Who Is Wayne Gretzky’s Wife? All About Janet Jones

Mar. 15, 2025

Janet Jones and Wayne Gretzky in 2023.Photo:Getty

Getty

Wayne Gretzkyand his wife, Janet Jones, share a love of sports,five childrenand more than 30 years of marriage.

The couple first met on the set ofDance Fever when they were both 19 — Jones was a dancer, and Gretzky was a celebrity guest judge. But they really hit it off at a Los Angeles Lakers game in 1987, and “the rest is history,” Gretzky said in an October 2016 interview onIn Depth with Graham Bensinger.Jones and Gretzky married in 1988 in whatCBCcalled a “wedding of royal proportions.”

“We both love sports. It’s wonderful that her and I watch hockey together, baseball, football and basketball. She loves going to games,” Gretzky, a four-time Stanley Cup champion, said on theThis Past Weekendpodcast in November 2023. “We think the same way … we were born 16 days apart. We have a lot in common.”

They like to stay busy — with Jones bing a model and actress who appeared in films such asSaturday Night FeverandTheFlamingo Kid,and Gretzky being an NHL legend with all-time records in goals, assists and points.  But Gretzky and Jones prioritize their family and five children over their careers. They connected on this during their first date over beers after the basketball game, Gretzky told Bensinger. “Our goals were the same in life. Family was of number one importance.”

So, who is Wayne Gretzky’s wife? Here’s everything to know about Janet Jones and her relationship with the former hockey player.

Jones grew up in St. Louis

Wayne Gretzky and Janet Jones in 1989.Getty

Jones, a Missouri native, is a sports lover who grew up in St. Louis. She often played baseball with her neighbors as a kid, she toldChatelaine Magazinein July 2016. “Whether it’s golf, cornhole, charades, bowling, or playing gin, we’re very competitive—and we’re not afraid to show it,” Jones said.

Jones is the second youngest of seven siblings, and her father, Robert, worked in the aviation industry. Jones’ father had cancer for most of her life and died when she was 15, she told the magazine.

Jones is an actress

Janet Jones and Wayne Gretzky in 2013.Getty

After her father’s death, Jones focused on a career in show business. She won the Miss Dance of America contest when she was 16, which she turned into a job on the hit ’80s showDance Fever, she toldChatelaine.

She acted in a few other films in the ’80s, likeStaying Alive,a sequel toSaturday Night Fever,TheFlamingo Kid, where she playedMatt Dillon’sgirlfriend,A Chorus LineandPolice Academy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach.In 2022, Jones appeared inAmerican Siegealongside her son, Trevor Gretzky, andBruce Willis.

Jones met Gretzky while she was a dancer onDance Fever

Janet Jones and Wayne Gretzky in 1988.Getty

Jones and Gretzky met on the set ofDance Feverin 1981 when they were both 19. Jones was a dancer, and Gretzky was a celebrity guest judge.

“She is a tremendous dancer, she was really good at it, and I was a horrible dancer,” Gretzky said in an October 2016 interview onIn Depth with Graham Bensinger.“She one time asked me what happens to my rhythm when I take my skates off.”

Jones and Gretzky started dating after bumping into each other at a basketball game in 1987

Wayne Gretzky and Janet Jones, circa 1990.Getty

Jones and Gretzky ran into each other occasionally over the years but really connected when they bumped into each other at a Los Angeles Lakers game in 1987, Jones toldChatelaine Magazine. She was with a friend, and Gretzky was with his palAlan Thicke, and they decided to go out for dinner after the game, the former hockey star said.

“We got along very well the first time we sat and actually chatted with each other,” Gretzky said. “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.”

The NHL star’s family also quickly took a liking to his future wife. “The first week, I said, ‘What do you think?’ And [my father] goes, ‘Oh, she’s a lifer,’ ” Gretzky said on theThis Past Weekendpodcast.

“We both love sports. It’s wonderful that her and I watch hockey together, baseball, football, and basketball. She loves going to games,” Gretzky said on the podcast. “We think the same way … we were born 16 days apart. We had a lot in common.”

Gretzky proposed over the phone

Janet Jones and Wayne Gretzky in 2005.Getty

Gretzky and Jones lived together in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, while dating, Gretzky said onIn Depth with Graham Bensinger.Jones left to film a workout video shoot and would be gone for about six weeks. While she was away, Gretzky popped the question over the phone.

“It was just one of those things where you were chatting on the phone, and basically I was like, ‘well, why don’t we get married,’ ” he said. “So we did it on the phone. When she got back, we had a proper dinner.”

They had a wedding of “royal proportions” in Canada

Wayne Gretzky and Janet Jones in 1988.Getty

Jones and Gretzky married in July 1988 at St. Joseph’s Cathedral Basilica in Edmonton, which CBC called “a wedding of royal proportions.” Jones worea high-volume gown with a tulle-embellished headpiece, PEOPLE reported. “Thousands” gathered outside the church to see the newlyweds and their 700 guests, CBC reported, with fans lining the streets as the couple drove away from the church.

“First of all, you gotta understand it’s a huge hockey city. It’s a huge sports city,” Gretzky said onIn Depth with Graham Bensinger.“Part of the attraction was to see all these different celebrities and athletes. Nobody bothered me. People were genuinely nice and very appreciative.”

The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra volunteered to play at the church as a favor to Gretzky, who had helped with charity events, he said in the interview. “It became a city event in that everybody was sort of involved. It is a small community, and everybody helps each other. It turned out to be a wonderful day.”

A month after the wedding, the couple moved to L.A., where Gretzky played for the Los Angeles Kings.

The couple have five children

From left: Wayne Gretzky, Sara Cuse, Ty Gretzky, Janet Jones and Trevor Gretzky in 2014.Getty

Jones and Gretzky have five children. Their daughter Paulina Mary Jean Gretzky was born on Dec. 19, 1988, five months after the couple married, PEOPLE reported. Paulina is a model and actress who appeared inGrown Ups 2, and she is married to Dustin Johnson, a six-time World Golf Champion.

Jones and Gretzky’s first son, Ty, was born on July 9, 1990.  Ty founded The Gretzky Hockey School with his dad in 2014, per the school’swebsite.  The training camp began in Idaho and has since expanded to host camps across the United States.

Two years after Ty, the couple welcomed Trevor on Sept. 14, 1992. He is an athlete like his dad and signed with the Chicago Cubs in 2011. He also played for their minor league team and the then Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. After leaving baseball in 2016, Trevor began acting, appearing in 2018’sMile 22withMark Wahlbergand 2021’sSpiralwithChris Rock.

Jones and Gretzky welcomed their third son, Tristan, on Aug. 2, 2000. Tristan is a golfer and played on the Pepperdine University men’s team. He later transferred to New York University. Inhis official bio for the school’s golf team, Tristan said he moved to NYU for the “unlimited opportunities in the city while being able to compete in the sport I love with an amazing golf coach leading the team." He mentioned he is interested in a career in real estate.

The couple’s youngest child, Emma, was born on March 28, 2003. She is a tennis player and played for Southern Methodist University. Like her mother, Emma also acts, appearing in 2013’sPalo Alto.

Her grandchildren call her Honey

Wayne Gretzky and Janet Jones celebrate their 33rd wedding anniversary in 2021.Janet Gretzky/ Instagram

Janet Gretzky/ Instagram

Jones is a grandmother and her grandkids call her and Gretzky “Honey and Papa,” Paulina toldPalm Beach Illustrated. “She’s not only a fantastic mom but an even greater grandmother,” she said. “I don’t know what I’d do without her.

Jones often posts about her grandkids on social media. In May 2024, she wished Ty’s daughter Vienna ahappy birthday on Instagram. “Sweet sweet Vienna, we love you so very much,” Jones wrote. “You are a Angel 👼🏻 Love Honey and Papa.”

She was the “disciplinarian”

Janet Jones and Wayne Gretzky in 2014.Getty

While Gretzky may have dominated the rink, Jones laid down the law at home, Gretzky toldPalm Beach Illustrated.

“Deep down, we’re a regular family,” Gretzky said. “We had dinner together at the same time every night. We taught them right from wrong, and Janet was the disciplinarian. If she’d said, ‘Wait till your dad gets home,’ they’d have laughed.”

Jones toldChatelaine Magazineshe learned this from her father. “I have the same strictness he had," she told the magazine. “That’s been my role in a big way.”

source: people.com