If Wayne Gretzky wants to return to the National Hockey League in some capacity, count the Los Angeles Kings as one of the teams interested in The Great One.
Kings president and general manager Dean Lombardi expressed his interest in Gretzky in an interview with the Fan 590 radio station in Toronto.
Lombardi, who said he spoke briefly to Gretzky, didn't specify the role that he had in mind for the NHL's career-leading scorer.
"I'd like to bring (Gretzky) back in some capacity now that he's done there," Lombardi told the Fan 590. "I think when you talk about kids learning to win, I think it would be great if we could bring him back to where he almost brought this place to the promised land."
Gretzky resigned from his post as the head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes last week, after being absent from the club during training camp, while the fate of the club sits in bankruptcy court.
Gretzky, who joined the Coyotes as a managing partner in 2000, was named head coach of the Coyotes in August of 2005 and signed a five-year contract to continue to serve as part owner, managing partner, alternate governor and head coach the following year.
The Coyotes never made the playoffs during their four seasons with Gretzky behind the bench. From 2005-06 to 2008-09, he had a 143-161-24 record for a .473 winning percentage.