Wayne Gretzky Wife
Wayne Gretzky’s wife is Janet Marie Jones, an American actress and dancer born on January 10, 1961, in Bridgeton, Missouri. Wayne Gretzky, nicknamed “The Great One,” is widely regarded as the greatest hockey player of all time, holding numerous NHL scoring records built over a legendary career with the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues, and New York Rangers. While Gretzky’s name is etched into hockey history, his wife has built her own identity as a performer, mother, and public figure. This article covers Janet Jones’s early life, her acting career, how she met Wayne Gretzky, their wedding, their children, and answers to the most common questions people ask about her.
Who Is Janet Jones?
Janet Marie Jones was born on January 10, 1961, in Bridgeton, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. She grew up as one of seven children in her family, with her father working as a business executive. Jones attended Pattonville High School in Maryland Heights, Missouri, where she developed an early interest in dance and performance.
Her path into entertainment began not through acting school but through dance. As a teenager, she pursued formal dance training, which laid the foundation for her later television and film work. Jones’s early exposure to performing arts came through competitive and televised dance platforms, which helped her transition into professional entertainment in the early 1980s.
Unlike many Hollywood figures who trained in traditional drama programs, Jones’s background is rooted in movement and choreography. This dance-first foundation shaped the types of roles she pursued early in her career, many of which called on her performing and dancing skills alongside acting. Her Midwestern upbringing and structured early training are often cited as the base that prepared her for a fast-moving entertainment career in Los Angeles during the 1980s.
Janet Jones’s Career and Professional Life
Janet Jones’s professional entertainment career took off in the early 1980s. She first drew public attention as a contestant on the television dance program “Dance Fever” in the late 1970s, later performing as part of a dance duo alongside the show’s host. This exposure opened doors into film and television work.
Jones went on to appear in a string of notable films during the 1980s, including “The Beastmaster” (1982), “Staying Alive” (1983), “A Chorus Line” (1985), “The Flamingo Kid” (1984), and “Police Academy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach” (1988). She also had a role in “A League of Their Own” (1992), playing a baseball pitcher. Beyond film, she made appearances in documentaries connected to her husband’s hockey career, including projects chronicling Wayne Gretzky’s legacy.
While Jones stepped back from full-time acting after marrying Gretzky and raising their children, she has remained connected to public life through media appearances, philanthropic work, and involvement in the Gretzky family’s business ventures, including their wine label and golf-related enterprises. Precise figures for her individual net worth are not independently published, though the Gretzky family’s combined wealth, built from Wayne’s playing career, coaching, broadcasting, and business interests, is substantial.
How Did Wayne Gretzky and Janet Jones Meet?
Wayne Gretzky and Janet Jones’s paths first crossed in the mid-1980s through mutual connections in the entertainment and sports worlds. Their initial meeting is often traced back to the mid-1980s, with the relationship developing more seriously after a later reconnection in 1987.
Their courtship moved quickly once they began dating seriously. Gretzky, already a global hockey icon playing for the Edmonton Oilers, and Jones, an established Hollywood actress, found themselves navigating a high-profile relationship under intense media scrutiny, particularly in hockey-obsessed Canada.
The couple’s engagement came together relatively fast, and their wedding plans quickly became one of the most talked-about celebrity events in Canadian history. Fans and media nicknamed their upcoming nuptials the “Royal Wedding” of Canada, given Gretzky’s status as a national hero. Their romance and rapid engagement set the stage for a wedding that would draw comparisons to a royal event, complete with massive media coverage and public fascination.
Marriage and Wedding Details
Wayne Gretzky and Janet Jones were married on July 16, 1988, at St. Joseph’s Basilica in Edmonton, Alberta. The wedding was a massive event, broadcast live across Canada and attended by hockey legends and celebrities, including Gordie Howe, Paul Coffey, and Alan Thicke.
The ceremony was famously lavish. Reports indicate Jones’s wedding gown alone cost around $40,000, and the overall wedding is estimated to have cost roughly $1 million, an extraordinary sum for the era. The event captured national attention not only because of its scale but because it coincided closely with one of the most dramatic moments in NHL history: Gretzky’s trade from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings, which happened just weeks after the wedding.
Many Canadians at the time associated the marriage with Gretzky’s eventual move to Los Angeles, since Jones was based in California for her acting career. The wedding remains one of the most memorable sports-celebrity unions of the 20th century, symbolizing the merging of Gretzky’s hockey stardom with Jones’s Hollywood world.
Children and Family Life
Wayne Gretzky and Janet Jones have five children together. Their first child, daughter Paulina Gretzky, was born in December 1988, shortly after their wedding. Paulina later became known in her own right as a model, singer, and social media personality, and she is married to professional golfer Dustin Johnson.
The couple’s other children include sons Ty Robert (born July 1990) and Trevor Douglas (born September 1992), followed by Tristan Wayne (born August 2000) and daughter Emma Marie (born March 2003). Trevor Gretzky pursued a career in professional baseball, while the rest of the Gretzky children have largely stayed out of the intense media spotlight compared to their famous parents.
Despite decades in the public eye, Jones and Gretzky have generally worked to keep their children’s day-to-day lives relatively private, especially while they were young. As the kids have grown into adults, some, like Paulina, have chosen public-facing careers, while others have kept a lower profile. The family is often described as close-knit, frequently appearing together at sporting events, golf tournaments, and family celebrations.
Janet Jones on Social Media
Janet Jones maintains a presence on social media, primarily through Instagram, where she shares glimpses of her family life, appearances with Wayne Gretzky, and moments involving her children and grandchildren. Her posts often reflect her continued connection to the entertainment and sports worlds, including support for her husband’s various ventures and her daughter Paulina’s public career.
Compared to global megastars, her following is modest but engaged, made up largely of hockey fans, entertainment followers, and people interested in the extended Gretzky family. She occasionally comments publicly on sports-related controversies and family milestones, which tends to generate media coverage given her high profile as Wayne Gretzky’s wife.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Janet Marie Jones (Gretzky) |
| Date of Birth | January 10, 1961 |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Actress, dancer |
| Married to | Wayne Gretzky |
| Marriage Year | 1988 |
| Children | 5 (Paulina, Ty, Trevor, Tristan, Emma) |
| Net Worth | Not independently confirmed; family wealth tied to Gretzky’s hockey and business career |
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is Wayne Gretzky’s wife’s name? A: Wayne Gretzky’s wife is Janet Jones, an American actress and former dancer. They have been married since July 1988.
Q: How old is Janet Jones? A: Janet Jones was born on January 10, 1961, which makes her in her mid-60s as of 2026.
Q: What does Janet Jones do for a living? A: Janet Jones is a former actress and dancer known for films like “The Flamingo Kid” and “A League of Their Own.” She has largely stepped back from acting to focus on family life.
Q: When did Wayne Gretzky and Janet Jones get married? A: The couple married on July 16, 1988, at St. Joseph’s Basilica in Edmonton, Alberta, in a widely publicized ceremony.
Q: How many kids do Wayne Gretzky and Janet Jones have? A: Wayne Gretzky and Janet Jones have five children together: Paulina, Ty, Trevor, Tristan, and Emma Gretzky.
Conclusion
Janet Jones is far more than just a hockey legend’s spouse. She built a career of her own as a dancer and actress before becoming one of the most recognizable figures connected to Canadian and American sports culture. Her marriage to Wayne Gretzky in 1988 became a defining cultural moment, and together they raised five children while staying connected to both the entertainment and sports worlds. As Wayne Gretzky’s wife, Janet Jones remains a respected figure whose life story blends Hollywood glamour with hockey history, and their decades-long marriage continues to stand as one of sports’ most enduring partnerships.
