In 2000, Wayne Gretzky agreed to buy a stake in which NHL team?

In 2000, Wayne Gretzky agreed to buy a 10% stake in the Phoenix Coyotes.

The agreement was part of a partnership with Steve Ellman, who was assembling an ownership group to purchase the franchise. Gretzky was not merely a passive investor: the proposed arrangement gave him roles as alternate governor, managing partner, and head of hockey operations.

The deal helped keep the Coyotes in Arizona at a time when relocation to Portland, Oregon, was being discussed. Gretzky was introduced in his new management role in June 2000, but the ownership group did not formally complete the purchase until February 15, 2001. Jerry Moyes later joined the partnership, and Gretzky brought his longtime agent Michael Barnett into the organization as general manager.

A common mix-up is confusing the agreement date with the completion date. The commitment was made in May 2000, while the purchase itself closed the following year. Gretzky later became the Coyotes’ head coach in 2005.