Struggling Gretzky Raises Questions : Hockey: He has goal and assist in 3-3 tie with Calgary, but poor start has some wondering if the end of his career is near.

Two years ago, Wayne Gretzky wondered whether the end was near. He had a soul-searching dinner in Quebec before the All-Star break with King Coach Barry Melrose and assistant Cap Raeder, wondering if they thought he was embarrassing himself.

Months later, the Kings were in the Stanley Cup finals.

The same questions have resurfaced again in what seems to be a yearly ritual. Although Gretzky scored and added an assist as the undermanned Kings tied the Calgary Flames, 3-3, for their first point in four games on Thursday night before 15,206 at the Forum, he is answering speculation about his future and posing some questions of his own.

“I’d be lying if I didn’t stand here and say, ‘Yeah, there are nights when I don’t know if I am near the end,’ ” Gretzky said after the morning skate. “Am I different than I was a year ago?

“But I don’t believe that the way I play and my style of game have deteriorated to the point where I can’t play after six months.”

The waning of Wayne has become a popular NHL topic everywhere Gretzky goes these days. In part, it is a more prominent issue since the Kings are 4-8-4 and 10th in the Western Conference.

Entering Thursday’s game, Gretzky had three goals, 12 assists and was a minus 14 on the plus-minus scale. Only three of his points and one of his goals came at even strength before the Flames’ game.

“What I have to do is fight through it to the point where if I give it my best effort and do come up short, then I have to figure out what the next stage of my career is,” he said. “ . . . I don’t blame anybody. It’s my own fault. I just haven’t played well.”

Meanwhile, Gretzky is facing another renewed charge--that he is the Kings’ general manager on ice, helping engineer the recent controversial trade for goaltender Grant Fuhr. It’s a theory denied by all involved.

“I used to worry about that,” Gretzky said. “There were times over the last six years that if we traded for an Oiler, people would look at me. All of a sudden, it’s Wayne Gretzky’s (deal) and that bothered me tremendously. Then at the end of the year, I saw (Mark) Messier with the Stanley Cup with about nine ex-Oilers. I don’t give a flying . . . what they say now, to be honest.

“If I get an opportunity to lift the Stanley Cup again, I don’t care who is on my side.”

Right now, the Kings are simply concerned with winning a game. They are still without four injured defensemen--Rob Blake, Marty McSorley, Michel Petit and Tim Watters--but managed a spirited and focused effort against the Flames with a strong performance from goaltender Kelly Hrudey.

Even though Calgary outshot the Kings, 48-29, the Kings led in the third period until the Flames benefited from a fluke play, tying the score, 3-3, at 8:36. Calgary defenseman Steve Chiasson, above the left circle, launched a shot that caromed off the end boards and came out to the other side. Center Joel Otto, alone at the right crease, punched it in out of the air.

Later, Gretzky said: “I compare myself to myself. I’ve felt I’ve let the organization down. It becomes my responsibility to pick up the young guys on the ice--making a big play, scoring big goals. It’s one thing if you’re getting chances, but I wasn’t even around the puck. I felt tonight was a big step (in the right direction).”

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King Notes

Left wing Eric Lacroix suffered a sprained right knee in the first period and did not return. He sat out a game earlier in the season with the same ailment. . . . For the second consecutive game, an official got hurt and did not finish. This time, it was linesman Wayne Bonney, who was struck in the foot with a shot in the first period.