Phoenix Coyotes
And when the sides get back to the bargaining table, either Thursday or Friday, they will begin anew.
"It seems like they're starting at square one," the Great One said Tuesday. Being the greatest player in NHL history puts Gretzky in a unique position. For 20 seasons he rewrote the hockey record book, but now as the managing partner of the Phoenix Coyotes he is on the opposite side of the fight.
His club's bottom line is now his top concern. The Coyotes will survive the lockout that already cost the league one season, but the NHL might have to use replacement players to get back on the ice in the fall.
"My honest opinion is I don't like it," Gretzky said. "They're not the Sundins or the Leetches of the world. This is replacement players, and it is what it is. The commissioner has to do what he thinks is best to get the game back on the map and get it going. We're only one of 30 teams, we'll follow suit."