Walter Gretzky, Wayne's father was a big influence on his career (image credit: getty)

"They can't tell me where to send my own boy": When Wayne Gretzky's father Walter vented frustration over his son's rejected move to Toronto

Modified Dec 05, 2024 15:01 GMT

In 1974, Wayne Gretzky was caught in the middle of a conflict between his father, Walter, and the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. Walter's decision to move his son from Brantford to Toronto was rejected by the association, which led to a legal battle.

As a hockey prodigy, Wayne showed the world his exemplary prowess. "The Great One" was a class apart from his peers at the age of six. He played for the Brantford Nadrofsky Steelers and had scored more than 1,000 goals when he reached 10 years old.

However, his exceptional performances in the rink attracted a lot of negative attention from his peers and their parents. The parents displayed their anger at Gretzky, often booing him at games. Concerned for the emotional toll it would take on his son, Walter decided to move him to Toronto where he could play with senior players.

The move was initially blocked by the CAHA who were afraid that Gretzky's "trade" would encourage more youngsters to follow suit. Walter had to fight the case and Wayne was eventually allowed to move to Toronto.

An Instagram post on Wednesday, a collaboration of Bar Down and TSN, covered the entire incident. It featured clips from W5 Inquir, a production by CTV. In the third slide, the CAHA rejected the trades of Wayne Gretzky and Bryan Rohrbach.

Wayne then spoke to the speakers who were soon followed by his dad and gave his stance on the matter:

"No, they can't tell me where to send my own boy," Walter said. "It is our decision. He is our family playing. If he will be happy elsewhere, we decide between the family, that's what we're gonna do, that's our decision."

Wayne Gretzky's emotional message after Walter's death

On March 4, 2021, Walter Gretzky died at the age of 82. The news of his death was announced by Wayne. The Hockey Hall of Famer penned down a heartfelt message on X, expressing what his father meant to him.

"For me, he was the reason I fell in love with the game of hockey," Wayne tweeted. "He inspired me to be the best I could be not just in the game of hockey but in life. We will miss him so much, but know that he's back with our mom and that brings me and my family peace. He truly was the Great one and the proudest Canadian we know."

Walter's contributions to the world of hockey are widely impactful to this day. In 2007, he was awarded the Order of Canada for his contributions to uplifting the sport.