charlio lemieux
9-14-05, 10:57 PM
Coach Gretzky reports for duty
"I'm venturing into a new career, and I have to go out there and earn my stripes as much as anybody," the Great One says.
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) -- Wayne Gretzky gave a hint of his coaching style Tuesday when he opened training camp with a greeting to Phoenix Coyotes players, then went into the stands at Glendale Arena to watch two scrimmages while his assistants oversaw the line changes.
Gretzky, who stayed on as the team's managing partner for hockey operations despite announcing Aug. 8 that he would become the club's head coach, acknowledged stepping into a realm where he may not reach the same status he attained as a player.
"I'm venturing into a new career, and I have to go out there and earn my stripes as much as anybody," he said.
But Gretzky believes applying the same principles that turned him from a teenage phenom into the NHL's greatest scorer -- study, preparation, attention to detail -- will help him make the transition.
"I really practised hard, I really knew who I was going to play against," he said. "Each and every night, I spent countless hours in video rooms going over things with coaches like John Muckler, so I made myself into the player that I became, and that's the way I'm going to coach."
He plans to let assistants Barry Smith, Rick Tocchet and Rick Bowness handle the routine aspects of camp -- and the team during home and home exhibition games against the Minnesota Wild on Friday and Saturday -- until the roster is trimmed to manageable size.
His delegation of authority won approval from the staff and players alike.
"You can't do it nowadays," Tocchet said. "I mean, you have five or six seconds to get another line on, matchups.
"There's a lot of preparation, a lot of video. So there's no way one guy could do a one-man show, and that's the key when you're the head of something -- to delegate and get the right people."
Brett Hull, Gretzky's friend, former teammate and golf buddy, said no one will question who is running the team, Gretzky's calm, thoughtful demeanour notwithstanding.
"It's respect that you have from your players, and obviously he's going to have that," Hull said. "When a voice needs to be raised, I'm sure he can.
"I think that's why (general manager) Mike Barnett brought in the players that he did, the leadership and the veteran guys, so those times are few and far between."
Centre Mike Comrie echoed the feeling.
"I grew up watching the Oilers in Edmonton, and now to play for him, it's a thrill," Comrie said. "I feel like we're probably going to learn quite a bit.
"When he says something, it's in a different way than most people do."
The Coyotes acquired Comrie late in the 2003 2004 season and he barely got to know his teammates before the lockout.
Hull, who trails only Gretzky and Gordie Howe in career goal scoring, also is among the team's newcomers. He left Detroit to sign with the Coyotes in August 2004, joining then newly acquired forwards Mike Ricci, Boyd Devereaux, Jason Chimera and defenceman Sean O'Donnell.
They and 2005 acquisitions like Petr Nedved and goaltender Curtis Joseph have been working out on their own, paying for ice time to prepare Camp Gretzky.
The effects were obvious at the first practice.
"It was pretty wild," Devereaux said. "It was really a high-tempo practice, so the guys were feeding off it for sure."
Hulls buddy buddy relationship with Gretzky may be strained if Hull starts slacking.
"I'm venturing into a new career, and I have to go out there and earn my stripes as much as anybody," the Great One says.
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) -- Wayne Gretzky gave a hint of his coaching style Tuesday when he opened training camp with a greeting to Phoenix Coyotes players, then went into the stands at Glendale Arena to watch two scrimmages while his assistants oversaw the line changes.
Gretzky, who stayed on as the team's managing partner for hockey operations despite announcing Aug. 8 that he would become the club's head coach, acknowledged stepping into a realm where he may not reach the same status he attained as a player.
"I'm venturing into a new career, and I have to go out there and earn my stripes as much as anybody," he said.
But Gretzky believes applying the same principles that turned him from a teenage phenom into the NHL's greatest scorer -- study, preparation, attention to detail -- will help him make the transition.
"I really practised hard, I really knew who I was going to play against," he said. "Each and every night, I spent countless hours in video rooms going over things with coaches like John Muckler, so I made myself into the player that I became, and that's the way I'm going to coach."
He plans to let assistants Barry Smith, Rick Tocchet and Rick Bowness handle the routine aspects of camp -- and the team during home and home exhibition games against the Minnesota Wild on Friday and Saturday -- until the roster is trimmed to manageable size.
His delegation of authority won approval from the staff and players alike.
"You can't do it nowadays," Tocchet said. "I mean, you have five or six seconds to get another line on, matchups.
"There's a lot of preparation, a lot of video. So there's no way one guy could do a one-man show, and that's the key when you're the head of something -- to delegate and get the right people."
Brett Hull, Gretzky's friend, former teammate and golf buddy, said no one will question who is running the team, Gretzky's calm, thoughtful demeanour notwithstanding.
"It's respect that you have from your players, and obviously he's going to have that," Hull said. "When a voice needs to be raised, I'm sure he can.
"I think that's why (general manager) Mike Barnett brought in the players that he did, the leadership and the veteran guys, so those times are few and far between."
Centre Mike Comrie echoed the feeling.
"I grew up watching the Oilers in Edmonton, and now to play for him, it's a thrill," Comrie said. "I feel like we're probably going to learn quite a bit.
"When he says something, it's in a different way than most people do."
The Coyotes acquired Comrie late in the 2003 2004 season and he barely got to know his teammates before the lockout.
Hull, who trails only Gretzky and Gordie Howe in career goal scoring, also is among the team's newcomers. He left Detroit to sign with the Coyotes in August 2004, joining then newly acquired forwards Mike Ricci, Boyd Devereaux, Jason Chimera and defenceman Sean O'Donnell.
They and 2005 acquisitions like Petr Nedved and goaltender Curtis Joseph have been working out on their own, paying for ice time to prepare Camp Gretzky.
The effects were obvious at the first practice.
"It was pretty wild," Devereaux said. "It was really a high-tempo practice, so the guys were feeding off it for sure."
Hulls buddy buddy relationship with Gretzky may be strained if Hull starts slacking.