Gretzky May Join the Kings : McNall to Talk With Oilers Wednesday, Denies Deal Is Set

Bruce McNall, owner of the Kings, said late Monday night that he and owner Peter Pocklington of the Edmonton Oilers have scheduled a telephone meeting for Wednesday to discuss a trade that would bring Wayne Gretzky to Los Angeles.

“I’ll try to see if I can stir up something,” said McNall, who denied reports Monday that a deal has been finalized. “A lot of talk is going on, but absolutely nothing has been concluded.”

Keith Olbermann of Channel 5, citing “four sources,” reported Monday night that a trade would be announced within the week that would bring Gretzky to Los Angeles in exchange for Jimmy Carson, No. 1 draft choice Martin Gelinas and $10 million.

He also reported that McNall and Gretzky had been seen together in the last week and that Gretzky had “broadly hinted” that a trade was imminent.

“I can guarantee that’s not the deal,” said McNall, who acknowledged having lunch with Gretzky and playing golf with the eight-time National Hockey League most valuable player last week in Los Angeles.

McNall said that he has talked with Pocklington in the past about Gretzky’s availability, but was always told that Gretzky was untouchable.

But that has changed, McNall said, since Gretzky was married last month to Janet Jones, an actress based in Los Angeles.

“He’s receptive to talking about it,” McNall said of Pocklington. “I don’t think that would have been the case before, but at least now we’re talking about it. Obviously, I’d like to make something happen.

“He said to me: ‘We’ll talk about it Wednesday.’ ”

La Presse, a Montreal-based French-language newspaper, also reported that a deal has been finalized between the Kings and Oilers.

The newspaper reported that Charlie Henry, general manager of the Gretzky-owned Hull Olympiques, said that all that remains to be decided is the date of the official announcement.

Henry said on an open-line radio show on the Radiomutuel network in Hull Monday that McNall would probably hold a press conference Thursday in Los Angeles.

“It’s unbelievable to me,” McNall said. “Every time the name Gretzky comes up, people go crazy.