Marketing the NHL after Wayne Gretzky's retirement is a
"challenge," but the league "has been pushing its young
stars with its sponsors, and its television partners ... in
order to prepare for life without Wayne," according to
Richard Sandomir of the N.Y. TIMES. NHL COO Steve Solomon:
"It's a very interesting tightrope. Even though Wayne's
name recognition was far higher than anyone else's, it was
incumbent upon us to build the next generation. ... Wayne
was part of our overall approach, but we didn't isolate
solely on him." Solomon, on who could replace Gretzky in
terms of mass appeal: "We'll have to see which ones break
out nationally" (N.Y. TIMES, 4/20). In L.A., Helene Elliott
reports that the NHL "has half a dozen players capable of
carrying the torch Gretzky carried so gracefully the last 20
years, but none has the sense of responsibility and media
friendliness that made Gretzky the perfect face and voice
for a league desperate to be seen as more than a regional
oddity" (L.A. TIMES, 4/20). In Toronto, Dave Fuller reports
that NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said yesterday that
Gretzky "may be talked into coming to every" NHL arena next
year to see the retirement of his No. 99 jersey. Bettman:
"We're going to let things calm down a bit before we discuss
that with Wayne" (TORONTO SUN, 4/20).
HE PUT HIS STAMP ON THE LEAGUE: Canada's House of
Commons "unanimously approved a motion" for a special Wayne
Gretzky stamp, but Canada Post officials might reject "the
idea because Gretzky isn't [Canada's] reigning monarch and
he's still very much alive." Canada Post Communications
Manager Bob Taylor said that a commemorative stamp is an
"honor reserved for top royals and the dead" (CP, 4/20).
EDITORIAL PAGES: USA TODAY: "Gretzky's appeal is not
his technical virtuosity as much as his otherwise ordinary
niceness" (4/20). Minneapolis STAR-TRIBUNE: "Uncommon
humility and grace. Like [Michael] Jordan, he changed his
sport" (4/20). PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER: "[He] combined
charisma and modesty. ... [He was] also a great emissary for
a game once largely the province of ... Canada" (4/20).
