12 Still the Greatest

Chapter 12 Still the Greatest When Wayne retired, Paulina was ten, Ty eight, and Trevor six. The family settled in California. Wayne went to his kids' games and school events. He and Janet had a normal life, just like they talked about when they met. And just like they wanted, they had a big family. Son Tristan and daughter Emma were born in 2000 and 2003.

But Wayne couldn't leave professional hockey just yet. In February 2001, Wayne became part owner of the Phoenix Coyotes. Four years later, he was named head coach. He worked with the organization until 2009. During that time, Wayne flew back and forth to be with his family in California. Janet and the kids visited him, too. Those years, and all the years after he stopped playing, had many special moments. Wayne was named Hockey Player of the Century by Sports Illustrated.

He coached Canada's hockey team to gold in the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. He lit the Olympic torch in Vancouver in 2010. He even met Queen Elizabeth II of England. But there were sad, trying times as well. Wayne's mom, Phyllis, died in December 2005. Like Wayne, Phyllis liked to stay behind the scenes. But Wayne called her "the glue" that held the family together. Shaken up, Wayne took a leave from the Coyotes to be with her at the end. Wayne isn't involved in pro hockey any longer. But he hasn't slowed down. He owns a Toronto restaurant, Wayne Gretzky's. It serves pierogi and other dishes like his grandmother made. He owns wineries, too. They feature bottles from the "No. 99 Collection." He has his own charity foundation to help young hockey players, and hockey camps where he plays with fans.

Wayne travels between California and Canada to be close with everyone in his family. His kids are growing up. Ty plays for a Chicago Cubs minor league baseball team. Paulina is building a career as a singer. But everyone gathers by the lakeside home in Idaho every summer. Still, Wayne doesn't rule out returning to the NHL, as a coach or an owner. After all, he says, "I owe everything I have to hockey." And hockey owes Wayne Gretzky, too. The Oilers' equipment manager, Lyle Kulchisky, might have

said it best in an ESPN documentary: "[Wayne's] always been a better person than he's been a hockey player. When you really get to know him, then you know why they call him the Great One."