Local Hockey Should Get Real Slap Shot in Arm : Some Mixed Reviews on Kings’ Gretzky Deal, but Reaction Is Mostly Positive

News of the Wayne Gretzky deal has caused shock waves--most of them good vibes--in the hockey community here.

But the sentiment among more informed fans, those who have played or coached hockey themselves, ranges from “great” to “there goes the farm.”

Sean McGillivray, who works with both adult and youth teams at the Conejo Valley rink, said the best thing about the trade would be its effect psychologically.

“Los Angeles is not the most sophisticated hockey community,” he said. “But everybody knows Wayne Gretzky. Someone at the rink said, ‘Maybe he’s not the very best player at this moment--maybe it’s Mario Lemieux--but you ask somebody on the street, “Who’s Mario Lemieux?” and you’ll draw a blank.’

“People coming to the rink last night were all excited. It’s great for the sport here. Hockey is a phenomenal game, as evidenced by the growth all over the country. But for years I’ve expressed concern that the professional team here hasn’t done much to support amateur hockey. I think that will change.”

Then there’s the flip side of educated opinion. Said Bruce Teitell, who coaches an adult team in the L.A. County Hockey Assn.: “WOW! Spell it backwards or forwards but put it in capital letters.”

Don’t, however, interpret that as approval.

“They sold the farm for one player,” he said. “I’ve been a Kings fan for 20 years, and I’ve been watching them trade away their future for aging veterans time after time.

“It will put more people in the seats, but it won’t build a winner. It will attract the trendy fans. I read one columnist at length on the deal who’s never mentioned hockey before. I went to an average of 30 or more games a year, especially the last 10 years, but I’ll go to far fewer this year. The tickets will be harder to get and more expensive. They’ve raised the prices twice since the end of last season.

“I’d be surprised if this makes the Kings a contender, this year or in the future, even though they got a fighter--Marty McSorley--as well. Gretzky orchestrated the whole deal so he could have McSorley to protect him. Where was Rogie Vachon in all of this? His philosophy was, ‘Build for the future.’ If they’ve ignored him, they should get rid of him.”

George Yates, captain of Caltech’s hockey club, said: “It’s an exciting period for Los Angeles. I used to see a couple of Kings games a year, but now I’ll go more often.

“It will take time for the Kings to gear their game around Gretzky. I’d like to see them shore up their defense. He doesn’t help much there, but he takes the pressure off with his offensive game.”

Another vote of approval came from Jack White, coach of UCLA’s hockey team and a celebrity squad that tours the country.

“It’s great! Exciting!” he said. “It’ll do what we hoped for--create a positive image for hockey in Los Angeles, for college and youth programs as well as the Kings. Bobby Orr was a godsend for Boston--they named rinks for him and all that--and Gretzky’s what we need here.

“For the National Hockey League it’s unbelievable. Now they have a real coast-to-coast potential.”

Reservations about Gretzky’s playing time were expressed by another local hockey veteran. Gary Lyons, an official in youth hockey organizations, said:

“He won’t play much; not like in Edmonton. He had a cast of defensemen there to protect him but he’ll get killed here. The Oilers were a legend, but now he’ll be playing with just another team trying to move up from the bottom. He won’t get the respect he got up there.

“McSorley was clearly a necessary element in the deal, but one guy won’t be enough to protect Gretzky. Carson is rougher and will fit right in at Edmonton. He’s not far behind Gretzky in talent and he’s a lot younger.

“Gretzky was always in the limelight, but he’ll find a different kind of pressure here, more partying and other distractions that could take away from his game. It won’t be the same Gretzky. His stats will drop at least 20%.”

But Lyons also said: “It’s great for the kids here, a chance to see the legend. He’ll fill the role Marcel Dionne was playing. But it’ll be hard to make up for losing the draft choices. And even with all the seats filled, they’ll probably raise ticket prices again.”

Bert Franklin, who has played and coached hockey for 30 years and currently plays for a semipro team, called the Gretzky deal the best thing that has ever happened to hockey here. “It’ll have more impact than the Olympics,” he said. “We’ll double the number of kids in youth hockey in five years. Every kid who’s ever tried out, or thought about it, will be back playing hockey. I’m going to buy season tickets. I used to have them but in recent years you didn’t need ‘em. There were always plenty of seats at the last minute.

“Gretzky is in his prime, and he’s excited about coming here. He might even break some of his own records. And he’ll get plenty of help from guys like Luc Robitaille and Dave Taylor. I’d like to be their coach!”

Gino Vella, like Lyons an official in youth hockey groups, said the trade has moved the Kings from a fourth-place club to a first- or second-place aggregation. He echoed Franklin’s sentiments about the effect on youth hockey but said, “There’s just one problem: When all those kids come out for hockey, where are the ice rinks?

“There’s been talk of new rinks in Simi Valley, Chino Hills, San Dimas, Lake Arrowhead, Laguna Niguel and the Rose Bowl area. Maybe this will give it all a shot in the arm. It will certainly help fund-raising here.”

Brad Berman, president of the Los Angeles County Hockey Assn., seconded the call for new facilities. “Everyone’s excited, but we have to have someplace for them to go,” he said. “Our rinks are saturated.

“This will definitely make the Kings a contender. Gretzky’s not only a great player but a great motivator and organizer, a playmaker. He has the ability to get guys to understand hockey is a game of plays . And Robbie Ftorek is a play coach. They’ll mesh together very well.”

Dr. James Warden, president of the Pacific Collegiate Hockey Assn., also stressed Gretzky’s potential as a motivator. “As long as Gretzky himself stays motivated, and healthy, it’s a good trade. If the Kings had lost both Robitaille and Carson, it would have been a bad trade. They still have some good players, but what they don’t have is a good goalie.”