Gretzky beaten as NHL faces off

Gretzky's Coyotes lost on his coaching debut

Ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky lost on his coaching debut as the 2005/6 NHL season began on Wednesday after last year was wiped out in a salary-cap row.

"It was a big night for all of hockey," said Gretzky after his Phoenix Coyotes lost 3-2 to Vancouver Canucks.

"I can tell you it is more tiring as a coach. There are more sleepless nights and the losses stay with you longer."

Meanwhile, new Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby recorded his first point but his side lost 5-1 to New Jersey.

Crosby, 18, who was the top overall pick in the 2005 draft, took his first NHL shift 32 seconds into the first period.

And he registered his first point by assisting on Mark Recchi's power-play goal at 5:36 of the third period.

But by then New Jersey had built a 4-0 cushion.

"It is a big step for him and it is not going to be easy," said Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh's part-owner and captain. "He didn't look out of place at all."

But the Canadian teenager was unable to duplicate the feat of Lemieux, who scored a goal on the first shot of his first NHL shift in 1984.

Crosby said he was nervous at the start of Wednesday's game.

"As the game went on I got more confidence," he said.

Meanwhile, Czech goalie Dominik Hasek dominated the first shoot-out in NHL history after the rules were changed to avoid ties.

Hasek helped the Ottawa Senators to a 3-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs, who lost captain Mats Sundin to a nasty eye injury.

In other action, the Dallas Stars rallied from a four-goal deficit to beat the Los Angeles Kings 5-4 and the New York Rangers overcame a two-goal deficit to beat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-3.

Russian rookie Alexander Ovechkin scored two goals in five minutes as Washington edged to a 3-2 win over Columbus.

And Marc Chouinard scored three times as Minnesota Wild triumphed 6-3 over the Calgary Flames.