Wayne Gretzky should never coach in the NHL again

The Phoenix Coyotes clinched a playoff spot for the first time in eight seasons after the Bruins beat the Flames on Saturday. You have to admit this is an incredible accomplishment for a team that was the laughing stock of the sports world for much of 2009. No one thought the franchise would survive let alone win games. The owner situation is still not settled, nonetheless GM Dan Maloney and coach Dave Tippett have gone about doing the job and building a winner.

Maloney did a great job with the budget set by the NHL and concentrated on the right free agents to help rebuild the franchise. We all know how difficult it is building through free agency but he did it. Defenseman Adrian Aucoin and center Vernon Fiddler played at a high level from the outset. Forwards Taylor Pyatt and Robert Lang and goaltender Jason LaBarbera also have made contributions.

However for me the key was the hiring of Tippett. Maloney hired him a week before the season. It did not take long to see that Tippett was the right coach. He drew the most out of every player, demanded accountability and instilled his now-famous "pack mentality" mantra into a team with no superstars.

It also clearly points to how poor of a coach Wayne Gretzky was. The lineup that Gretzky had to work with was not any different than was exists today but Tippett clearly can get the most out of his players. I always suspected that Gretzky was not competent but how do you fire an owner? So who would ever consider hiring Gretzky as a coach again other than a team he owned? No one I suspect. The only job he should be considering is a good will ambassador for the league and I can't understand what is taking Bettman so long to make it happen. Perhaps the bad feelings over the sale of the Coyotes is the impediment. Afterall Wayne walked away from a lot of money.