Without prompting, Gretzky said: ``You ask me my gut feeling — is this team going to be here in September? Absolutely.”
added 5:04pm, Just notified this link requires registration, I am working on it.
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Gretzky Having Fun Coaching
by Paul on 12/17/08 at 04:05 PM ET
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from Scott Burnside of ESPN,
From the moment Gretzky decided he wanted to be a head coach coming out of the lockout, an element of curiosity has always followed his efforts. He had been many things to the game, including its best player ever and arguably the finest ambassador it has had. But coaching? That was something else entirely.
More than a few quizzical eyes were cast toward Gretzky’s newfound profession, a sense that this was an experiment, kind of like when Michael Jordan decided he wanted to be a baseball player, something that surely would run its course.
Uh, no.
“I think I’ve put in my hours now and my time,” Gretzky said. “I think the first year, or maybe even the second year, people might have thought, ‘Well, it’s going to end.’ But I truly enjoy it. I have as much fun coaching as I did playing.”
It is a shocking admission, really.
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Versteeg Knows Not To Talk Bad About Gretzky
by Paul on 12/09/08 at 06:00 PM ET
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from Tim Sassone of the Chicago Daily-Herald,
If anyone was waiting to hear Kris Versteeg fire back at Phoenix Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky in response to the Great One’s comments following Sunday’s game at the United Center, it’s not going to happen.
For one thing, Versteeg said, it’s Wayne Gretzky.
And two, the Blackhawks rookie winger would never hear the end of it from his father.
“My dad’s got this big wall full of Wayne Gretzky stuff,” Versteeg said Tuesday. “So if I ever wanted to say something bad about Wayne Gretzky, he’d be the first guy here to give me a slap upside the head.
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Tags: Kris+Versteeg, Wayne+Gretzky,
Evening Line
by Paul on 10/25/08 at 06:15 PM ET
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“Maybe it’s a good thing I’m not with Team Canada anymore. Because every time we saw Jarome, he was auditioning (and he’d score three or four). I’ve got the white flag now — tell him I’m not there. Go do it against Detroit.”
-Phoenix coach Wayne Gretzky talking about Jarome Iginla. More on the Flames/Coyotes matchup tonight at Flames Insider.
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Tags: Jarome+Iginla, Wayne+Gretzky,
Evening Line
by Paul on 09/12/08 at 06:05 PM ET
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“The bottom line is there’s only one National Hockey League,” Gretzky said. “When I retired I got an offer to go play in Switzerland and it was a crazy amount of money. I remember thinking, ‘You know what, it’s all fun and that’s great but there’s only one National Hockey League.’
“And if you can’t play with the best and against the best it’s just not the same.”
-Wayne Gretzky… more from Wayne from the CP via the Sporting News.
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Wayne’s Most Impressive Time
by Paul on 08/09/08 at 08:15 AM ET
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Ron MacLean has been doing a little blogging for the CBC Olympics site and since we are in “Gretzky mode” these days, I thought you might enjoy this…
Two stories owned the games in Salt Lake City in 2002. The figure skating judging scandal and the twin wins for Canada in hockey. My highlight was Wayne Gretzky’s outburst following a 3-3 tie with the Czech’s. Gretzky’s tirade lasted nearly 10 minutes. The top moments: “To a man, every one of our guys will say how great (Dominik) Hasek or (Mats) Sundin is. I don’t think we dislike the other countries nearly as much as they hate us….”
And more: “They want to see us lose. We’re the biggest story down here and they love it when we’re not doing well. Now they have two Canadian stories - the figure skating and the hockey team. It’s all a crock of bull. It turns my stomach to hear some of the things being said about us. No one wants us to win except the guys on this team and our fans, but we’re a proud team and we’re still standing…”
It’s by far the most impressive thing I’ve seen Wayne do.
more Olympics talk from Ron…
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Tags: Wayne+Gretzky,
Gretzky, Pocklington and a Game of Backgammon
by Alanah McGinley on 08/08/08 at 12:03 PM ET
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From Evan Weiner at NHL.com,
The NHL was allegedly interested in moving one of its financially failing teams there in the mid 1970s, and Edmonton was very receptive to either getting a failed team or being part of an NHL-WHA merger.
Skalbania gave Oilers owner Peter Pocklington a chance to add a Canadian icon, Gretzky, which figured to bolster the Oilers’ chances of getting into the NHL. There were two catches. Skalbania offered Gretzky’s services to both Pocklington’s Oilers and to the Winnipeg ownership group and “the Gretzky sweepstakes” would involve a game of backgammon. [...]
Over the years, some people have said that Skalbania really did set down those parameters and others have said the “bet” was just a fable. But there is one man who said the trade really happened over a backgammon board.
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Tags: indianapolis+racers, peter+pocklington, wayne+gretzky, wha,
Blame Wayne
by Paul on 08/08/08 at 07:13 AM ET
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from Mick Kern of Home Ice XM204,
A few bullet points:
- Biggest Star in League History is traded to Los Angeles
- L.A. media, thus much of the U.S. national media, suddenly awake to the fact they`ve had an NHL team for the past 21 years
- NHL benefits from the marketing of Gretzky
- speculators want to get in on the action, some with money (Disney), some without (McNall, Boots, etc…)
- NHL takes the easy expansion money, and suddenly grows from 21 teams to 30 teams in less than a decade
- former NBA executive Gary Bettman is hired as NHL Commissioner to oversee the new NHL, chiefly to land that ever-elusive big U.S. TV contract
- that contract never comes-to-pass, and the NHL is no longer the fourth sport in the U.S., as a split in the open-wheel racing community in the U.S. and Canada allows NASCAR to move up in popularity at an astonishing rate, becoming a marketing and television behemoth
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Tags: Wayne+Gretzky,
Gretzky Week Starts Tonight
by Paul on 08/06/08 at 01:31 PM ET
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Just a friendly reminder, Wayne Gretzky Week starts tonight on the NHL Network. Check out the schedule of shows and enjoy a sneak video preview of the NHL Network’s ‘A Day That Changed the Game: August 9, 1988’.
Watch below…
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A Week of Gretzky
by Alanah McGinley on 08/01/08 at 04:01 PM ET
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From NHL.com
On August 9, 1988, a day that changed the game, Wayne Gretzky was traded from the Stanley Cup champion Edmonton Oilers to the lowly Los Angeles Kings. The trade changed the fortunes of the Kings, was a driving force for National Hockey League expansion into the ‘Sun Belt’, and generated extensive growth of the game at the grassroots level in “non-traditional” hockey markets.
To commemorate the anniversary, The NHL Network will highlight its “Wayne Gretzky Week” programming by presenting a one-hour special that features exclusive interviews with Gretzky, former Oilers owner Peter Pocklington and former Kings’ owner Bruce McNall, among others, at 9 p.m., ET, on Wednesday, August 6. A VNR of the interview with Gretzky will be provided Tuesday.
Here is the complete NHL Network schedule of Gretzky-related programming for next week:
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Tags: hockey+history, nhl+network, wayne+gretzky,
Gretzky Shoots Down A Rumor
by Paul on 05/13/08 at 04:16 PM ET
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from TSN,
You can cross the Great One’s name off the list of potential candidates to take over the hockey operations of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Wayne Gretzky will be staying in Phoenix.
“I have always been a big fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and wish them luck in the future. Right now my focus is on the Phoenix Coyotes and developing our young talent,” Gretzky told NHL on TSN’s Darren Pang.
Gretzky was responding to rumours linking him to the Toronto Maple Leafs, a team he grew up cheering for in Brantford, Ontario.
added 4:22pm, Here is the rumor…
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Wayne Talks Gordie
by Paul on 03/16/08 at 09:55 AM ET
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from Tony Gallagher of the Vancouver Province,
Wayne Gretzky was the planned surprise guest at the party the Vancouver Giants are having for Gordie Howe to celebrate his 80th birthday today, but while he said he wouldn’t be able to come, he’ll surely find a way to send along his regards.
The Great One took some time here to tell a few of the tales of his interaction with the man Reggie Fleming used to call “Blinkey” as a way to try to get under his skin, always a dangerous proposition. And it all started with that famous picture of the two taken when he was just 10 years old; Wayne remembers it like it was yesterday.
“I remember I was getting out of school that day because I was meeting Gordie at the Holiday Inn at 2’ o’clock,” said Gretzky
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Tags: Gordie+Howe, Wayne+Gretzky,
Gretzky Safe
by Paul on 03/10/08 at 01:17 PM ET
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from Al Strachan at Fox Sports,
The simple fact is this: Unless the NHL alters its style radically in the next few years — and there is absolutely no reason to believe that it will — every single one of Gretzky’s meaningful records will still be intact.
Crosby might be able to overtake one of Gretzky’s regular-season marks, but only because the rules have changed since Gretzky’s day. And even that one is still very much in doubt. If Crosby does manage to take over any of Gretzky’s spots in the record book, it will almost certainly have to be in the area of All-Star records, a relatively meaningless category since the annual game is played without almost any intensity.
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Bad Luck Schleprock
by Alanah McGinley on 02/14/08 at 12:11 PM ET
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From Bob McManaman at The Arizona Republic,
Rick Tocchet is calling himself an unlucky rabbit’s foot, noting that the Coyotes are 0-3 since his return behind the bench after a two-year suspension for his involvement in a gambling investigation.
Coyotes coach Wayne Gretzky went golfing with Tocchet on Tuesday and said their golfing buddies are calling Tocchet something even worse.
“Schleprock. Bad Luck Schleprock,” Gretzky said, referring to a character in the Flintstones cartoon series.
But Gretzky is as thankful as anyone that Tocchet is back and serving on the Coyotes’ coaching staff again. Tocchet is not only an extra set of eyes in practices and games, but his personality helps the team.
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Tags: rick+tocchet, wayne+gretzky,
Camping Out With Wayne
by Paul on 02/10/08 at 08:25 AM ET
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from Terry Jones of the Edmonton Sun,
It’s the Wayne Gretzky Fantasy Camp, and participants have paid $9,999 each for the pleasure of watching Gretzky coach three games with the Phoenix Coyotes and playing six games themselves on the same ice surface. During a span of six days, the Great One also is host of opening and closing banquets, golfs with them, signs their stuff and hangs out with them like a regular guy in the lobby bar.
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Gretzky Welcomes Back Tocchet
by Alanah McGinley on 02/05/08 at 09:27 PM ET
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From Eric Duhatschek at the Globe & Mail,
And so, the prodigal will return, starting with Thursday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Tocchet, like Gretzky, is an NHL lifer, which suggests that his two years away from the game must have been difficult for him.
“It killed him,” agreed Gretzky. “You go through various stages — being disappointed, being embarrassed. But for him, now, his mom and dad are older people and they’ve been through a lot. It was tough on everybody — for him and his family, but you know what? He’s come through it. He’s grateful to the league for giving him a second chance. He’s grateful for how the league handled the investigation. There’s no animosity. He’s just looking to move forward.”
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Tags: rick+tocchet, suspensions, wayne+gretzky,
Two Greats Talk
by Paul on 01/31/08 at 10:14 AM ET
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Wayne and Gordie talk hockey before the Coyotes/Wings game last night.
added 11:11am, The NHL Frozen Moment caught Wayne and Gordie too.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings, Phoenix Coyotes, NHL Talk, Old School | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Gordie+Howe, Wayne+Gretzky,
ASG Memories: 1983 New York
by Alanah McGinley on 01/26/08 at 08:26 PM ET
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1983 All-Star Game – February 8, 1983, Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY: Wayne Gretzky set an All-Star record with four goals in the third period.
Happy Birthday to Wayne today, on his 47th birthday.
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Tags: all+star+game, phoenix+coyotes, Wayne+Gretzky,
Bad Spin, Ms. Hill
by Paul on 01/16/08 at 04:48 PM ET
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via Jemele Hill at ESPN Page 2,
Over the last year, we’ve seen the Hook Up perverted in so many ways. So many athletes attained the Hook Up, meaning they could do no wrong in the public’s eyes and even if they did, they’d be forgiven faster than you can say “Britney Spears is the white Whitney Houston."…
Wayne Gretzky: Best player of all time, but coaching and part-owning the Phoenix Coyotes has yielded little for that franchise. The NHL didn’t even lift an eyebrow when the Great One was implicated in a gambling ring which his wife, Janet Jones, and former Coyotes general manager Michael Barnett. Nope, not a bad idea at all to have a guy associated with a gambling ring coaching and owning a professional hockey team.
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Tags: Wayne+Gretzky,
Tocchet Waiting in the Stands
by Alanah McGinley on 01/14/08 at 01:04 PM ET
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From Jim Gintonio at The Arizona Republic,
When assistant coach Rick Tocchet returns from his two-year absence Feb. 7, he won’t be arriving cold. He has been watching the home games from the stands.
“It’ll be a nice addition,” Gretzky said. “Ulfie (Samuelsson) and Grant (Fuhr) have put in a lot of extra hours. It will be nice to have him come back. I know the players are happy to have him coming back.”
*The conditions the NHL outlined for Tocchet’s return back in November can be found here.
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Tags: rick+tocchet, wayne+gretzky,
