‘Great One’ Having A Great Time Again Kings Only At .500, But That’s Better Than Past Two Seasons
Wayne Gretzky stood in the middle of a crowded visitor’s locker room at San Jose Arena the other day. But in another sense, he stands alone.
Gretzky is wearing his hair long again these days. He’s also smiling a lot more. Winning tends to do that for the Great One.
That’s why hockey is fun again for Gretzky, even though his Los Angeles Kings have leveled off to just under a .500 record (13-14-7) after a fast start (4-0-3 and 10-5-5). This sure beats what his team had been through the last two seasons.
“It was tough for us,” said Gretzky. “The franchise was unstable, we were losing. It was difficult mentally and emotionally.”
The Pacific Division’s second-place Kings have missed out on the postseason the last two years, since losing the Stanley Cup to Montreal in 1992-93.
And there were plenty of distractions off the ice. Troubled Bruce McNall no longer owns the team, the franchise is on better financial footing and the organization is starting to develop prospects again.
“That’s all behind us now,” Gretzky said. “It’s amazing what a difference it makes to get off to a good start. It seems like how you do in your first 10 games can really carry over for a good part of the season.”
But then there is the matter of Gretzky’s future. Sports’ most famous No. 99 is earning the league’s top salary - $6,545,363 - but he’s in the final season of a three-year, $25 million contract.
Gretzky turns 35 on Jan. 26 and he would be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end. He could negotiate with any team and the Kings would receive no compensation for losing the game’s greatest player.
With 17 years in the league, the last eight as a King, Gretzky owns or shares 61 NHL records. He’s the league’s all-time leader in goals (823), assists (1,729) and points (2,552 in 1,206 games).
“I hope I finish my career here,” said Gretzky, a 10-time Art Ross Trophy winner as league scoring champion. “It should all be rectified next month. It would be crazy on their part to let me play the whole year then just let me walk.”
Crazy for the Kings, but you have to wonder if Gretzky shouldn’t finish his glorious career in a tradition-rich market like Toronto or Detroit. Wherever he ends up, Gretzky wants to revisit the glory years he had with Edmonton when he led the Oilers to four of their five Stanley Cups.
“I just want to win one more championship,” said Gretzky, who is doing his best to lead the Kings. His 47 points on nine goals and 38 assists pace by 20 a team that has a blend of youth and experience.