Wayne Gretzky is leaving the Edmonton Oilers to take a position on TV.
Gretzky announced on Tuesday that he was stepping down as vice chairman of the Edmonton Oilers. The announcement came out a day after the team was swept out of the playoffs by the Winnipeg Jets.
The same day, the New York Post’s Andrew Marchand reported that Gretzky was taking a position with Turner Sports as TNT’s lead studio analyst for NHL coverage. Turner and ESPN have acquired the NHL TV package from NBC, and the deal will begin next season.
Gretzky was negotiating with ESPN, but TNT was able to outbid ESPN for “The Great One.” TNT will reportedly pay Gretzky around $3 million per year. ESPN reportedly did not want to top $2 million in salary.
TNT is looking to build a respectable studio crew for its coverage of the NHL. Few hockey figures command more respect than Gretzky, who is the greatest NHL player of all time.
