McPhee addresses Gretzky to Capitals speculation
/Former Washington Capitals GM was on Hockey Central @ Noon Tuesday.
Toward the end of the interview, Nick Kypreos asked McPhee about the possibility of Wayne Gretzky being hired by the organization and whether or not that might be good for Alex Ovechkin and the market there.
"I don't know that I can really speculate about individuals," McPhee began. "I mean, Wayne Gretzky is a fabulous guy and the greatest.
"What I can say is this is a great hockey market. It's become a great hockey market. I mean, we've sold out every game for the last six years. They will be sold out again next year. We've hosted the NCAA Frozen Four and sold it out. We've hosted a couple of American League games and sold it out. We've been to a Winter Classic. There's going to be a Winter Classic here next year. We've done the HBO thing in 24/7 and, you know, we've got this fabulous practice facility here... it's open to the public, they come and watch practices. It's a really good hockey town now.
"You go to the games and everyone is wearing red and it's sold out and they're enthusiastic. I know two years ago we were the second-highest team in the league in gate revenue. I mean, who would have thought that 10 years ago?
"So this is a very, very strong franchise. A well-run franchise. So, does it need a big name? I don't think so. Would it hurt? Of course not."