Is Wayne Gretzky the problem in Phoenix?...?

Question

He has had plenty of time to "build his team". I think he has made very bad personel decisions,and is very impatient. I know he is the 'Great One", and will always be, but maybe coaching isn't for him,hence,Larry Bird, Magic Johnson of the NBA just to name a few who didn't succeed.. I personally think a great superstar, does not mean your automathically a great coach. I believe the opposite applys. I also think that is why U did not see mega stars such as Mario Lemueix, and Michael Jordan coach...what do U think?

Answer 1

You notice Mario bought the team, kept Craig Patrick as GM(back when he was one of the best, although he lost it a little in the end) and kept the coach. Herb Brooks came in for a year then Hlinka(who had just won the Gold for the Czech Republic). Then when the team went into purely building they decided to bring in someone to coach, that wouldn't hurt their record as a coach. They brought in Eddy O who WANTED the job. He lost the job to Therrian because he didn't seem to be able to coach the team as the talent was there. Although I think we can see last year it wasn't just about Eddy O. Anyway though my point with Mario is you see he isn't intrested in taking over the team, he just owns it. Maybe Wayne IS the problem. You can't be a coach just because you could play good. Oh you might want to take Jordon off the list though. Can't remember his postion with the Bobcats but he is Coach or GM or whatever. I think in cases like Wayne, he can't coach because look who he put there with him. He wasn't taking people who were COACHES, he was just putting friends up there. The other thing is that I don't think he KNEW what he was doing. I think when you are that skilled it is second nature and you can't coach it.

Answer 2

What do all these coaches have in common: Toe Blake, Dick Irvin, Jacques Lemaire, Cy Denneny, Larry Robinson, Joe Primeau, and Hap Day? They have all won the Stanley Cup as a coach and are in the Hall of Fame... as players. I don't think that being a star has anything to do with a player's ability to become a coach.

Gretzky's problem is, aside of the team he has to work with, that he has no experience. Also, I don't know if you've noticed, but their lineup really isn't that good. I doubt anyone would have gotten that team into the playoffs. Two years is really not that much time to "build" a team. You might want to give him a fair chance before blowing him off. A lot of teams have won the Stanley Cup with coaches that were cast off before they could prove themselves. Ask Larry Robinson.

Larry Bird is a bad example for your point, too. He had a 147-67 record as a coach. That's not half bad.

Answer 3

He might be a portion of the problem, but you can't solely blame him as a coach. It's true, not all former players can coach...just look at the Penguins last season. They fired Eddie Olczyk in the middle of the season. He was terrible. Now they have Michel Therrien and they have completely turned around this season.

But I also think that a team is only as good as their fans...and the Coyotes are lacking in that department. I know...I live in Phoenix. But I would never go to a Coyotes game...unless they were playing Pittsburgh. I've learned since moving here from Pittsburgh 2 1/2 years ago that hockey doesn't seem to have a huge following in Arizona. I talk about hockey all the time at work and I get the same response - "Yeah, but it's...hockey. No one cares about hockey." Phoenix tends to be more of an NBA/MLB state.

So I don't think it's all Gretzky's fault, but a mix of some on and off ice things. We don't know what goes on in practice or in the locker room. There may be a lot of things going on that outsiders don't know about.

Let's Go Pens!!!

Answer 4

That's an really good question, and I think you'll be hearing it more and more in the next few months. I never got the impression that Gretzky was particularly sharp on player evaluation when he was in uniform, based on some of his public comments. I was also surprised that he switched to coaching, based on a lack of experience in that area. But I still assume that he has his fingers on any roster moves made by the team.

The Coyotes seem to be treading water, unable to increase their talent base. That might be bad scouting, bad evaluations, or bad luck ... or all of the above.

And no, greatness as a player doesn't mean you'll be a great coach. On the other hand, it doesn't mean you'll be a bad one. It would be difficult to picture the guys with incredible physical tools as a coach -- Lemieux certainly qualifies here. Gretzky, though, was never a physical specimen. He was, however, the smartest hockey player I've ever seen.

Answer 5

Without getting into a big answer I think the NHL has a coaching problem in general. I think Gretzky is maybe in over his head coaching but he has definitely gotten better over the season. He could get better, he's smarter than a lot of the former players who turned coach... the thing with him though is that he doesn't have a thick skin. I don't know if he can move from a loss and forget it before the next game. I don't know what this does to his team or his strategies... but I think he'll get better.

Answer 6

- Jovo injured a lot this year
- Comrie, Nagy traded
- Goaltending "average" at best
- Doan, Nolan and whoever else they have up front isn't going to cut it in this league
- They play in a division with the Ducks, Sharks, and Stars

Conclusion: the problem is not Wayne Gretzky, it's Phoenix's GM and their inability to draft good young players. I don't think that even Lindy Ruff (last year's Jack Adams winner) or whoever you think is better than Wayne would be able to coach this team to success in the next few years.

Answer 7

He's a smart player but I think he was more of an individual person on the ice and that is what the Coyotes are playing as. They are more out there for the individual stuff rather than playing as a team. I don't think he knows how to get them together as a team and that is the problem.

Answer 8

just because he was a great Hockey player does not mean he will be a great coach

Answer 9

i think

Answer 10

yes.