Phoenix Coyotes' Disintegration Continues As Wayne Gretzky Steps Down

ESPNEWS reports that Wayne Gretzky has stepped down as the Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations for the hapless Phoenix Coyotes.

In four years as the team's fifth head coach since its 1996 relocation, Gretzky accrued a 143-161-24 record as the team lingered at the bottom of the Pacific Division. They missed a Western Conference playoff spot in all four years that the Great One helmed the team.

Over those four years, beginning with the 2005-06 season, the team saw its share of tough times. In the first season, assistant coach Rick Tocchet was charged with operating an illegal gambling ring, based out of New Jersey, with which Gretzky's wife, Janet Jones, had placed bets.

The team made some poor signings, such as that of an out-of-shape Brett Hull, and finished at the bottom of the division despite winning 38 games.

2006-07 was even worse, with the team only getting 67 points, their worst showing ever in Phoenix. The team's general manager, assistant general manager, and vice president of hockey operations were all fired. Leading scorer Shane Doan only managed a miserable 55 points.

2007-08 and 2008-09 saw the team out of the Pacific Division cellar, but last year was punctuated by a fire sale of players at the trading deadline. Among the players to go was Derek Morris, who was shipped off to the New York Rangers for a trio of players.

With the team's bankruptcy filing in the offseason, Gretzky's future with the club was in doubt anyway. Team owner Jerry Moyes, tired of losing money on the club, has been looking to sell the club to Research in Motion founder Jim Balsillie, who wants to relocate the team to Hamilton, Ontario.

Right now, only Balsillie and the NHL itself are in the running for the team, with Jerry Reinsdorf and Ice Edge both dropping their bids in recent weeks. Ice Edge was the only ownership group working with Gretzky. There had been no indications that any of the other potential owners were looking to keep Gretzky with the team.

Gretzky also had not been at training camp, leaving assistant Ulf Samuelsson to run the team.