Wayne Gretzky will not be playing in the Winter Classic alumni game. He was touched by the way in which the Rangers, in particular general manager Glen Sather, reached out to him recently. But, in the end, Gretzky politely declined to participate. It was reported recently that Gretzky already had holiday plans with his family. The alumni game will be played Dec. 31 in Philadelphia. Gretzky told ESPN.com via text Friday that he spoke with Sather earlier this week. It was a "nice conversation," Gretzky said, but his answer remained unchanged.