As a hockey player, Wayne Gretzky was the “Great One.”
In his twenty-year National Hockey League career, he set records that may never be broken and achieved a level of dominance over his contemporaries that no player in any sport has come close to rivaling. Retiring with forty NHL records under his belt, Gretzky was larger than life on the ice. For example, no player in NHL history before or since has scored 200 points in a season.
Gretzky? He did it four times.
A nine-time MVP, Gretzky’s No. 99 jersey was retired not only by the teams he played for … but the entire league.
Unfortunately, since retiring in 1999, Gretzky’s hockey fortunes have reversed.
After taking a fractional ownership in the Phoenix Coyotes in 2000, Gretzky eventually became the team’s head coach. In four seasons behind the bench, Gretzky posted a disappointing 143-161-24 record (or .473 winning percentage). Only two NHL teams have worse records over that time period. He was also embarrassed by a gambling controversy that ensnared former Coyotes’ assistant coach Rick Tocchet and Gretzky’s wife, Janet, and forced him to deny allegations that he gambled on sports.
Now, the Coyotes are going under … losing $300 million since moving from Winnipeg, Canada in 1996. The team filed for bankruptcy in May, and apparently none of its potential suitors want Gretzky around.
Hence, Thursday’s announcement that Gretzky is stepping down as the Coyotes head coach …
Sad.
The “Great One” left an on-ice legacy that may never be matched. Unfortunately, off the ice his career has been a disaster.
