[0] GRETZKY STILL A KING - FOR NOW.

Byline: Tim Trepany Daily News Staff Writer

In what some might consider an upset, Wayne Gretzky suited up for the Kings against the Detroit Red Wings on Friday, then boarded the team charter for Chicago afterward.

Although reports continue out of Toronto that have Gretzky being dealt to the St. Louis Blues, he remains in a silver and black uniform and team officials remain steadfast in their denials of any impending deals.

The latest report, in today's editions of the Toronto Sun, has Gretzky and defenseman Marty McSorley being sent to the Blues for six young players, including Chris Pronger.

"The story in the Toronto Sun is completely inaccurate and false," Kings spokesman Rick Minch said late Friday night from Chicago.

Earlier in the day, Kings general manager Sam McMaster continued to deny the trade reports in the strongest possible language.

When asked again how many teams he's discussed a trade of Gretzky with, McMaster said, "zero, zero zero.

"I don't lie. That's one thing about me, I may not be the smartest guy and I might be grumpy sometimes, but I never lie."

The Toronto Sun also reported that the team's new owners did not make McMaster privy to the deal with the Blues.

"Nothing could be further from the truth," Minch said. "The new owners have complete faith in Sam as general manager, Rogie Vachon as president and Dave Taylor as assistant general manager and the entire hockey department."

One of the reports said the Blues would pay Gretzky $9 million annually in a two-year deal; another said the Blues have offered Gretzky minority ownership.

Fueling the trade talk are a steady stream of comments from St. Louis management expressing interest in such a deal. Blues president Jack Quinn has compared a Gretzky and Brett Hull combination to Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris.

"If Wayne Gretzky is made available then the St. Louis Blues are very interested in having him," Blues coach and general manager Mike Keenan said.

Helping keep the picture cloudy is Gretzky, who becomes an unrestricted free agent after the season. He never directly addressed the possibility of him being traded, only the rumors, at the team's skate Friday morning.

"That's just the nature of the business when you have players with that kind of situation that I'm in; not being signed past June," he said. "You're going to get all those rumors flying around.

"I said back in September that we weren't going to sit down and talk to the Kings until mid-January. Until that point we were really just playing the game. What is being said and what is going on away from myself and the Kings is a little out of our control."

Gretzky has said he would like to finish his career with the Kings, but he also wants to play for a legitimate Stanley Cup contender and has asked the Kings for assurances that they will try to improve. He and agent Michael Barnett hope to meet with Kings management Tuesday to continue contract talks.