Oh, how wrong was I.
Turns out Wayne Gretzky won't need to keep Steven Stamkos' phone number handy after all.
Contrary to popular opinion - well, mine anyway -Stamkos won't be catching a flight to Phoenix after the NHL draft this summer.
With apologies to fans of the Yotes, it almost seemed a foregone conclusion last October that the desert dogs were going to miss the playoffs altogether and were likely the early frontrunners in the Stamkos sweepstakes.
At the time, I didn't think that was a bad thing, given the impressive array of young talent they were stockpiling out in Phoenix.
Oops. My bad.
Turns out the Coyotes are in a dogfight, if you'll pardon the pun, for a playoff spot in the west as the NHL gets set to turn for home.
Who knew?
Sure as hell not I.
Picking up Ilja Bryzgalov is beginning to look like the deal of the year. Shane Doan is strapping the team on his back. Radim Vrbata is enjoying the best season of his career. Ed Jovanovski has gone back in time and Peter Mueller is proving he is the real deal.
In other words, everyone is pulling their weight.
So, I'm going to use a mulligan here. Why? Because I can.
The Coyotes will be playing past the first week of April this spring. Yes, when the 16 playoff teams are decided once the ground thaws, Phoenix will be one of them.
As of this Tuesday, the Yotes have 29 games remaining, 17 of which will be played in the cozy confines of Jobing.com Arena.
Oddly enough, prior to last night, the Coyotes were 11-11-2 at home as opposed to 17-11-1 outside the state of Arizona. But as the rope tightens in March and April, you want to be playing at home in front of the White Out.
Don't get too excited. No, the Coyotes are a long way away from a Stanley Cup celebration. Teams like the Red Wings, Sharks and Stars are still kings of the hill.
But as much as they may be heading home early, at least they may get a chance to go dancin'.