RIP Walter Gretzky. You raised a hell of a son.
Walter Gretzky, the father of hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, has passed away at the age of 82.
The patriarch of hockey’s most famous family, Wayne credits Walter’s coaching on the family’s backyard rink in Brantford, Ont., as the foundation that allowed him to become the NHL’s all-time leading scorer.
Walter was named to the Order of Canada in 2007, “for his contributions to minor hockey in Canada and for his dedication to helping a myriad of local, provincial and national charities.”
Walter Gretzky Elementary School in Brantford was opened and named in his honour in 2012 and he also took part in the final leg of the running of the Olympic torch for the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.
He wrote two books: On Family, Hockey and Healing in 2003 and Gretzky: From Backyard Rink to the Stanley Cup in 1985.
His wife, Phyllis, died of lung cancer in 2005. He is survived by his children Wayne, Kim, Keith, Glen and Brent, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Walter Gretzky, the father of hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, has passed away at the age of 82.
The patriarch of hockey’s most famous family, Wayne credits Walter’s coaching on the family’s backyard rink in Brantford, Ont., as the foundation that allowed him to become the NHL’s all-time leading scorer.
Walter was named to the Order of Canada in 2007, “for his contributions to minor hockey in Canada and for his dedication to helping a myriad of local, provincial and national charities.”
Walter Gretzky Elementary School in Brantford was opened and named in his honour in 2012 and he also took part in the final leg of the running of the Olympic torch for the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver.
He wrote two books: On Family, Hockey and Healing in 2003 and Gretzky: From Backyard Rink to the Stanley Cup in 1985.
His wife, Phyllis, died of lung cancer in 2005. He is survived by his children Wayne, Kim, Keith, Glen and Brent, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
