The Toronto Maple Leafs remain an organization in flux, as it was announced yesterday that Wayne Gretzky turned down an offer to return to Canada and will remain in his current position with the Phoenix Coyotes.

Gretzky sent an email to the Toronto Star saying, "I am the coach of the Coyotes and part owner ... as much as I love Canada and the Toronto Maple Leafs, I have no interest in selling my stakes and leaving the Coyotes"

The Maple Leafs are looking for a GM and coach in an attempt to overhaul a franchise which finished the 2007-08 season in 12^th place in the Eastern Conference and has missed the playoffs the past three seasons.

John Ferguson was fired from his GM position in January, while Coach Paul Maurice followed him last week.  Among those linked to the General Manager’s post is former Canucks GM Dave Nonis, who has reportedly met with the Leafs leadership. However, Steve Yzerman, like Gretzky, has dismissed any rumors involving him, while the NHL is closely watching the Leafs search committee after claims surfaced of possible tampering with Anaheim GM Brian Burke.

For Gretzky, the Leafs position may have been a tempting proposition. Not only would it allow ‘The Great One’ the opportunity to return to his native Ontario, but the state of the two franchises could not be more different.

Despite the recent turmoil, the Leafs are without doubt one of the NHL’s premier clubs. With a rabid fan base which consistently sells out the Air Canada Centre, the Maple Leafs are ranked by Forbes as the most valuable franchise in the NHL.

In contrast, the Coyotes are among near the bottom of the Forbes valuations and have seen attendance at Jobing.com Arena dwindle for a team which has not reached the playoffs since the 2001-02 season.  

Gretzky joined the Coyotes ownership group in 2000 and he moved behind the bench to coach the team for in 2005. He will enter his 4^th season as coach for the 2008-09 season with a total record of 107-122-17.

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