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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Knightfall" data-source="post: 2585202" data-attributes="member: 2012">Gretzky watches Coyotes win openerAssociated Press9/16/2005 11:57:14 PMGLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) - "The Great One" was watching from above in his first game as a National Hockey League coach on Friday night. What he saw was a 3-2 victory for the Phoenix Coyotes dampened by an injury to starting goalie Brian Boucher after the game was over.Wayne Gretzky decided to watch the Coyotes' first two exhibition games from his suite high above the ice of Glendale Arena."Just the first couple of games I wanted to be up top and be able to see the guys," he said before the Coyotes faced the Minnesota Wild in their pre-season opener, "just to see the team from above, that's all."The Coyotes beat the Wild 3-2 in game that featured 22 penalties as the players tried to get accustomed to the new rules.Each exhibition game is followed by a one-on-one shootout to show fans what will be done in tie games under the new system. On the first attempt by the Wild, Boucher injured his right groin moving to block Peter Olvecky's shot and had to be helped from the ice. The severity of the injury wasn't known, but it didn't look good."I don't even know what to say. I've never seen anything like that," Gretzky said. "The guy played really well, was maybe our best player in the game, and to take an injury in that kind of scenario is just not good."It was an otherwise good night for the Coyotes, even though the crowd was sparse. The official attendance was 10,417.Assistant coaches Barry Smith and Rick Tocchet ran things from the bench. Gretzky plans to take his spot there for Tuesday's home game against Los Angeles.Coyotes centre Mike Ricci, who skated against Gretzky as a player, knows his new coach is serious about the job."He's got a quiet intensity about him," Ricci said after the morning skate. "He's not a yeller, he's not a screamer. ... He tells you, but he does it his way. He's got that look about him. That's why he's not only the greatest player but probably one of the greatest champions."Gretzky, a part owner of the Coyotes, thought long and hard before finally committing to the demanding job. He knows that great players don't have a great history as coaches."I understand what people are saying, what people think," he said after the game. "I love the game. I'm going in. I like my staff. I love the scenario so far. It's exciting to be in this city. It's a beautiful arena. And I think my team is a fun team to watch and they're getting better everyday."That system is the one Gretzky excelled at for so many years - fast and offensive-minded. The new rules aimed at speeding up the game should help."Our style and our mind-set is to play hard, keep our shifts short, let the puck do the work, be unselfish, try to be a disciplined hockey team," he said. "Teams that are going to stay out of the penalty box are going to have the advantage because of the new rules."The players, many of them new to the team, like what they've heard."He's got it right," Ricci said. "He wants us to play a pressure, puck-control style of game and also take care of our own zone. I think he's going to give the offensive guys the leeway to use their talents, and as a player, that's all you can ask for."Gretzky knows that for a while, he will be the story, not his team. The attention is nothing new."I'm kind of used to it," he said. "It's part of my life."The Coyotes don't mind it, either. After missing an entire season because of the lockout, the NHL should welcome the story as well."I think any attention to the team is good," right wing Mike Johnson said. "If they come to talk about Wayne and our coaching staff, maybe they'll leave talking about our team."</blockquote>

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