GRETZKY PASSES ON RANGERS, WAITS ON RIGHT OWNERSHIP ROLE

          If Wayne Gretzky eventually decides to return to
     hockey, "it would preferably be as an owner," according to
     Jason Diamos of the N.Y. TIMES, who wrote that an NHL
     official reported last week that the Rangers "were exploring
     the possibility of asking Gretzky to become the team's
     president."  But two of Gretzky's friends said that Gretzky
     "was inclined not to accept a front-office position of any
     kind."  Diamos noted that since his retirement last season,
     Gretzky "is believed to have been offered ownership pieces
     in four organizations and turned each of them down, waiting
     for the right opportunity to come along" (N.Y. TIMES, 4/15). 
     Also in N.Y., Larry Brooks wrote on Sunday that Gretzky will
     "most likely" return to the league in an ownership role
     "either sometime late next season or at the beginning of the
     2001-2002 campaign, should the opportunity present itself
     with a west-coast team" (N.Y. POST, 4/16).