Page 1 of 1
Official-Gretz is new PHX coach
Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2005 10:53 pm
by Cross Traffic
8/7/2005 5:56:54 PM
PHOENIX (CP) - Wayne Gretzky has decided to become head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes, the Arizona Republic reported Sunday.
Gretzky is expected to officially be named coach Monday, several NHL sources told the Republic.
When contacted by The Canadian Press, Coyotes spokesman Rich Nairn said he could not confirm the story and that team had no events scheduled for Monday.
Gretzky, the NHL's all-time leading scorer and the managing partner of the Coyotes, had said he would wait until a new collective bargaining agreement was in place before deciding whether to take on the coaching job.
According to the Republic, former Detroit Red Wings associate coach Barry Smith will be named as one of Gretzky's two assistants.
Former Coyotes player Rick Tocchet or interim head coach Rick Bowness will be the other.
Gretzky would take over for Bowness, who stepped in as interim coach after Bob Francis was fired in the 2003-2004 season.
Gretzky is the final year of a five-year contract with the club and is a longtime friend of Coyotes general manager Mike Barnett.
He has already committed to serve as executive director for Team Canada at the Winter Olympics in Turin in February.
The Coyotes have a new $220-million US arena, which they have yet to play a full season in. They moved to the Glendale Arena in December 2003, but they didn't get opportunity to open a season there before the lockout began.
Not sure if this is such a great idea for the Great One....
Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2005 1:39 am
by Shoalzie
Good to see Barry Smith find another coaching job...he should be able to help Gretz along. The Coyotes put together a team that is capable of making the playoffs...we'll see if he's able to motivate them. He and Hull should get along well. This will either go well or fail miserably and he'll quit after a year.
Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2005 12:16 pm
by Mainiac
I'm squarely in the "fail miserably" category. Big stars do not make good coaches, muckers and grinders are usually much more successful. This will be like Michael Jordan trying to coach NBA players, Gretz will see things on the ice that nobody else will and he'll be constantly frustrated as to why his guy didn't make that pass or see that open teammate.....etc. Bad idea but I'm sure his ego is saying he can do anything.
Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2005 12:42 pm
by Hapday
Even if Gretzky fails (which I think he will), he is so well liked and respected that nobody will hold it against him. I think this is strictly a PR and a cost-savings move myself.
Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2005 1:42 pm
by fix
I'm with Mainiac and Hap on this one. It's a bad idea but the only saving grace I can see for Gretz is his having Barry Smith there to take over the team after this season is done.
Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2005 7:40 pm
by al?
Life in Ontario sure has made you boys cynical.
Gretz will do well as a head coach. I'd bet more than half the players on that team had at least one of the following:
Wayne Gretzky bedsheets
Wayne Gretzky wallpaper
Wayne Gretzky lunchbox
Wayne Gretzky watch
you get the idea. There will never be a lack of desire or respect on that team, and I can never see any player 'tuning out' the Great One. Plus he owns 18% of the team. He will do whatever it takes to succeed, and his players will be behind him.
Just don't judge him on his first year. Even Wayne Gretzky had to learn to skate, learn to score, learn to pass. He will learn to coach. He has two good ones to help him out in Bowness and Smith.
Wayne will be fine.
Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2005 11:18 pm
by Cicatrix
Mainiac wrote: Bad idea but I'm sure his ego is saying he can do anything.
I have to disagree on the whole ego thing. The man has done a lot and has more money than he can spend but still manages to be relatively down to earth.
Sure he has done a bit of selling out but the man does not consider himself untouchable or above reproach and is one hell of a family man.
I had the oppurtunity to meet him several years back and he took the time out of signing autographs to comfort this little girl that clearly hated having to stand in line with her dad for 99's sig.
Now maybe he'll do well and maybe not. But just because he is one of the greatest players to ever lace em up does not mean a big ego lurks beneath.
Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2005 11:37 pm
by Shoalzie
al? wrote:Just don't judge him on his first year. Even Wayne Gretzky had to learn to skate, learn to score, learn to pass. He will learn to coach. He has two good ones to help him out in Bowness and Smith.
Wayne will be fine.
Well said. He's got a nice coaching staff around him. Bowness wasn't a great head coach but he's been around the team for the last few years. Smith is one of the best associate coaches in the game should help stabilize the dressing room as well help the defense. Tocchet will bring a grinder, tough guy approach and should help with the teams work ethic. Gretzky would be a great influence on some of their young skill players like Nagy, Comrie and Doan. Plus, you've got Brett Hull in uniform...one of the greats, a proven winner and a good friend of Gretzky. It's a great mix. They should be able to compete for playoff spot in the very competive Western Conference as long as the players listen to him and his assistants. Aside from Hull, there are no combustable elements on that team...they should be make a nice improvement on previous years and push for the 7th or 8th spot in the conference.
Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 12:22 am
by AcidQueen
I give him 30 games.
Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 2:36 pm
by al?
^^^^^^^^^
That's because you're an idiot.
Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 3:01 pm
by Hapday
al? wrote:Life in Ontario sure has made you boys cynical.
We aren't cynical, we're just still bitter at Gretzky for 1993. :twisted:
Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 3:02 pm
by Hapday
AcidQueen wrote:I give him 30 games.
I give Gretzky 30 games until his team has 50 more points than the Hurricanes.
Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 3:59 pm
by JD
Hapday wrote:al? wrote:Life in Ontario sure has made you boys cynical.
We aren't cynical, we're just still bitter at Gretzky for 1993. :twisted:
YOU'RE bitter at Gretzky???
Sincerely,
FlameFan in 1983, 1984, 1988, 1990, 1993
Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 4:10 pm
by Cross Traffic
Which one hurt worse? 1990 or 93?
Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 4:13 pm
by Hapday
Even thought Flames fans HATE the Oilers, I bet every single one of you has a Steve Smith Oilers jersey in the closet.
Posted: Tue Aug 09, 2005 5:14 pm
by JD
Hapday wrote:Even thought Flames fans HATE the Oilers, I bet every single one of you has a Steve Smith Oilers jersey in the closet.
Heh, that is true. Even when Smith was a Flame (one of the great ironic twists in history), the fans in the Saddledome would still yell SHOOOOOOOOT!!!
Cross Traffic wrote:Which one hurt worse? 1990 or 93?
It'd probably be better if I treated this as a rhetorical question, but definitely 1990. It's always worse when you're trying to defend the Cup.