Word is slowly getting around that Hockey Hall of Famer Brett Hull wants to own the Dallas Stars. Not just that, but the former Stars’ general manager is trying to get Wayne Gretzky and Mike Modano on board with his plans. The Dallas Observer has published a report that Dallas owner Tom Hicks is looking to unload the team and the trio are among the potential groups who may find themselves with a new job title.

There are several issues with this report. While things are still very preliminary, the news came out and shortly after, the Stars’ star Modano says he knows nothing about the deal. He may just be saying this for now, as his commitments to the on-ice team he alternate captains has to come first. Two games from now he might be singing a different tune, as the opportunity to become part owner of the only team he’s ever known looms on the horizon.

The plan to include Gretzky in the deal raises more than just one eyebrow though. He and Hull apparently haven’t spoken about the deal in weeks. Gretzky stepped down as head coach of the Coyotes and recently sold his minority share in Phoenix, but with the publicity nightmare that the NHL has taken on since the Glendale situation began, is this really the right way to bring the NHL’s greatest player back into the fold?

The answer is a definite and resounding ‘no’. Wayne Gretzky is owed as much as $25 million by the NHL for his services with the Coyotes, and becoming part-owner of another franchise won’t just pour salt on the wound, but it would also insult the league for him to jump right back in. It’s not the right time and this is not the right way for Gretzky’s return to the NHL. Having three former NHLers take ownership of a franchise in itself is a bad idea. It’s never a good one to have a hands-on group of owners, and having Gretzky, who has no connection to Dallas like Hull and Modano do, is just plain wrong.