Wayne Gretzky has done a lot of endorsements in his day. He gave another one Wednesday – to struggling Avalanche goalie Jose Theodore.
The Great One said people shouldn’t give up on Theodore, who sat for a 10th straight game Wednesday in favor of starter Peter Budaj.
“I’ve known Jose since he was a kid,” Phoenix Coyotes coach Gretzky said. “He’s a wonderful young man. Confidence as a professional athlete is such a key part of success. Whether you’re Mario Lemieux, Grant Fuhr, Ken Dryden or Patrick Roy, it becomes (about) confidence. You know he has all the ability in the world and all the work habits to be successful, and he’s probably just lost a little bit of confidence.”
Fuhr, the Coyotes’ goalie coach and a Hall of Famer, had a combined 2-9-3 record with Buffalo and Los Angeles in 1994-95 and was written off by many. But he went on to post three straight outstanding seasons for St. Louis in his mid-30s. Theodore, 9-10-1 this season, turned 30 in September.
“Goaltending is such a different deal than any (other) part of the game,” Gretzky said. “It takes goaltenders longer to mature. (Theodore) may not have hit his prime yet.”
Footnotes
The Avalanche recalled rookie Ben Guite from Albany (AHL). He scored a goal in three games for the Avs in a previous stint. … Avs coach Joel Quenneville said defenseman Jordan Leopold (groin) might return to the lineup Saturday against Detroit. The outlook is more uncertain for veteran Patrice Brisebois (back). Brisebois has not skated recently and won’t play before the all-star break. … Coyotes veteran Jeremy Roenick, who entered the game with 490 career goals, turned 37 on Wednesday. … The Avs are one sellout short of 500 since the team moved to Denver in 1995.
