Gretzky Is No Lone Ranger

Seventeen years after teenagers Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier combined to form the nucleus of an NHL dynasty in Edmonton, they will be reunited in New York when Gretzky signs a two-year contract with the Rangers today.

The chance to once again sip champagne from the Stanley Cup with his longtime friend--and a scarcity of lucrative offers from other NHL powers--led Gretzky, who holds 61 NHL records, to take a pay cut and become the Rangers’ second-line center behind Messier, perhaps teaming with former King teammate Luc Robitaille.

Each is now 35, and each has several Cups to his credit. They won four championships as Oilers in a five-year span in the mid-1980s, and Messier went on to win a fifth Cup in Edmonton after Gretzky was traded to the Kings and a sixth with the Rangers in 1994.

Gretzky, who earned $6.54 million last season with the Kings and St. Louis Blues, will get about $4 million a year in salary plus incentives, sources said. However, among his perks will be a TV show on the Madison Square Garden Network and deferred payments.

Playing in New York, the center of the advertising industry and the site of NHL headquarters, will also afford Gretzky an opportunity to increase his lengthy list of commercial endorsements, which could compensate for the decrease in his salary. He is already part-owner of a restaurant, the All Star Cafe, and his face looms above New York’s Times Square on a huge billboard.

Ranger General Manager Neil Smith flew to California on Saturday to complete negotiations with Gretzky and his agent, Mike Barnett. They are scheduled to announce their agreement at a news conference today at 9 a.m. PDT at the Garden.

The deal came together with surprising swiftness Friday after the Vancouver Canucks announced they had ended their talks with the NHL’s all-time leading scorer.

Led by majority owner John McCaw, Jr., the Canucks were willing to pay Gretzky an estimated $19 million over three years. However, playing in Canada would have subjected Gretzky to ponderous Canadian taxes. The Canucks’ travel schedule is also more grueling than those of most Eastern Conference teams, which Gretzky held against Vancouver when the Canucks attempted to acquire him from the Kings last season.

That left few options for Gretzky, who was an unrestricted free agent for the first time, but it left a clear field for the Rangers, who are owned by corporate giant ITT-Sheraton. MSG President Dave Checketts said last week the club wouldn’t pay Gretzky more than Messier, who will earn $6 million next season, but that was more for the symbolic value of leaving Messier the club’s leader and highest-paid player than for financial reasons.

“Once Vancouver said they were out, it took off from there,” a New York source said.

Also hastening Gretzky’s decision was the Mighty Ducks’ exit from a race in which they never competed. Barnett last week said Gretzky would be interested in playing for the Ducks because of their rising profile, Anaheim’s proximity to Gretzky’s home at the Sherwood Country Club and the endorsement possibilities of working for the Disney-owned Ducks. However, the Ducks were unwilling to discuss the hefty, long-term commitment Gretzky sought to take him through the end of his career and into a possible management role. Gretzky is expected to play in the 1998 Olympics at Nagano, Japan, the first that will feature NHL stars playing for their homelands, and retire after that season.

Besides being unwilling to pay Gretzky more than young stars Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne, who will earn about $3 million next season, the Ducks had doubts Gretzky could maintain a high pace and could fit into a club that will emphasize youth and speed. Gretzky scored 23 goals and 102 points in 80 games last season to place 12th in the NHL scoring race, but he raised questions about his durability when he failed to score a goal in the Blues’ first-round playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs and appeared to be hampered by a back injury. He had two goals and 16 points in 13 playoff games.

“All I can say is congratulations on getting the deal done,” said Tony Tavares, president of the Ducks. “It’s certainly an appropriate place for him to finish his career, even from the league’s perspective.

“They’re a team that’s always spent a lot of money, so it’s not like a team came out of nowhere and now raises the stakes for all free agents.”

Said Duck GM Jack Ferreira: “I thought all along he would go either there or Toronto. I never questioned that the New York Rangers wouldn’t step up.

“He’s obviously not as consistently spectacular as he was, but he can still be effective. They have to use him in the right role and rest him at times.”

Although Gretzky agreed to be traded to St. Louis in February, he had no intention of returning because he was unhappy with Mike Keenan, the coach and general manager whom he felt insulted him during the playoffs by questioning his lack of production.

Gretzky, who had played for Keenan only sparingly in Canada Cup tournaments, hadn’t anticipated the duress of playing for the hard-driving Keenan every day. In addition, Keenan separated Gretzky and his close friend, winger Brett Hull, despite saying he had acquired Gretzky to play with Hull and raise each other’s level of play.

The Blues discussed giving Gretzky a three-year, $21-million contract before the playoffs but rescinded that and later offered a two-year deal that would have been worth $12-14 million. He rejected that last month.

The San Jose Sharks had preliminary talks with Barnett but their shaky prospects--they ranked 25th of 26 teams last season at 20-55-7--meant Gretzky would have little hope of winning another Cup there before he quit. The Phoenix Coyotes were also said to be interested in Gretzky, but they never discussed contract terms. They became no better than a longshot once they spent their money on re-signing Craig Janney and signing free agents Cliff Ronning, Brad McCrimmon, Jim Johnson and Darcy Wakaluk.

The Maple Leafs were frequently mentioned as a suitor because Gretzky is from the Toronto area and because they’re among the NHL’s most profitable franchises. However, their management was split over the benefits of adding Gretzky to a team that was already one of the NHL’s oldest and had been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.

Gretzky will join a Ranger team that last spring was eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Rangers were looking for a second-line center since they traded Ray Ferraro to the Kings in March and they preferred a playmaker who could set up Robitaille, whose 23-goal season was considered a disappointment. Gretzky might end up on a line with Robitaille and Alexei Kovalev.

The Rangers have three other former teammates of Gretzky’s--defensemen Kevin Lowe and Marty McSorley and winger Jari Kurri. However, they have been trying to trade McSorley, and Lowe and Kurri are free agents who might not return.

Hockey Notes

Mighty Duck enforcer Todd Ewen, who rejected a contract offer that would have paid him about $700,000, is likely to sign with the San Jose Sharks for about $900,000. The Ducks made what they declared to be their last offer to Ewen, who was limited by injuries to only 53 games last season. He had four goals, seven points and a team-leading 285 penalty minutes.

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Big Deal in Big Apple

The New York Rangers will announce the signing of Wayne Gretzky today:

WHAT GRETZKY GETS

A two-year, $8-million contract with perks such as a TV show on the Madison Square Garden Network. Gretzky will earn as much for a full season as L.A.’s newest superstar, Shaquille O’Neal, will in his first 20 Laker games.

WHAT THE RANGERS GET

A 35-year-old who scored 23 goals and 102 points in 80 games last season with the Kings and St. Louis Blues. Gretzky will be the second-line center to Mark Messier, with whom he teamed to win four Stanley Cup championships at Edmonton in the mid-1980s.

Wayne Gretzky Through the Years

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

EDMONTON OILERS

1979-80 through 1987-88

* Eight consecutive Hart Trophies as NHL’s most valuable player

* Seven consecutive scoring titles

* Set single-season record of 92 goals in 1981-82.

* Set single-season record of 163 assists and 215 points in 1985-86

* Won two Conn Smythe trophies (most valuable player in playoffs), 1985 and 1988

* Played on four Stanley Cup-winning teams, 1984, 1985, 1987 and 1988

* Won Lady Byng trophy (sportsmanship), 1980.

LOS ANGELES KINGS

1988-89 through Feb., 1996 * Traded to Kings on Aug. 9, 1988 with Mike Krushelnyski and Marty McSorley for Jimmy Carson, rights to Martin Gelinas and Kings’ first-round draft picks in 1989, 1991 and 1993

* Won Hart trophy, 1989; won three scoring titles, 1990, 1991 and 1994.

* Won three Lady Byng trophies, 1991, 1992 and 1994.

* Won Lester Patrick trophy (contributions to hockey), 1994.

ST. LOUIS BLUES

Feb. 1996-July 1, 1996

* Traded to Blues on Feb. 27 for Patrice Tardif, Craig Johnson, Roman Vopat a 1997 first-round draft pick and a 1996 fifth-round draft pick.

* In 18 games, he had eight goals and 21 points.

NEW YORK RANGERS

July, 1996 * Agrees to terms Saturday with New York Rangers on a two-year deal reportedly worth $8 million. He will rejoin former Edmonton Oiler teammate Mark Messier and King teammate Luc Robitaille..

STATISTICS: REGULAR SEASON *--*

Season Team GP G A Pts 1979-80 Edmonton 79 51 86 137 1980-81 Edmonton 80 55 109 164 1981-82 Edmonton 80 92 120 212 1982-83 Edmonton 80 71 125 196 1983-84 Edmonton 74 87 118 205 1984-85 Edmonton 80 73 135 208 1985-86 Edmonton 80 52 163 215 1986-87 Edmonton 79 62 121 183 1987-88 Edmonton 64 40 109 149 1988-89 Kings 78 54 114 168 1989-90 Kings 73 40 102 142 1990-91 Kings 78 41 122 163 1991-92 Kings 74 31 90 121 1992-93 Kings 45 16 49 65 1993-94 Kings 81 38 92 130 1994-95 Kings 48 11 37 48 1995-96 LA-StL 80 23 79 102 Totals 17 Seasons 1253 837 1771 2608 PLAYOFFS Totals 15 Appearances 193 112 250 362

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