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Gretzky Deserves Better

August 6, 2009, 12:48 AM ET [ Comments]
Howard Berger
Toronto Maple Leafs Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
LOS ANGELES (Aug. 6) – As the interminable, calamitous adventure of the Phoenix Coyotes marches on through a series of court proceedings, I find myself aching a bit for the most recognizable person caught up in the mess – part-owner and head coach Wayne Gretzky – whose name has occasionally been dragged through the mud.

There is no reason, of course, to pity Gretzky in the realm of economics or distinction; if he never makes another dime, his kids, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and their families are looked after, and he is still – more than 10 years since retirement – the most innately gifted athlete the sport of hockey has ever seen. Having so richly enhanced the game on the ice, however, Gretzky’s post-playing career has taken a difficult turn… one that improperly threatens the regal stature he’s acquired through the years. And, that just isn’t fair.

From a personal standpoint, I know Gretzky to say “hello Wayne” and he knows me to say “hello Howard”. Beyond that, our paths haven’t crossed to any significant degree. But, like any Canadian that is 50 years of age or older, I feel as if he’s been a part of my life. Though others watched him more frequently – fans and media in Edmonton and Los Angeles had a front-row seat during his unparalleled prime – I can easily close my eyes and form a snapshot of the Gretzky moments I witnessed in person… some of the finest memories of my career:

1) The Great One’s first NHL appearance in Toronto on Nov. 21, 1979. It was one of the first times I ever sat in the press box at Maple Leaf Gardens and I marveled as the 18-year-old rookie dominated every inch of the ice – scoring twice and setting up two others in a 4-4 tie with the Leafs. I remember Dave Dryden played goal for the Oilers that night in his final stop as a pro. Talking to Dryden after the game, he looked at me and quietly said, “You haven’t seen anything yet from this kid. Already, no one can touch him.”

2) The first Stanley Cup final I covered – 1985. After losing the opening game to the Philadelphia Flyers at the old Spectrum, Gretzky and the Oilers kicked it into gear and breezed to a five-game triumph for their second consecutive NHL championship. A particular goal in Game 5 at the Northlands Coliseum – on May 30, 1985, an 8-3 Edmonton romp – stands out to this day, as Gretzky and Paul Coffey worked a dazzling give-and-go that confounded the Flyer defenders and prompted heads to shake all along press row.

3) The Boston blackout of 1988. Gretzky and the Oilers were en route to a Stanley Cup sweep of the Bruins when the lights suddenly went out at the antiquated Boston Garden in Game 4 of the final, with 3:27 remaining in the second period [May 24, 1988]. It was the first Cup championship I covered for the radio station and I was sitting in an auxiliary press area behind one of the goals. Never before, or since, have I been so uncomfortable at a sporting event. It was more than 90 degrees in Boston that day; the Garden – without air conditioning and filled with almost 15,000 fans – seemed devoid of oxygen. What a relief it was to be told the game had been suspended and to get out of that virtual oven. The series switched to Edmonton for a “replay” of Game 4 and the Oilers toyed with the Bruins, 6-3, for their third Stanley Cup title in four years.

4) Gretzky’s first appearance in a Los Angeles jersey. It was an exhibition game against Detroit on Oct. 1, 1988 at the Oakland Coliseum-Arena [now Oracle Arena], former home of the NHL’s California Seals. A group of sports enthusiasts in the Bay Area, including ex-Seals’ public relations director Len Shapiro, put on a series of pre-season games in Sacramento and Oakland, and I attended as part of a magazine story I was writing. Gretzky had been traded to the Kings in a head-spinning deal less than two months earlier and he suited up in his black-and-silver uniform against Detroit, which also wore its predominantly colored [red] jerseys. In the first intermission, I asked Len if I could stand at ice level, in the penalty box, and take pictures with a video camera. He said okay, and I still have the images – since transferred to DVD – of Gretzky skating back and forth in front of me during his initial tilt with the Kings almost 21 years ago.

5) Game 7 at the Gardens. That’s all you have to say to Maple Leaf fans who remember the 1993 Campbell Conference final, and the deciding match on a Saturday night, May 29. After all of his remarkable achievements in Edmonton, Gretzky still calls it his best-ever playoff performance: a three-goal, one-assist marvel that prevented the Leafs from matching up against Montreal for the Stanley Cup. I particularly remember sitting in the Gardens press box and watching Doug Gilmour, Dave Andreychuk, Glenn Anderson and Wendel Clark skate circles around the Kings for a two or three-minute stretch of the second period. The visitors couldn’t clear the zone; the crowd was in an uproar, and goalie Kelly Hrudey made several timely saves to preserve a 2-2 deadlock. When L.A. finally gained control of the puck, Gretzky skated across the Leafs blue line and beat Felix Potvin with a low slap-shot that sucked the life out of the building. Though the game went down to the final minutes of regulation, No. 99's killer goal in the middle frame was the signature moment.

6) The finale at Madison Square Garden. It’s hard to believe more than a decade has passed since that legendary afternoon in Manhattan – Sunday, Apr. 18, 1999 – when Gretzky played his final NHL game with the New York Rangers. I had been in Montreal covering a Leafs-Canadiens tilt the previous night and was privileged to fly to New York for the historic occasion. The Rangers lost to Pittsburgh in overtime and I began making my way from the upper 33rd St. press box to the dressing room area. I was five or six rows above the corner glass when Gretzky began his unforgettable sequence of laps, waving to the cheering audience while a spotlight followed him around the Garden ice. I stood, mesmerized, watching the entire spectacle and it’s a scene I’ll never forget.

7) The speech… in Salt Lake City on Feb. 18, 2002. It was in the press room of the E Center – prime hockey venue for the ‘02 Winter Olympic Games – and the Canadian men’s team had just played to a 3-3 tie against the Czech Republic. Gretzky was executive director of Team Canada in Utah and the club had been mediocre in its first three games: a one-sided loss to Sweden; a narrow victory over Germany, and the draw with the Czechs. After answering a couple of routine queries, the Great One’s competitive dander rose to the surface. He spoke of “American propaganda” and the fact the U.S. crowds were “loving us not doing well.” In a single breath, it seemed, Gretzky vented for two or three minutes, deflecting attention from his struggling players. Every reporter in the room was transfixed by the Great One’s uncharacteristic outburst. Less than an hour later, I ran into him at a party hall across from the arena known as the Hale Center. “What did you think, Howard?” Gretzky asked, looking rather proud. Though he didn’t want to be interviewed right then, I spoke with him on tape the following day in the parking lot of the E Center, and he played down the effect of his rant. Coincidentally, or not, Team Canada got stronger as the tournament progressed and defeated the host Americans in the gold medal match, busting a 50-year hockey drought for our country at the Olympics.

As mentioned, these moments rank among the most compelling in my reporting tenure, and I count myself extremely fortunate to have witnessed Gretzky’s entire playing career. Unlike contemporaries such as Mario Lemieux, I sense that Wayne had a difficult time when the applause subsided. No player in the history of the game had fashioned nearly as much praise and attention – all of it richly earned. After purchasing equity in the Coyotes, Gretzky had an opportunity to coach the club, which seemed rather absurd given that he had no formal experience, and had never publicly aspired to the role. If he missed the “action”, however, it allowed him to stand closest to the ice without being a player, and to be back in the spotlight on a daily basis.

Otherwise, I think Gretzky had all the best intentions for the Phoenix club. His presence leant the franchise instant credibility and he wanted to help advance the sport in Arizona as he once did – spectacularly – here in southern California. In the absence of quality personnel, though, it was proven that sports fans in Phoenix would not pay to watch a legend stand behind the bench. The Great One, according to documents related to the bankruptcy proceeding, pulled in a king’s ransom to coach the club – a reported $8 million per season. That’s a bad return on investment, until it’s considered – once again – that Wayne Gretzky is the most famous, celebrated individual in the history of hockey.

And, it’s the reason he amply deserves to emerge from this chaos with his name and reputation intact. If his silence in the bankruptcy matter – briefly shelved to offer a few mundane, generic observations, complimentary to both Phoenix and Hamilton – protects his financial interests, it is understandable why he’s retreated from view. Remember, he made a substantial investment in the franchise and has shared in its losses. Beyond that, Gretzky has been a keen advocate for hockey in the desert and has given his very best at the executive and coaching levels.

He has earned the right to come out of this mess unscathed in the court of public opinion.

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