All of the Stars at Forum Aren’t on Ice : Celebrities: The rich and famous scramble to get on guest list of King owner Bruce McNall.

Getting a seat in Bruce McNall’s private dinning room in the Forum Club before a Kings game can be as tough as getting a window seat at Spago.

The closer Wayne Gretzky gets to surpassing Gordie Howe to become the National Hockey League’s all-time leading scorer, the more crowded it becomes at the dinner table of the Kings owner.

Marlee Matlin, an Academy Award winning actress, was seated at the head table next to McNall before Wednesday night’s game against the New York Islanders.

“I hope Gretzky gets eight points (to break the record) tonight for the Kings and for the King--Bruce McNall,” Matlin said in sign language.

Golfer Craig Stadler also took in the game from McNall’s box, high above the Forum ice.

“I’ve turned into a fanatical fan,” Stadler said. “When I’m in town I come to two out of three games.”

Stadler hopes Gretzky sets the record at the Forum.

“I don’t think there’s pressure on him because he can get points from assists,” Stadler said. “But I think it would be fitting if he broke it on a goal.”

Gray Davis, state controller, also watched the game from McNall’s box.

“I think everybody wants to see Gretzky get the record,” Davis said. “It’s a little piece of history and I think everybody wants to be a part of it.”

Not all the stars watched the game from ice-side seats or from McNall’s box.

Bruce Hornsby, a recording artist, and pitcher Mark Langston of the Montreal Expos watched the game from the stands.

Actually, celebrity watching was rather slow Wednesday night. One of the studios must have been having a screening or perhaps the film, TV and record stars realized that Gretzky had little chance of breaking the record against the Islanders.

Sylvester Stallone, who has four seats just off the ice, was absent. So was John Candy, who has become a regular at King games. Sean Penn, who visited the Kings’ dressing room Sunday, was absent Wednesday.

While the rich and famous may have been scarce, there were lots of not-so-rich and famous fans present in the crowd of 14,261, patiently waiting for Gretzky to break Howe’s record.

One look at the left wrist of Diane Whitehead of Riverside is all it takes to realize her devotion to hockey.

She wears a Wayne Gretzky digital watch. And she’s so enamored with the Kings that she had a gold Kings’ crown embedded on one of her teeth. Her house is decorated in a hockey motif and she has collected 153 autographed hockey sticks.

“You won’t find people as nuts as we are about hockey,” Whitehead said of herself and her husband, Jack.

Although he works nights, Jack Whitehead plans his work schedule around the King schedule.

Chris Jeffries, a Bakersfield teen-ager, attended the game wearing a regulation goalie mask and a King jersey.

Although his favorite player is Kings’ goalie Kelly Hrudey, Jeffries is also rooting for Gretzky.

“Gretzky is an awesome player Jeffries said. “He’s the best.”

Alice Marquez of Los Angeles rarely attended King games until Gretzky arrived, but her boyfriend purchased Kings’ season seats after Gretzky joined the Kings last season.

“When they got Gretzky that’s when they bought Los Angeles,” Marquez said.

Leon Olsheuer of Los Angeles has a financial stake in Gretzky. Olsheuer is marketing a life-size poster of Gretzky. He unveiled one at the Forum Wednesday.

“It just came off the press,” he said.

But not everyone was at the Forum to see Gretzky.

Brian Bennett of Northridge said he was a King fan before Gretzky arrived.

“I was a fan when they wore purple and gold,” Bennett said. “I’m crazy about the Kings. Obviously, Gretzky is the great one, but I’m here for the team.”