PHOENIX, Arizona, 10 August 2005 — Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky was named head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes on Monday, stepping into one of the few jobs in the National Hockey League that he has never tried before.

Gretzky, who is the NHL’s all-time scoring leader, will also serve as the club’s managing partner and alternate governor, a role that he has performed for the past four seasons.

“I’m really excited to be back in the locker room and back on the ice,” said the 44-year-old Canadian. “That’s what I love the most and I’m thrilled to be back on the hotseat. I’m looking forward to it.” Gretzky will have former Detroit assistant coach Barry Smith, former Phoenix forward Rick Tocchet and Coyotes interim coach Rick Bowness as assistants.

“I’m ecstatic to have this staff and I’m confident that we will be successful as a group,” said Gretzky, who is in his first head coaching position. A nine-time Most Valuable Player award winner, Gretzky is league’s all-time leader with 894 goals, 1,963 assists and 2,857 points in his 21-year career. Gretzky played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League with Edmonton, Los Angeles, St. Louis and the New York Rangers, dominating the game unlike any player in history.

Gretzky helped win four Stanley Cup Championships and three Canada Cup tournament titles during his career.

He became the NHL’s all-time leading goal, assist and point producer for both regular season and playoffs. Gretzky won 10 Art Ross Trophies as the NHL’s leading scorer, and two Conn Smythe Trophies as playoff MVP.

“We are thrilled that Wayne will assume the role as head coach,” Phoenix chairman Steve Ellman said of Gretzky who signed a multi-year coaching contract.

“Wayne is the greatest player to have ever played the game. He is an icon to our sport. It will be an honor for us to see him assume control of our hockey club at the bench level.

“Needless to say, we are very excited about our future with ‘The Great One’ as head coach.” Coyotes general manager Michael Barnett, Gretzky’s former agent, asked Gretzky to take over as coach in June 2004.

But Gretzky said he would wait until a collective bargaining agreement was signed before deciding whether to coach.

“So many of the attributes that people have recognized in great coaches over the decade are the same skills and qualities held by Wayne Gretzky,” Barnett said.

“He has passion, intelligence, creativity, communication, and most importantly, a deep understanding of the correlation between team and winning. We welcome him to the bench with open arms.” Gretzky broke into the league in 1979 with Edmonton, finishing with 137 points and winning the first of eight consecutive Hart Trophies.

Over his next eight seasons with the Oilers, he averaged 192 points.

Following the 1988 season, Gretzky was dealt to Los Angeles, where he rejuvenated the Kings’ franchise.

After averaging just over 10,000 fans in their first 21 years, the Kings became the first team in Southern California to sell out every home game for an entire season in 1991.

Two years later, Gretzky returned from a back injury to lead Los Angeles to its first and only Stanley Cup Finals appearance.

Bertuzzi Reinstated After

17-Month Suspension

Meantime, Vancouver Canucks star forward Todd Bertuzzi was reinstated by the National Hockey League on Monday after serving one of the longest suspensions in the history of the sport.

Bertuzzi was originally suspended indefinitely by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman for his March 2004 attack which seriously injured former Colorado player Steve Moore.

The 30-year-old Canadian was prohibited from playing internationally during the lockout, which covered European pro leagues, the 2004 World Cup of Hockey and the 2004 and 2005 World Championships.

Bettman said Monday that a 17-month suspension was “the appropriate sanction.” “Mr. Bertuzzi is on notice that he will be held strictly accountable to a higher standard than other NHL players for his on-ice conduct during the 2005-06 season,” Bettman said. On April 26 in New York, Bettman met with both players and their lawyers.

Also present were league and team officials and physicians.