Gretzky steps down as Coyotes head coach

NHL hall of famer Wayne Gretzky announced today that he has stepped down as head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes due to reasons concerning the franchise’s gloomy ownership situation.

“This was a difficult decision that I’ve thought long and hard about,” said Gretzky, widely considered the best player ever to play in the National Hockey League. “We all hoped there would be a resolution earlier this month to the Coyotes’ ownership situation.”

The ailing franchise filed for bankruptcy protection last May and has been in turmoil since. Canadian billionaire James Balsillie has attempting to buy the club with plans to move it to Hamilton, Ontario, a relocation the league strongly opposes.

Gretzky, 48, said that the team’s cloudy future had left him out in the cold. According to Gretzky, bidders for the franchise had been clear to him that future plans for the team did not include him as coach, which was a major factor in his decision to resign. He took over as Coyotes head coach in 2005.

“I’ve loved the four years I spent coaching the Coyotes. Not a day went by when I took it for granted, and I will miss the competition of the NHL dearly,” said Gretzky, who also stepped down as the team’s director of hockey operations. “The Coyotes scouting staff has put together a great group of young and talented players who are going to improve tremendously over the next few years.

“I’m proud of the team we’ve assembled, the organization with which I’ve been associated and the thousands of dedicated fans who have never wavered in their support of this young team. I’m confident that the best is yet to come for hockey in Phoenix.”

The Coyotes have not yet named a replacement for Gretzky, who has not been with the team since the start of training camp several weeks ago.

Assistant Ulf Samuelsson has been running the team during the pre-season, and veteran coach Dave King was hired on Monday as an assistant.