LOS ANGELES -- Wayne Gretzky will coach the Metropolitan Division team in the NHL All-Star Game on Sunday.
He is replacing Columbus Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella, who is skipping the weekend festivities because one of his family's dogs is ailing.
The sick dog is a 10-year-old pit bull, Emma, who belongs to his son, Nick, who is a U.S. Army Ranger stationed abroad.
Tortorella's affinity for animals -- especially pit bulls -- is well known. His family's foundation -- The John and Christine Tortorella Foundation -- has promoted animal rights and found homes for several rescue and foster dogs.
The NHL announced the move Saturday before Gretzky coached a celebrity hockey game at the Staples Center.
Tortorella's decision came late in the week, and it forced the NHL to scramble for a replacement to coach one of the four divisional teams in the 3-on-3 tournament format.
The league found a decent replacement in Gretzky, the leading scorer in NHL history and the former coach of the Phoenix Coyotes. He also played eight seasons for the host Los Angeles Kings.
Montreal's Michel Therrien, Minnesota's Bruce Boudreau and San Jose's Peter DeBoer are the other three coaches.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.