There different types of introductory press conferences for NHL coaches. Some are celebrations of a new page turned in the franchise history books; others are more perfunctory, as regrettable circumstances force a change at the helm and everyone looks a little uncomfortable.

Guess which category Dave Tippett's introduction as Wayne Gretzky's replacement for the Phoenix Coyotes falls into?

That's not to say there weren't moments of levity, like when Coyotes GM Don Maloney said that Tippett "could have been sitting at home watching 'Oprah' right now' since he had two years left on his Dallas Stars contract after being terminated earlier this summer.

"Or at least I wish I was."

(If you want more Gretzky/Yotes levity, check out David Singer's "Face of Wayne" post on The Ice Block.)

But overall, it was workmanlike and sometimes stoic. Maloney and team president Doug Moss wore suits; Tippett, his assistant coaches and captain Shane Doan(notes) wore maroon windbreakers with the team logo over the heart. There was plenty of talk about coming together as a team to defy expectations and to ignore the courtroom drama away from the rink. There was even talk of challenging for the Stanley Cup.

Say what you will about Gretzky as a coach -- and we'll have more to say about it on Friday morning - but Tippett's pedigree and prowess make this a more interesting and, in theory, competitive team than it was this morning.

Maloney said he first began suspecting back in June that Gretzky wouldn't be back, and his suspicions intensified in August. He claims he only had two names under consideration for Gretzky's successor, and Tippett was one of them.

"When he called, I was very intrigued," Tippett said. "I really like some of their young players."

He should know them by now, having coached in the same division against Gretzky during The Great One's four years behind the Phoenix bench. Which is to say that he knows what he's getting into, despite the advice from very smart hockey men like Mike Heika that Tippett should have let his offer pass. Whatever Tippett sees in this opportunity, it was enough to get him back in the league this season.

There is another compelling reason why Tippett may have chosen this opportunity: familiarity and history. Mark Faller of the Arizona Republic explains:

Tippett's fellow former Whalers with the Coyotes are GM Don Maloney, a long-time New York Rangers favorite who played 21 games for Hartford in 1989; assistant coach Ulf Samuelsson, a Whaler from 1984-91; assistant coach Doug Sulliman, a three-year Whaler in the early 1980s; and Sean Burke(notes), director of prospect development, who tended Hartford's goal from 1992-97 and relocated with the franchise to North Carolina.

Is it too late to have the Coyotes skate out to Brass Bonanza every game?

Tippett lost his job because of a slew of injuries, poor goaltending and some off-ice distractions (sloppy seconds, anyone?) that torpedoed the Stars after their impressive playoff run two years ago. He's an underrated coach, and Sports Arizona explains why he's right for the Coyotes:

The questions is whether he can nurture and develop the numerous young players on the Coyotes roster. While he had mostly veteran teams in Dallas, Tippett did win an IHL championship with Houston in 1999. The addition of Dave King who is strong in this area should help overcome any shortcomings.

Tippett coaches like he played, with an emphasis on defense. The Coyotes strength is its defense and Tippett is fine with implementing a conservative style and grind out a bunch of 1-0, 2-1 victories. When he was in Dallas, Tippett had offensive firepower but the team was known more for its ability to keep the puck out of the net than lighting the lamp.

There's something to that analysis. The Coyotes have what they believe is an above-average keeper in Ilya Bryzgalov(notes) and a defense that includes Ed Jovanovski(notes), Zbynek Michalek(notes), Kurt Sauer(notes), Keith Yandle(notes) and Adrian Aucoin(notes). They're wafer-thin up front, but Tippett could have something to work with from the crease out.

But most of all: He's not Gretzky. That's not a knock on his coaching, but the realization that -- as Maloney said -- Gretzky would have been a coach with an hourglass on the bench, with everyone waiting for his fate to be determined by either Gary Bettman or Jim Balsillie or someone else. Because of the uncertainty off the ice, Gretzky had to go or else become a major distraction.

Maloney recalled Gretzky telling him early in his tenure, "I'll know when it's time to move on."

The time was now, the time was right and it's time for Tippett to improve on the coaching legacy Gretzky left behind.