But of course, I welcomed my brand new son with open arms – another budding hockey player, after all.”, Walter drove one old blue Chevy station wagon after another – calling each the Blue Goose – until it clocked about 200,000 kilometres or fell apart. Nov.15/2007. When he took off his cap at the behest of a friend, a Japanese woman put some money in it. Photo by Joe Warmington / Toronto Sun Whether it be the Olympics, minor, junior or NHL games, people would line up … On Family, Hockey and Healing was republished as a paperback when the movie came out. 3:17 pm ET, Penguins apologize for altered photo of fans in masks, Flames fire Ward, hire Sutter as head coach, Sidney Crosby placed on COVID-19 protocol list, Auston Matthews still day-to-day with wrist injury, Power Rankings: Oilers replace Habs as North's No. Walter Gretzky, a blue-collar symbol of a devoted hockey parent in a country filled with them, has died. The elder Gretzky, an avid hockey player as a youth and a keen analyst of the game, is credited by his famous son as playing a key role in his phenomenal success as a player. “He stays in the same house driving the same car – teaching kids the same way he always has, believing in the same things he always had. Wayne Gretzky's childhood home (Google Maps). He truly was the Great one and the proudest Canadian we know.". From the time he was a tot, Wayne wanted to do nothing but play hockey. “It’s a privilege but also a responsibility that has to be handled carefully,” he wrote. The father of Wayne Gretzky became a name himself, a constant in Wayne’s world. Thank you for your patience. Full Disclaimer. Legendary hockey player Wayne Gretzky and his wife Janet recently sold their home in the Sherwood Country Club area in Westlake Village, California for $4.2 million (US). “I’ve sometimes said that everything I have I owe to hockey, but I guess that’s not true. Keith and Brent also played professional hockey. Walter Gretzky poses for a photo with Nick Heighington, left, in 2010. Hockey helped his recovery as he started working with kids in the Brantford Minor Hockey Association. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: nhl | pageType: stories | Walter preached an old fashioned ethic – hard work pays off. Most people knew Walter as the mentor, personal trainer and biggest fan of his son (the greatest hockey player of all time) – the man who brought out #99's passion for the game. He inspired me to be the best I could be not just in the game of hockey, but in life.”. He spent some time in a coma and was off work for 18 months. Walter Gretzky was the son of immigrants — a Polish mother and Russian father — who started a vegetable farm in 1932 in Canning, Ontario, just outside Brantford, on the Nith River, where Wayne learned to skate when he was two. Readers can also interact with The Globe on Facebook and Twitter . He recalled being on a bullet train during the 1998 Nagano Olympics. He’d been a hyper chain-smoker before the stroke. The backyard rink where his son Wayne learned the game has now been replaced with a … Audio for this article is not available at this time. Left deaf in his right ear, he was eventually transferred to another Bell department and became an installer/repairman. Avoid the use of toxic and offensive language. “It truly, truly was self-preservation,” he explained. Walter Gretzky Biography, Age, Wiki, Family, Death, Wife, Son, Father, Children, Latest News, Latest Movies, Photos, Bio, Wikipedia, Net Worth “I don’t know where I’d be without him, but I know it wouldn’t be in the NHL,” Wayne said in his autobiography. He also assisted charities and coached a youth hockey camp in California in his later years. “It’s with deep sadness that Janet and I … Walter Gretzky, the ultimate Canadian hockey dad who taught and nurtured the Great One, has died. © Copyright 2021 The Globe and Mail Inc. All rights reserved. He called it a “reliable car for a family of seven.”. Walter Gretzky, the father of hockey great Wayne Gretzky, has died.He was 82. As Wayne’s star ascended, Walter remained a blue-collar symbol of a devoted hockey parent in a country filled with them. Walter was celebrated for far more than just fathering a superstar, however. This is a space where subscribers can engage with each other and Globe staff. He lost much of his memory and it took time to get snippets of it back. Wayne Gretzky confirmed his father’s death on Thursday night with a social-media post. We aim to create a safe and valuable space for discussion and debate. He was 82. Never forget that.”. Walter Gretzky’s patch of ice at 42 Varadi Ave. in Brantford, Ont., was hockey’s most famous backyard Field of Dreams. Police eventually recovered several items including game-used sticks, hockey gloves, pants, jerseys and the NHL’s Player of the Year award from the 1983-84 season. At times, hockey got in the way. But he did, and it changed his life. He was a much sought-after speaker by groups organizing sports awards dinners, and he worked tirelessly as national spokesman for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. Here’s a great profile on Walter by old colleague and friend Stephen Brunt: Walter Gretzky is photographed at his home in Brantford, Ont. He was named to the Order of Canada in 2007. He played minor hockey in Paris, Ont., then junior B for four years in Woodstock. The father of Wayne Gretzky became a name himself, a constant in Wayne’s world. Walter Gretzky was born Oct. 8, 1938, and raised on his parents' farm in Canning, Ontario. "For me, he was the reason I fell in love with the game of hockey," Wayne Gretzky wrote. Walter Gretzky became a name himself, a constant in Wayne’s world. Also available in French and Mandarin. 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He gave that up, while devoting more of his time to worthwhile causes. ”It’s given me the chance to travel widely, meet amazing people and do things that I never would have had the opportunity to do otherwise. Nov.15/2007. ”I say that mostly it’s been fantastic beyond my wildest dreams,” he wrote. Wayne recalled crying after that first year of organized hockey when he didn’t get a trophy at the year-end banquet. On Family, Hockey and Healing. He went on to play some senior hockey but said he wasn’t good enough to play pro. Walter Gretzky, father of Wayne "the Great One" has passed away at the age of 82 after a battle with Parkinson's disease and other health issues. — Wayne Gretzky (@WayneGretzky) March 5, 2021 . FILE - In this Jan. 17, 2017, file photo, Walter Gretzky, father of Wayne Gretzky, waves to fans as the Buffalo Sabres played the Toronto Maple Leafs in an NHL hockey game in Toronto. “I just think I told him to play good,” said Walter. “For me, he was the reason I fell in love with the game of hockey. He was the world’s hockey dad. Walter met Phyllis, his wife to be, at a wiener roast at the family farm. If you would like to write a letter to the editor, please forward it to letters@globeandmail.com. “My hero as a kid was a man with constant headaches, ulcers and ringing in his ears,” Wayne wrote. Walter Gretzky, Wayne's dad, is the unofficial ambassador at Gretzky's Restaurant, greeting everyone in the place when he's there, including these visitors Marnie Graves who's passing through on her way home to Australia. 2, Walter Gretzky, Wayne's father, dies at 82, Why the NHL's chaotic weekend in Lake Tahoe worked, NHL postpones Sharks-Knights due to COVID, Lundqvist 'months' away from thinking about return, Rangers deny abuse claims from Russia against Panarin, Coyotes' Larsson suspended for hit on Blues' Sanford. In his remaining years, he was more outgoing and carefree. The Great One added that his father is "the reason" he played hockey. The winter when Wayne was 4, his father turned the backyard of their Brantford home into a rink that young Wayne called the Wally Coliseum. Seven-year-old Cody Heyholos sits in his St. Catharines General Hospital bed wearing Montreal Canadiens pajamas as Walter Gretzky hands over a card of his famous hockey-playing son Wayne on Tuesday, Dec.16, 2003. The backyard rink where his son Wayne learned the game has now been replaced with a pool. The backyard rink where his son Wayne learned the game has now been replaced with a pool. And while being Wayne’s father opened doors, he stayed true to himself. The stories about Walter Gretzky's role in Wayne's career are legendary -- he served as The Great One's personal coach growing up, hammering home the fundamentals of the game. He was 53 when he suffered his stroke, just a few months into retirement after 34 years at Bell. She was 15 at the time. Walter Gretzky, the dad of NHL Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky, has died, his son announced on Thursday. All Rights Reserved. Wayne bought his father a blue Cadillac for his parents’ 25th wedding anniversary. And following in the footsteps of Alexander Graham Bell, they made Brantford, Ont., famous. Mr. Gretzky … “She looked at me like I was crazy and said, ‘It’s a boy, Walter.’, “I guess I have to admit that sometimes I took my devotion as a hockey dad a little too far! Police make arrests after theft of memorabilia from Walter Gretzky's home. Follow topics and authors relevant to your reading interests. Walter Gretzky, CM, O.Ont (born October 8, 1938) is a Canadian who is best known as the father of ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky. He was 82. Walter Gretzky, the ultimate Canadian hockey dad who taught and nurtured the Great One, has died. If you are looking to give feedback on our new site, please send it along to, To view this site properly, enable cookies in your browser. TORONTO — Walter Gretzky, the father of hockey great Wayne Gretzky, has died. Walter Gretzky signs autographs during the filming of Waking Up Wally, in Edmonton on Tuesday, February 1, 2005. In Paris to see a horse owned by Wayne and Bruce McNall run, he and a long-time friend, Charlie Henry, were stunned by the huge rooms they were booked into at the Ritz-Carlton. Walter Gretzky, father of NHL star Wayne Gretzky, dies at 82 Wayne Gretzky said in a statement Thursday night that his father battled Parkinson’s disease and other health issues In the introduction, Walter answered a question: What’s it like being Wayne Gretzky’s dad? 351 King Street East, Suite 1600, Toronto, ON Canada, M5A 0N1, Just $1.99 per week for the first 24 weeks, var select={root:".js-sub-pencil",control:".js-sub-pencil-control",open:"o-sub-pencil--open",closed:"o-sub-pencil--closed"},dom={},allowExpand=!0;function pencilInit(o){var e=arguments.length>1&&void 0!==arguments[1]&&arguments[1];select.root=o,dom.root=document.querySelector(select.root),dom.root&&(dom.control=document.querySelector(select.control),dom.control.addEventListener("click",onToggleClicked),setPanelState(e),window.addEventListener("scroll",onWindowScroll),dom.root.removeAttribute("hidden"))}function isPanelOpen(){return dom.root.classList.contains(select.open)}function setPanelState(o){dom.root.classList[o?"add":"remove"](select.open),dom.root.classList[o? Walter was a guest speaker at many sports awards dinners and he was a national spokesman for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. “It’s with deep sadness that Janet and I share the news of the passing of my dad,” said Wayne. This translation has been automatically generated and has not been verified for accuracy. Walter Gretzky was the son of immigrants — a Polish mother and Russian father — who started a vegetable farm in 1932 in Canning, Ontario, just … Walter turned the backyard of their Brantford home into a rink for Wayne when he was four, which 99 referred to as "The Wally Coliseum." Walter travelled afar, including Europe, to watch his sons play hockey, and was a regular visitor to Phoenix after Wayne took over as head coach of the Coyotes in 2005. Walter was born in Ontario and ended up building a hockey rink in the family's backyard, which sparked Wayne's love of the game at a young age. Welcome to The Globe and Mail’s comment community. In a good mood, he started dancing around the car singing When Irish Eyes are Smiling. The two opted to stay in one room, cancelling the other. Walter played minor hockey in Paris, Ontario, then junior B for four years in Woodstock. Welcome to The Globe and Mail’s comment community. The NHL star recalls getting a similar earful when he was 21, during the 1983 Stanley Cup playoffs. As Wayne’s star ascended, Walter remained a blue-collar symbol of … That means: If you do not see your comment posted immediately, it is being reviewed by the moderation team and may appear shortly, generally within an hour. Click here to subscribe. Wayne's mother, Phyllis, died in 2005 due to complications from lung cancer at the age of 64. Walter Gretzky, father of hockey player Wayne Gretzky, yells encouragement from the stands at the start of the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics hockey game on Feb. 17, 2002. Walter leaves numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Walter Gretzky father of hockey hall-of-famer Wayne Gretzky waves to fans as the Buffalo Sabres play against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Toronto on Tuesday, January 17, 2017. He was 82. Walter’s father Tony, whose parents had emigrated to the United States, came to Canada from Chicago to enlist during the First World War with his name switching to Gretzky from Gretsky because he did not know how to write in English. Nov.15/2007. In 2010, Walter carried the Olympic torch on the last day of the Olympic relay in the lead-up to the opening ceremonies in Vancouver, where Wayne lit the Olympic flame. When Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe was cutting his teeth as a coach in the junior ranks in Pembroke, Ont., the world's most famous hockey dad, Walter Gretzky, paid a memorable visit. Walter Gretzky, whom Wayne Gretzky credited as "the reason I fell in love with the game of hockey, has died at age 82. Everything I have I owe to them [his parents].”. The same year as Wayne was born, Walter fractured his skull in a work accident as a Bell lineman. This is where the NHL legend grew up. He was 82. Three years later, they got married. Walter fed his eldest child’s obsession, recruiting bigger kids for Wayne to practise against in the backyard rink, and finding him a spot on a team of 10-year-olds when he was 6. Walter’s mother Mary came to Canada by herself in 1921 as an 18-year-old. Wayne was the first born in 1961, followed by Kim, Keith, Glen and Brent. “Wayne, keep practising and one day you’re gonna have so many trophies we’re not going to have room for them all,” his dad said. After a bad game when he was 11, Wayne got a chewing out from his dad: “People are going to judge you on how you perform every night. Walter’s parents met in Toronto in the 1930s. UPDATED: Read our community guidelines here. When he was four years old, Wayne's father Walter built a backyard ice rink equipped with flood lights for Wayne, his three brothers, one sister, and their friends from the neighborhood to enjoy. Senior OPP officer June Dobson has been charged after police made arrests in connection with the alleged theft of items from Walter Gretzky's home in Brantford, Ont. He was the fifth of seven children. “Living so close to the spotlight, you can be a magnet for some pretty strange things, and we’ve certainly seen it all: the good, the bad and the ugly,” he wrote. In August, the Gretzky family contacted the Brantford Police Service after several pieces of sports memorabilia were found to be missing from Walter Gretzky's home. The father of Wayne Gretzky became a name himself, a constant in Wayne’s world. His down-to-earth, no-airs approach to life and devotion to his family struck a chord with Canadians. It’s all been a great adventure, and I’ve been happy to share it with my family and friends.”. Walter Gretzky is photographed at his home in Brantford, Ont. After one game when his minor hockey team was downcast, he invited everyone to his home to see Wayne’s memorabilia. Read our. He also became an avid golfer. Walter Gretzky was the son of immigrants – a Polish mother and Belarusian father – who started a vegetable farm in 1932 in Canning, Ont., just outside Brantford, on the Nith River, where Wayne learned to skate when he was 2. As Wayne’s star ascended, Walter remained a blue-collar symbol of a devoted hockey parent in a country filled with them. “You knew he was good at his age at what he was doing,” Walter said in a 2016 interview. Walter had a  five-year run with the Junior B-level Woodstock Warriors. Walter coached his hockey-loving son continuously, starting at age three, building him a backyard rink, devising creative exercises and drills, teaching him profound insights into how to play successfully, and … It’s an awful thing not to know who or where you are, to feel confused and hopeless and not know whether you are ever going to be able to do all the things you used to to.”. Non-subscribers can read and sort comments but will not be able to engage with them in any way. Nobody could.”. Walter recalled missing the 1972 birth of Brent, their youngest, because Wayne was playing at a big minor tournament south of the border. This is a space where subscribers can engage with each other and Globe staff. The estimated value of the recovered property was believed more than US$500,000. “But to say that one day he’d do what he did, you couldn’t say that. Walter Gretzky, the father of hockey great Wayne Gretzky who built a backyard rink to improve his son’s hockey skills as a child and later appeared with him in … “Sometimes, I swear to you, I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming,” Walter wrote in his 2001 autobiography Walter Gretzky. Walter Gretzky is grateful for his second shot. The 4- and 5-year-olds used to call him Wally. Gas was too expensive, he said. Walter’s celebrity status increased after making a remarkable recovery from a stroke suffered in 1991. “He bravely battled Parkinson’s and other health issues these last few years, but he never let it get him down. I never got to meet Walter Gretzky but I was lucky enough to know plenty of people that knew him well and they had nothing but great things to say about Wayne’s humble Dad and a hockey ambassador. He was athletic himself, and was a track and field star in his youth in addition to being a hockey player. The two were also often intertwined, their father-son story used in commercials from Tim Hortons to Coca-Cola. “Phyllis remembers that when I walked into her room in the maternity ward, the first thing I said to her was, ‘We won, we won!’ ” he wrote. Comments that violate our community guidelines will not be posted. Walter Gretzky receives the Order of Ontario for his work with the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation and the CNIB, from Lieutenant Governor James Bartleman at a ceremony at Queen's Park in Toronto on Wednesday, February 5, 2003. “I’m most comfortable when I’m active.”. That's where Wayne's love for hockey began. We hope to have this fixed soon. Walter Gretzky father of hockey hall-of-famer Wayne Gretzky waves … Covering the impact of coronavirus on the sports world, Walter Gretzky, the dad of NHL Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky, has died, his son announced on Thursday. He wasn’t expected to live through the night. I love to tell stories, and believe me, these experiences have given me some good ones! His autobiography and a 2005 made-for-TV movie told the story. I'm a print subscriber, link to my account, Read more about following topics and authors. Walter Gretzky is photographed at his home in Brantford, Ont. The temptation is to refer to Walter Gretzky as Canada’s hockey dad, but that would be selfish. © 2004-2021 CBS Interactive. There were 61 of them. That was demonstrated in 2020 after some of Wayne’s memorabilia was stolen from his father’s home, which was packed with souvenirs and other mementoes. Tributes poured in shortly after his son, hockey great Wayne Gretzky, confirmed the … Please log in to listen to this story. Wayne Gretzky said in a statement Thursday night that his father … 6-keys: media/spln/nhl/reg/free/stories, at Walter Gretzky was the son of immigrants — a Polish mother and Russian father — who started a vegetable farm in 1932 in Canning, Ontario, just … Walter decided to make his own rink to avoid having to freeze standing outdoors at some outdoor rink elsewhere – or sit in his car with the engine running to get some heat – while Wayne skated. He was 82. “Those were dark times,” he wrote about the early days after the stroke, “and I wouldn’t want to go back there for anything in the world. And the story behind it is a pretty great one. Wayne Gretzky said in a social media post Thursday night that his father battled Parkinson’s disease and other health issues the past few years. They bought it for $600. ESPN 05 Mar 2021 Walter Gretzky, father of hockey legend Wayne, dies at 82 Wayne Gretzky took to Twitter to share the news and revealed that his father "bravely battled Parkinson's and other health issues over these last few years, but he never let it get him down.". We aim to have all comments reviewed in a timely manner. Walter was an installer and repairman for Bell Canada for 34 years and retired from the workforce in 1991. ”I really don’t like to sit still for too long,” he said. They bought it for $600. section: | slug: walter-gretzky-father-of-nhl-great-wayne-gretzky-dies-at-82 | sport: hockey | route: article_single.us | We will miss him so much, but know that he's back with our mom and that brings me and my family peace. Walter Gretzky, the ultimate Canadian hockey dad who taught and nurtured the Great One, has died. He was 82. "He inspired me to be the best I could be not just in the game of hockey but in life.