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November 21, 2009
Time for Gretzky to take the
next step
[PITTSBURGH, PA] -- With the Phoenix
Coyotes debacle behind him, Wayne Gretzky now faces an
immediate future without the very thing he has come to symbolize: The
game of hockey.
It doesn't have to be that way.
The Great One has another calling. There is one large mountain left to
climb for No.99, even if he doesn't yet realize it.
It would be fair to say that Greztky did not experience success as a head
coach, and the Coyotes early improvement under new bench boss Dave
Tippet does not speak well of Gretzky's coaching prowess.
It would also be fair to point out that Gretzky has assembled Olympic
Gold Medal and World Junior Championship winners. While he was never
the Coyotes General Manager, he was the managing partner. On limited
budgets, Phoenix assembled respectable talent, and has several
talented youngsters, including Kyle Turris and Victor Tikhanov.
Coaching probably kept the team from realizing a playoff berth and
revenue. See paragraph above.
The most logical next step for Gretzky would be to become a
president/GM, but those jobs are increasingly filled with previously
successful GM's, who have long track records or younger executives who
have been tabbed as rising stars. Gretzky is neither.
So, what's next?
The next phase of Wayne's professional life should be, rather, needs to be dedicated to bringing a seventh NHL franchise to
Canada, specifically southern Ontario.
No one is better positioned to force the NHL to allow a Hamilton,
Kitchener or
second Toronto franchise. As a southern Ontario native, Gretzky should
be able to speak with passion, conviction and most importantly,
credibility with regard to a seventh Canadian franchise.
Bill Daly's recent admission, or contention, that another team could
be placed in Hamilton without the approval of the Toronto Maple Leafs
has opened the door. The NHL opposed Jim Balsillie's Coyotes bid on the
grounds he was not an approved NHL owner.
They could not say the same of Wayne Gretzky. Seriously, who has the
stones to vote against Wayne F***in' Gretzky?
Balsillie succeeded in getting a nation behind his quest to put a
team into Hamilton by simply wrapping himself in the Maple Leaf. Most
didn't buy his patriotic stance, but most did support his goal, so
they went along. Gretzky would have no such credibility problems. He
will be able to wrap himself in the Canadian flag and hockey fans from
across the world will rush to join him.
The benefits to Gretzky's efforts would be numerous. First, he would
again be viewed as a hero. The ego of a great player can never be
dismissed. Freud's described Id is what often drives greatness in the
first place, and Gretzky no doubt enjoys the “Wayne Gretzky” brand he
has created. Bringing a team to Ontario would immortalize the
executive Gretzky just as fans have immortalized the player Gretzky.
Second, the NHL threw the “great one” under the bus when they took
over the Phoenix Coyotes. He is currently owed over eight million
dollars. What better way to even the score than to remove an expansion
market for which the league wants to charge a gazillion dollars?
Ok, that one may be childish, but so am I.
The business aspect, and profit potential of such a venture can not be
ignored. In 1988, at the height of his popularity and prime, Gretzky
was making only $1.72 million! He grossed only $43 million
between 1989 and his retirement in 1999. For comparison sake,
according to hockeyzoneplus.com, Jaromir Jagr made over $74 million.
So, what's next for Wayne Gretzky? It should be something befitting
the “Great One”. It should be an attempt to find the holy grail of
hockey ownership. He has a legitimate chance to obtain and build a
Stanley Cup winner in Southern Ontario... as long as he doesn't hire
the same coach he did in Phoenix.
Daniel Kingerski, host of The Fourth Period Radio Show,
is the Pittsburgh Correspondent for
The Fourth Period Magazine and a Columnist for TheFourthPeriod.com.
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