He is a retired professional hockey player. He is the head hockey coach with a net worth that will amaze you. He is arguably the best hockey player to ever grace the planet. This is Wayne Gretzky, the most famous hockey player in NHL history. Everything you need to know about this iconic hockey legend can be found here…
Wayne Gretzky Bio
Wayne Gretzky is a Canadian hockey superstar who was born on January 26, 1961 in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. Her father, Walter Gretzky, was a laborer at Bell Telephone Canada and her mother’s name is Phyllis Leone Hockin. The family lived in Brantford and that’s where Gretzky was raised. He was the eldest in the family of five children. His other siblings are his sister, Kim Gretzky, and three other brothers, Keith, Glen, and Brent Gretzky. Gretzky first became interested in hockey while watching the game at his grandparents’ house when they visited. From the age of two, he would stand against his grandmother Mary and try to score against her as he sees on game shows.
Gretzky’s first hockey mentor was his father, and it put him so far ahead of his peers that he played on teams well above his age. He was so good that his trainer at the time, Dick Martin, couldn’t help but remark that he was even better than his seniors. He picked up a rather involuntary habit at this point and held on throughout his playing career in the National Hockey League (NHL). Because he was playing as a 6-year-old on a 10-year-old team, the game outfit was bigger than his body. The young Gretzky therefore put his sweaters in his pants to adapt to his small body. throughout his career, he always put on his jersey.
As he got older, Gretzky improved his game and he could only get better, which was the envy of his teammates, peers and even his fans. So how good was it? While playing for the Brantford Nadrofsky Steelers, Gretzky scored an astonishing 378 goals and had 139 assists plus goals in a season and just 10 years. At the age of 13, he had already reached 1,000 goals. The negative reception he received was incredible, prompting his family to ship him to Toronto, where he continued his career.
He joined the Toronto Nationals in the Metro Junior B Hockey League for the 1975-76 season and he won the “Rookie of the Year” award in that first season after scoring 60 points in 28 games. He improved his points total next season to 72, albeit with more games (32). He was chosen by the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in the 1977 OMJHL Midget Draft, even though her father (and manager) disagreed with her because of their travel schedules. However, he settled down and wore number 99 for the team.
In those days, there were two alternative hockey leagues – the World Hockey Association (WHA) league and the National Hockey League (NHL). In 1978, Wayne Gretzky turned pro by signing for the Indianapolis Racers, who were part of the WHA. But he would later show up for the NHL as his contract with the Racers had been bought by the Edmonton Oilers, who were part of the WHA at the time. But they are quickly promoted to the NHL and Gretzky then becomes an NHL player. He went on to win multiple awards while breaking several long-standing NHL records, including those set by hockey legend Gordie Howe. First, the all-time high of 1,850 points, followed by Howe’s career-high 805 goals. He achieved this with far fewer plays than Howe.
Other teams for which Wayne Gretzky has shown his 20-year career include the Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers. After retiring after the 1998-99 season, his “99” jersey number was also retired in his honor as the most famous hockey player of all time.
Net value
Having such a glorious career comes with its rewards – financially. Wayne Gretzky drew a lot of criticism during his vacation as different companies continued to scramble to seek his face on their products (or services), including Nike. These deals have boosted his net worth alongside his salary and hockey earnings. He was at one time co-owner of the Arizona Coyotes ice hockey franchise (formerly known as the Phoenix Coyotes). He was also Vice President and Partner of the Oilers Entertainment Group, the parent company of his former hockey team, the Edmonton Oilers. Wayne Gretzky currently has an estimated net worth of $200 million.
Family – wife, son, daughter
Wayne Gretzky is married to former Playboy model, Janet Jones and they have been married for over three decades and are still together. The marriage produced five children. Gretzky first saw his future wife when he was a member of the Dance Fever panel, even if she did not see it. After that, their paths crossed on other occasions until they met at a game in Los Angeles in 1987 and started dating. Previously, Jones was engaged to Vitas Gerulaitis, a professional tennis player. It lasted two years, but she broke up after meeting Gretzky. They got engaged (Jones and Gretzky) a year later, in 1988 and six months later, on July 16, 1988, they were a married couple. The wedding was exquisite and was also the talk of the town. Gretzky reportedly spent more than $1 million on the ceremony dubbed “The Royal Wedding” by the Canadian press.
Their five children are Paulina, Ty, Trevor, Tristan and Emma Gretzky. His first daughter, Paulina Mary Jean Gretzky, was born on December 19, 1988. She is an actress, model and pop singer. She is engaged to Dustin Johnson, an American golfer, and they have two children – Tatum Gretzky and River Jones Johnson. Ty Robert Gretzky was born on July 9, 1990 and studied at Arizona State University. He had previously played hockey with the Midget AA hockey team at Shattuck-Saint Mary’s before resigning. Trevor Douglas Gretzky is an actor and a baseball player born on September 4, 1992. He played for the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Angels. Tristan Wayne Gretzky was born on August 2, 2000 and is an actor. Emma Marie Gretzky is an aspiring actress born on March 28, 2003.
Quick Facts About Wayne Gretzky – Heightname Wayne Douglas Gretzky
Known As : Wayne Gretzky
Nickname : The Great
Occupation : Retired professional hockey player
Date of birth : January 26, 1961
Horoscope : Aquarius
Place of birth : Brantford, Ontario, Canada
Nationality : Canadian
Husband : Janet Jones
Children : 5 (Paulina Mary Jean, Ty Robert, Trevor Douglas, Tristan Wayne and Emma Marie Gretzky)
height : 183 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight : 84 kg (185 lbs)
Eye color : Blue
Hair color : Light brown
Net worth : $200 million
