Is it his nickname that inspires the ire? Maybe when you’re called ‘The Great One’ people expect the world and then blame you when great things don’t happen.
For most of the hockey world, Wayne Gretzky is still a revered name. Yet, you’d think it was a four-letter word for what seems to be a good portion of Phoenix Coyotes fans. A level of anti-Gretzky attitude seems to exist in Arizona where it doesn’t anywhere else.
Yes, the Coyotes are among the hottest teams in the NHL these days, contending for one of the top spots in the Western Conference playoffs. Yes, a “Whiteout” is already guaranteed and home ice advantage is a probability for at least one round. Yes, new head coach Dave Tippett has done a tremendous job from behind the bench, proving to Dallas that they made a monumental mistake in letting him go.
But, no, Phoenix’s past failures are not because of Gretzky. Any correlation between the current squad’s successes with the absence of No. 99 is simply misguided.
With all the turmoil surrounding the team this offseason, the players were faced with two choices: 1) go through the motions and wait for a move to Canada, or 2) play with an ‘us vs. the rest of the world’ attitude and focus on what they could control – the on-ice action. Luckily for Coyotes fans, the team chose the latter route and this season’s surprising results are due in large part to that mindset, not because Gretzky is no longer calling the shots.
The Coyotes are a franchise long held by owners who didn’t give a flying ‘puck’ about hockey. This franchise has been looked upon as either a carrot to attract a sea of commercial development or as an avenue to play funny with corporate money. The Coyotes have never had an owner who was interested in building a winning team. Instead, just enough familiar faces would find their way to Phoenix to make it appear as if ownership cared. Even from the very start, ownership didn’t seem to have its act together, failing to realizing that the then America West Arena wasn’t built for hockey and, thus, had an obscene amount of obstructed view seating. Gretzky, who simply had a desire to get back into the game, got involved in this continuous cycle of incompetent ownership – whether he was aware of the situation or not.
Yes, Gretzky was being paid a pretty sum… and far more than any other NHL head coach. However, do people really think that Gretzky was being paid ONLY for his coaching duties? For his entire tenure with the team, Gretzky WAS the face of the franchise. Maybe most Valley sports fans could recognize Shane Doan, but only die-hard hockey fans had ever heard of Ed Jovanovski and Derek Morris – two of the team’s alternate captains during part of the Gretzky era.
It’s certainly possible that this franchise would have fallen deeper into obscurity during a nearly decade-long playoff drought if not for the presence of Gretzky. It’s also not a far stretch to think that the Coyotes could be playing in Portland, Kansas City or Las Vegas if not for Gretzky’s involvement and commitment to Phoenix.
Yes, maybe some Gretzky decisions, such as his former agent becoming the team’s general manager, weren’t wise moves. But don’t think for a moment that Gretzky wasn’t supportive of the hiring of Don Maloney. Don’t doubt either that Gretzky wasn’t involved with the hiring of Tippett, or that he wasn’t in favor of the team’s youth movement that produced current key cogs such as Martin Hanzal, Keith Yandle and Daniel Winnik, plus the acquisition of Ilya Bryzgalov.
Gretzky’s always said that hockey is the greatest game on the planet and he certainly would never stand in the way of the Coyotes’ success. Considering how he and his deferred salary, which he set aside in order to aid the team’s financial situation, were being dragged into this summer’s bankruptcy hearings, did fans really expect Gretzky to stay behind the bench and bring the team’s financial woes into the rink? Do you really think reporters wouldn’t pepper Gretzky with questions about the franchise’s future, casting a cloud over the team and its potential play? Stepping down prior to this season was a tough decision for Gretzky, yet one that he knew was ultimately the right choice – not the cowardly act that some fans feel he made.
There’s no doubt that a great player doesn’t always make for a great coach or upper management mastermind. For basketball fans, the names Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and Isaiah Thomas quickly come to mind. It’s also possible that the mere shadow of Gretzky, which exists in defiance of his humble personality, was too much for any team to handle, especially one filled with young players who grew up watching ‘The Great One’s’ one-of-a-kind feats on the ice. But, could it also be possible that Gretzky was continuously handcuffed by ownership that kept the team’s payroll barely at the league minimum?
The Sports Don’s take is certainly not intended to overlook any faults of Gretzky or poor decisions made during his involvement with the team. But blaming him for Phoenix’s past failures and connecting the team’s current playoff push with his absence? Get real.
Fans should be thankful for Gretzky and his contributions to the Coyotes and simply enjoy this year’s surprising success. The overall franchise certainly isn’t in a better place without Wayne, but its play of late could convince a solid ownership group to gallop into Glendale on a white horse to save the team. Imagine what a smart and caring management could do for professional hockey in the Valley.
These are certainly heady days for the desert dogs. The future is bright. The past is the past. And ‘The Great One’ is still great. Capisce?
