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Sunday, February 02, 2003

By Dejan Kovacevic, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

One might imagine that, given Wayne Gretzky's passion for the spotlight, he would be front and center in the NHL's labor talks with the players next year.

He insists he will not.

Even though he is owner of the Coyotes and wields great power in the game, Gretzky said he is confident NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Bob Goodenow, chief of the NHL Players Association, will be able to put together a new Collective Bargaining Agreement without his assistance.

"This is something so complex and so huge and the decisions that will be made very complicated, so I am very comfortable that Bob and Gary will work something out," he said. "For Wayne Gretzky to be involved is really not the right angle to take. I really think both sides will get something done. I am a positive person."

He also might be positive that getting involved in a situation that figures to turn ugly would do little to enhance his near-pristine image.

The Flames' Bob Boughner, quickly becoming among the most vocal of the NHLPA's rank and file, told the Toronto Sun he doesn't understand how owners complain about hockey finances given how desperately Ottawa's ownership is trying to hang onto its team through bankruptcy: "If it's such a bad investment, why does a guy like Rod Bryden turn around and suddenly make another pitch for the Senators?"

Perhaps the reason the Penguins are pushing an Alexei Kovalev trade almost two months before the NHL deadline is that they anticipate other star forwards could become available and, thus, glut the market. Two such players would be the Sharks' Owen Nolan and the Kings' Zigmund Palffy. Nolan makes $6.5 million and has 18 goals, Palffy $7 million with 19 goals. San Jose General Manager Dean Lombardi this week refused to deny he recently tried to deal Nolan. Kings President Tim Leiweke has warned he will break up the roster to dump payroll if his team falls out of playoff contention.

The Canucks are among the NHL's best teams despite a $31 million payroll that is less than the Penguins' and ranks among the bottom third in the league. Fans in Vancouver, similar to those in Pittsburgh, have gnashed teeth for years over losing prominent players because of finances. But no one was complaining this week when management signed Ed Jovanovski and Trevor Linden to three-year deals worth a total of $21 million. It is a reward for the superb support the team has gotten, averaging crowds of 18,338 at GM Place.

If only for their nickname and logo, it has been difficult to take the Mighty Ducks seriously since their inception a decade ago. That could be changing. General Manager Bryan Murray was trumpeting the acquisition of Sandis Ozolinsh Friday as Anaheim's sign that it is determined to make the playoffs for the first time since 1999. "This is a guy that will give us skill at the back end, that will help our power play considerably," Murray told reporters in Anaheim. "This kind of player is important to take the next step." The Mighty Ducks are one point behind the Avalanche for the final playoff spot in the West.

So much for the idea of a sports lottery to help Canada's small-market teams. The Oilers and Flames are replacing their $10 scratch-and-win tickets with a $5 version in an attempt to boost poor sales. Each team is expected to net $124,000 in the shared promotion, barely enough to cover a Georges Laracque bonus.