Kings’ Owner Checks Out Problems

Kings owner Bruce McNall, who had planned to go to New York Sunday night on a business trip, decided to go to Vancouver in the wake of potential problems within his National Hockey League club.

McNall downplayed his presence saying: “The plane just took a left turn at Reno. I’m still on my way to New York.”

But McNall has millions invested in the Kings and in the contract of star player Wayne Gretzky. When word of possible trouble between Gretzky and Coach Robbie Ftorek surfaced Sunday in newspaper reports, McNall came to check it out.

Gretzky says nothing happened between he and Ftorek after Ftorek benched him for almost 8 minutes in Wednesday’s game at Detroit; Ftorek refuses to say whether anything did or didn’t happen.

McNall, who said Ftorek will return next season, admited: “I was in Detroit and (Wayne) was mad, obviously, after the game. I saw that. But I didn’t stay around after the game. I thought they’d work it out. He didn’t say anything to me about it.

“True, he’s not the kind of guy who complains. But I have a sense of when he’s upset and when he’s not, and I don’t think it’s anything major.”

McNall also acknowledged that several members of the team have seemed to be upset lately.

“I think they were shaken up by something; I’m sure something happened that affected them,” McNall said. “Sometimes something like that brings a team closer together.

“I have this kind of thing with all my other companies, too. If you have more than 10 employees working together, there are going to be headaches and controversies. I try to let them work it out. If they can’t work it out, that’s when I come in.

“On this, I still think they’ll work it out.”

And although Ftorek continues to say that Gretzky is but 1 of 20 players, 1 piece of the puzzle, McNall knows better. “Wayne Gretzky is not just another player,” McNall said. “Robbie likes to treat all his players the same, and I think Wayne likes that. . . . Robbie can be strong-headed, and I respect that. I think Wayne respects it, too.

“But Wayne is the guy who brings people to the seats. If anything happens to that, God forbid, I’d be the one who was hottest about it with the coach. But I don’t think it’s anything, at the moment, that is going to be a long-lasting problem.”

Ftorek signed a 2-year contract when he became the Kings’ coach last December. McNall said he had no intention of making a coaching change in midseason again. Nor does he have a date set for extending Ftorek’s contract.

“If we were losing, we would look at everything, including the coaching staff,” McNall said. “But we’re winning. . . . As far as I’m concerned, Robbie will be back next season.”