Gretzky as coach doesn't excite NBC
David Vest
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 1, 2005 12:00 AM
[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]NBC has snubbed Wayne Gretzky and the Coyotes.
The television network, which is broadcasting NHL games this season, released its regular-season schedule Wednesday.
Phoenix is noticeably missing. advertisement
NBC Sports spokesman Brian Walker said the network's schedule was made, in conjunction with the NHL, before Gretzky was named head coach of the Coyotes last month.
Nevertheless, multiple team officials said they were disappointed that the network is ignoring the team.
"Wayne coaching in the NHL is a national story," said veteran NHL broadcaster Darren Pang, who recently joined the Coyotes organization. "How can you not put him on NBC? It's mind-boggling."
NBC plans to present three regional broadcasts on six Saturdays during the regular season beginning Jan. 14.
That's 18 games, and none will feature two of the league's more recognizable personalities: Gretzky and future Hall of Famer Brett Hull, both of whom have been guests on NBC's Saturday Night Live.
Meanwhile, Colorado, Dallas, Detroit, Philadelphia and the New York Rangers will appear four times on NBC during the regular season.
Pittsburgh and Boston will make three appearances.
St. Louis and Los Angeles will each appear twice, and Anaheim, Atlanta, Minnesota, the New York Islanders, San Jose and Tampa Bay will each appear once.
"I'm not going to say it's smart or dumb or whatever, because I'm not the smartest kid," center Mike Ricci said. "But you'd think they would put us on. It would have been nice. . . . But we have bigger eggs to fry than worrying about what NBC is doing."
The Coyotes are scheduled to make four appearances on cable network OLN, which also released its schedule.
Phoenix's OLN games:
• Oct. 11 at Dallas.
• Jan. 24 at Minnesota
• Feb. 7. vs. Chicago
• March 14 at Los Angeles.
Then there were 5
Members of the Coyotes continue to trickle into the informal workouts being held weekdays at Glendale Arena.
Center Mike Comrie, who had been skating with other NHL players in Los Angeles, made his first appearance Wednesday.
"We haven't been together for over a year, and any time you bring in some good players, it's always good to get to know each other before the season starts to build chemistry," Comrie said.
As of Wednesday, only five members of the Coyotes roster - Curtis Joseph, Petr Nedved, Ladislav Nagy, Brad Ference and Oleg Saprykin - had not skated, at least once, with the other Coyotes since the voluntary workouts began last week.
The players are paying to use the ice, and none of the Coyotes coaches is involved in the workouts.
Ice chip
Coyotes players and broadcasters will visit fans across the state in the "Coyotes Caravan" next week.
The tour begins in Flagstaff and Prescott on Wednesday then heads back to the Valley for five stops Sept. 8-9.
For more information, visit www.phoenixcoyotes.com. [/font]
if(ScriptsLoaded) stInit();
and besides having wayne gretzky as a coach we also have a pretty good team we are definently better then Colorado or New York who play four times on NBC and we are better then St. Louis and LA and they have two and we are better then Atlanta Minnesota the New York Islanders and San Jose and they all play once its like geez
David Vest
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 1, 2005 12:00 AM
[font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]NBC has snubbed Wayne Gretzky and the Coyotes.
The television network, which is broadcasting NHL games this season, released its regular-season schedule Wednesday.
Phoenix is noticeably missing. advertisement
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NBC Sports spokesman Brian Walker said the network's schedule was made, in conjunction with the NHL, before Gretzky was named head coach of the Coyotes last month.
Nevertheless, multiple team officials said they were disappointed that the network is ignoring the team.
"Wayne coaching in the NHL is a national story," said veteran NHL broadcaster Darren Pang, who recently joined the Coyotes organization. "How can you not put him on NBC? It's mind-boggling."
NBC plans to present three regional broadcasts on six Saturdays during the regular season beginning Jan. 14.
That's 18 games, and none will feature two of the league's more recognizable personalities: Gretzky and future Hall of Famer Brett Hull, both of whom have been guests on NBC's Saturday Night Live.
Meanwhile, Colorado, Dallas, Detroit, Philadelphia and the New York Rangers will appear four times on NBC during the regular season.
Pittsburgh and Boston will make three appearances.
St. Louis and Los Angeles will each appear twice, and Anaheim, Atlanta, Minnesota, the New York Islanders, San Jose and Tampa Bay will each appear once.
"I'm not going to say it's smart or dumb or whatever, because I'm not the smartest kid," center Mike Ricci said. "But you'd think they would put us on. It would have been nice. . . . But we have bigger eggs to fry than worrying about what NBC is doing."
The Coyotes are scheduled to make four appearances on cable network OLN, which also released its schedule.
Phoenix's OLN games:
• Oct. 11 at Dallas.
• Jan. 24 at Minnesota
• Feb. 7. vs. Chicago
• March 14 at Los Angeles.
Then there were 5
Members of the Coyotes continue to trickle into the informal workouts being held weekdays at Glendale Arena.
Center Mike Comrie, who had been skating with other NHL players in Los Angeles, made his first appearance Wednesday.
"We haven't been together for over a year, and any time you bring in some good players, it's always good to get to know each other before the season starts to build chemistry," Comrie said.
As of Wednesday, only five members of the Coyotes roster - Curtis Joseph, Petr Nedved, Ladislav Nagy, Brad Ference and Oleg Saprykin - had not skated, at least once, with the other Coyotes since the voluntary workouts began last week.
The players are paying to use the ice, and none of the Coyotes coaches is involved in the workouts.
Ice chip
Coyotes players and broadcasters will visit fans across the state in the "Coyotes Caravan" next week.
The tour begins in Flagstaff and Prescott on Wednesday then heads back to the Valley for five stops Sept. 8-9.
For more information, visit www.phoenixcoyotes.com. [/font]
if(ScriptsLoaded) stInit();
and besides having wayne gretzky as a coach we also have a pretty good team we are definently better then Colorado or New York who play four times on NBC and we are better then St. Louis and LA and they have two and we are better then Atlanta Minnesota the New York Islanders and San Jose and they all play once its like geez
