So says the Great One, anyway. Hey, after a week of a free-agent signing blizzard and that "I'm so glad to be in (fill in the blank)" talk, the decks were cleared Sunday for this one news nugget, nothing more than a confirmation, really, but a big one: Wayne Gretzky, adding the title of head coach to his ownership portfolio in Phoenix with the Coyotes (a press conference is scheduled for today at 4 p.m. Eastern):
"By no means am I Scotty Bowman, but I know the game, I love the game, I have a really good staff and we have a really good team. It's exciting. I haven't felt this way since I was 17."
Hmmm. Guess all those Stanley Cups, Olympics, scoring titles and hosting Saturday Night Live were just the setup. But is this about winning hockey games in the new NHL, or is it about selling the sizzle? If Gretzky the coach can even approach the unassailable standards set by Gretzky the player, this will go down as a success. But just ask Larry Bird. Hall of Fame players trying to lead ham-and-egg players is no easy trip. And the Coyotes aren't exactly the second coming of the '85 Oilers.
So you took the weekend off. So did the Leafs, actually. Aren't you just kicking yourself for missing Ray Whitney signing with Carolina? Get caught up here.
In Detroit they're already burying their long rivalry with the Avalanche (and are you ready for Cujo in Pittsburgh? Tampa Bay? Anywhere else we've missed?).
Free tickets in Montreal. Sacre bleu.
Is Nashville going hockey mad with the signing of Paul Kariya? Um, no.
"The Devils are not very intimidating right now."
Rick Nash is staying in Columbus, but some rival GMs might be questioning what's up with the Blue Jackets.
Gretzky is a figurehead, it's so obvious. But if that's what they need to do in Phoenix to sell their team, then whatever. I don't imagine he'd be a very good coach.
Then again, if Pat Quinn can get away with it, why not Gretzky?
As for Montreal's free ticket offering to its fans ... take note Larry Tannenbaum. No doubt Larry will try and score a couple of Habs ducats for himself.
By comparison, what's the best the Teacher's Fund Maple Leafs can do? Two bucks off all the cheap seats. Wow!
Posted by: Andrew Spencer | August 08, 2005 at 02:43 PM
WAYNE GRETZKY AS COACH?
GRETZKY WAS A SOFT PLAYER! HE WILL BE A POOR COACH! HE WAS CONSTANTLY PROTECTED BY ENFORCERS SO HE NEVER HAD TO TRULY PLAY REAL HOCKEY AND AS SUCH GRETZKY WAS AN OKAY HOCKEY PLAYER...BUT HE WAS NO MARIO LEMIEUX WHO TOOK THE PHYSICAL PUNISHMENT, DEALT WITH SERIOUS ILLNESS AND STILL OUTPLAYED GRETZKY ( AVERAGED MORE POINTS PER GAME THAN GRETZKY - LOOK IT UP FOLKS!) TO BE A GOOD COACH YOU NEED TO BE TOUGH AND INTELLIGENT; NEITHER QUALITY DOES GRETKY POSSESS! GRETZKY WILL FIRE HIMSELF AFTER THE FIRST SEASON...IF HE MAKES IT THAT LONG! GO PENS GO! GO SENS GO! PENS VS, SENS IN STANLEY CUP FINAL IN 06!
Posted by: JD POWELL | August 08, 2005 at 03:34 PM