When hockey legend Wayne Gretzky first met Janet Jones, neither of them could have predicted that a chance encounter on a television set would grow into a lifelong love story. Today, the couple shares over three decades of marriage, five children, and a reputation as one of sports’ most enduring power couples.
Wayne Gretzky and Janet Jones’ first meeting and the Lakers game that changed everything
The pair first crossed paths in 1981 on the set of Dance Fever, where Wayne Gretzky was a celebrity guest judge and Jones a dancer. Though sparks didn’t fly right away, their story reignited six years later. In 1987, they ran into each other at a Los Angeles Lakers game — Wayne Gretzky with his friend Alan Thicke and Jones with a girlfriend. That night, the casual meet-up led to dinner and a conversation that revealed how similar their outlooks on life were.
Janet Jones and NHL legend Wayne Gretzky (Getty Images)
“We got along very well the first time we sat and actually chatted with each other,” Gretzky later recalled. “Mindset was very similar and our goals were the same in life. We started off that night where we were both on the same page. It makes life that much more simple.”
A proposal, a royal wedding, and life as a family
Their whirlwind romance moved quickly. Gretzky proposed over the phone while Jones was away filming, and in July 1988, the couple married in Edmonton in what was famously described as a “wedding of royal proportions.” Thousands of fans lined the streets to witness the ceremony, and the event became a city-wide celebration.
Janet Jones and NHL legend Wayne Gretzky (Getty Images)
Family soon became the heart of their relationship. Their first daughter, Paulina, was born later that year, followed by four more children over the next 15 years. Despite busy careers — Gretzky rewriting hockey history and Jones pursuing acting — both prioritized raising their family. “Our goals were the same in life. Family was of number one importance,” Gretzky said.Also Read: Inside Sidney Crosby and Kathy Leutner’s private love story that has lasted more than 15 yearsFrom their early connection to their life as parents and grandparents, Gretzky and Jones have shown that the Great One’s greatest victory may well be found off the ice.
