Gretzky Returns Like Conquering Hero to Forum

This time, there wasn’t a Mark Messier running him over like a truck crushing a bug when he returned home to Edmonton for the first time after he was traded to the Kings in 1988.

No, the Blues’ Wayne Gretzky--who is having more comebacks than an aging rock band--found his biggest problems weren’t on the ice against his former teammates on Monday. There, it was a virtual delight as he scored once and added an assist as St. Louis beat the Kings, 3-1, in Gretzky’s first appearance at the Forum since being traded to the Blues Feb. 27.

Any minor annoyances came from the booing fans from the sellout crowd of 16,005, the fifth of the season. There was loud booing--mixed with some chasing cheers--every time he touched the puck early on, though the reaction was slightly more dignified than that from the Mighty Ducks’ spectators on Sunday. By the end, the boos were almost half-hearted, not delivered with the same kind of cocky gusto heard at the Pond.

All night, there seemed to be a certain duality. King co-owner Edward P. Roski, Jr., nodded when asked if he had mixed emotions. And many of the spectators seemed to feel the same way. One negative sign was held up, balanced by a couple of positive ones. Scrawled across one banner was: First the Rams and now the Great One.

Of course, King management took a couple of shots. One fan trotted a sign past the pressbox with an assessment of King General Manager Sam McMaster, McMaster The Disaster

The loss means the Kings (21-36-15) are 3-5 in the post-Gretzky era and remain six points behind Winnipeg in the race for the final playoff spot, as they have lost four consecutive games.

Gretzky’s return was a rare recent bright spot, previewed by a nice touch on the Forum video scoreboard with a short package of his King career highlights, and it ended with a brief message, saying, “You gave us a lot of great memories, 99, we miss you.”

The crowd gave Gretzky a nice round of applause, but it was certainly nothing like the lengthy standing ovation he received when he returned to Edmonton to play the Oilers for the first time after he was traded. That game was on Oct. 19, 1988 and the Kings lost, 8-6.

For some, it offered a final chance to say goodbye to Gretzky, an opportunity for the realization to sink in that this is not just a trial separation. Gretzky’s final game for the Kings was on the road at Winnipeg on Feb. 26. His last appearance for the Kings at the Forum was on Feb. 19 against Boston.

Since being traded to the Blues for three players and two draft picks, it has been a whirlwind for him. In addition to the post-trade fallout, Gretzky had other, more serious concerns on his mind in making his return home to Los Angeles. His seven-year-old daughter Paulina is scheduled to have laser surgery today to help correct an eye problem she has had since birth. And a close friend from his Junior B days in Toronto, Bill Cornish, died last week after a long battle with cancer. Gretzky lived with the Cornish family when he was a teenager.

But with everything on his mind, Gretzky has always responded best under extreme pressure. The Blues, who were roundly beaten by the Ducks on Sunday, are 5-3-1 since he joined them. In those nine games, Gretzky has five goals and 13 points.

Monday, Gretzky broke the tension after a scoreless first period, scoring his 20th goal with a quick wrist shot from the base of the left circle, at 7:00 of the second. King goaltender Kelly Hrudey, who faced 26 shots, was distracted by a sliding Blue forward Brett Hull. Hull lost his footing when he tripped over King defenseman Sean O’Donnell.

The Kings tied it, 1-1, just 1:33 later on defenseman Doug Zmolek’s second goal of the season, off a slap shot from the right circle past goaltender Grant Fuhr, who was otherwise brilliant.

Gretzky had the second assist on the game-winner, at 15:10 of the second, as Stephane Matteau came out from behind the net and scored as the puck went off Hrudey’s glove into the net.

King Notes

Making his King debut was defenseman Mattias Norstrom, who missed Saturday’s game because of a sprained right knee. He had two shots on goal and was a minus-three. . . . The healthy scratches were defenseman Rob Cowie and center Robert Lang. . . . Former King owner Bruce McNall was on hand, watching the game from the front row.