Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic
Celebrity Bios
Be sure to check back often for announcements on celebrities participating in the Ford Wayne Gretzky Classic.
(Celebrities subject to change).
Celebrities Invited To Attend:
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, (born January 26, 1961 in Brantford, Ontario) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey player who is currently part-owner and head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes.
Nicknamed The Great One, Wayne is often referred to as "the greatest player of all time". Wayne set forty regular-season records, fifteen playoff records, six All-Star records, won four Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers, and won nine MVP awards and ten scoring titles. He is the only NHL player to total over 200 points in a season — a feat that he accomplished four times. In addition, he tallied over 100 points a season for 15 NHL seasons, 13 of them consecutively. Wayne is the only player to have his number (99) officially retired by the National Hockey League for all teams.
He retired from playing in 1999, becoming Executive Director for the Canadian national men's hockey team during the 2002 Winter Olympics. Wayne also became part owner of the Phoenix Coyotes in 2000 and following the 2004-05 NHL lockout became their head coach.
Janet Jones-Gretzky
Janet-Marie Jones (born January 10, 1961) is an American actress, dancer, and aerobics instructor. She is married to ice hockey icon Wayne Gretzky.
Janet performed as a dancer in Annie (1982), Staying Alive (1983), and Snow White Live (1980), and had a bit part in The Beastmaster (1982). Her big break came in The Flamingo Kid (1984), which was followed by the film version of A Chorus Line (1985). Later in 1986, she appeared in American Anthem, co-staring gymnast Mitch Gaylord. In 1987, she appeared in the March edition of Playboy.
Four months before her wedding, Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach (1988) was released. Other credits include A League of Their Own (1992), and hosting an infomercial for Jackie Chan's Cable Flex. She served as the "master instructor" for a workout video produced by The Firm. She and daughter Paulina were featured in the movie Alpha Dog.
Janet met Wayne when he was a judge on Merv Griffin's show Dance Fever in 1984. Later, they ran into each other at a Los Angeles Lakers game in 1987. On July 16, 1988 Wayne and Janet were wed at a lavish ceremony at St. Joseph's Basilica in Edmonton broadcast live across Canada. Janet and Wayne have five children: Pauline, Ty, Trevor, Tristan, and Emma. Her mother has been their nanny since 1988.
Walter Gretzky
Walter Gretzky, CM, O.Walter Gretzky, (born October 8, 1938 in Canning, Ontario, Canada) is the father of NHL legend Wayne Gretzky.
Walter is the son of ethnically Polish immigrants. He played ice hockey for much of his youth, but never made it beyond juniors. Walter met his wife Phyllis Hockin (October 14, 1941 in Paris, Ontario - December 19, 2005), at a wiener roast at the Gretzky farm when she was 15 and he was 18. They married in 1960, and moved to Brantford, Ontario. Unlike Walter, who did a variety of commercials with Wayne, Phyllis mostly refused to embrace the celebrity that sprang from their son's exploits. The Gretzky family would grow to include Wayne, sister Kim and brothers Keith, Glen and Brent.
Walter worked as an installer and repairman for Bell Canada for 34 years, retiring in 1991. A work-related injury he suffered in 1961 left him in a coma, and resulted in deafness in his right ear. Five days after his 53rd birthday in 1991, he suffered a near-fatal brain aneurysm which destroyed his long-term memory. His physical therapist, Ian Kohler, married his daughter Kim in 1995. His ordeal is the basis of the CBC movie ‘Waking Up Wally: The Walter Gretzky Story’. Walter spends his time helping charities and fundraisers and coaching youth hockey.
Rideau Hall recently announced too that Walter is to receive Canada’s highest honour; the Order of Canada. The Nation’s highest civilian honor for Walter’s various work with a wide host for charities and foundations.
Alan Thicke
Alan has earned a Golden Globe “Best Actor” nomination and seven Emmy Award nominations (five for writing, two for acting.)
He starred as the dim-witted diva ‘Dennis Dupree’ on the NBC series HOPE & GLORIA, and has guested on countless episodics ranging from Just Shoot Me, Arliss, Son of the Beach, and Married with Children to Seventh Heaven and Outer Limits. Television audiences know Thicke best as psychiatrist and father Jason Seaver from ABC’s Growing Pains, now syndicated in over 65 countries. Last year’s Growing Pains: The Reunion was one of Disney’s highest-rated TV Movies.
One of America’s most sought-after emcees, Alan has hosted event specials including THE EMMY AWARDS; ABC’s OLYMPIC KICK-OFF GALA; CBC’s NHL AWARDS; ABC’s DISNEY CHRISTMAS and EASTER PARADES; ABC’s and NBC’s FALL PREVIEW SPECIALS; the MISS UNIVERSE, MISS WORLD USA, and MISS USA Pageants; SHOWTIME’S COMEDY ALL-STARS; TV’s FUNNIEST FAMILIES and NBC’s WORLD’S GREATEST MAGIC. His series hosting includes ABC’s ANIMAL CRACK-UPS; the EMMY-nominated PICTIONARY; A&E’s TRAVELQUEST; Game Show Network’s ALL NEW 3’S A CROWD; and the current MIRACLE PETS for PAX-TV, and TODAY’S MAN airing on CNBC.
From 1980 to 1983, THE ALAN THICKE SHOW became (and remains) the biggest hit in the history of Canadian daytime television. The American late-night entry THICKE OF THE NIGHT followed... (with less success!)
As a headliner and speaker, Alan’s distinctive charm and humor have established him as one of America’s all-purpose entertainers.
Brett Hull
Brett Hull was born on August 9, 1964 is Belleville, Ontario, Canada. He played collegiat hockey with the University of Minnesota-Duluth and was drafted by the Calgary Flames in 1984 in the 6th round.
Brett got his first taste on the NHL being called up by Calgary for the 1987 playoffs. The following season after tearing up the AHL with the Moncton Golden Flames he was called up by Calgary and appeared in 52 games, scoring 26 goals. The following year he was traded to the St. Louis Blues where he really blossomed becoming one of the most prolific goal scorers in NHL history.
Brett had 3 straight 70+ goal seasons with 72, 86 and 70 goals in 1988-89,1989-90 and 1990-91 seasons. He won the Hart Trophy (league MVP) in the 1990-91 season. Brett finally reached his goal of winning the Stanley Cup in 1999 scoring the championship winning goal with the Dallas Stars. After three seasons with the Stars he signed with the Detroit Red Wings as a free agent and again won the Cup in the 2001-02 season.
Brett retired in 2006 after playing only 5 games with the Phoenix Coyotes. When eligible he will be a shoe in for the NHL Hall of Fame. Brett ended his career with 741 goals, third all-time behind NHL greats Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe.
Brett is now the General Manager of the Dallas Stars.
Darren Pang
Born 2/17/64 in Meaford, Ontario, Darren Pang is a television color analyst for the Phoenix Coyotes.
Darren played goalie for three seasons in junior hockey with Belleville and Ottawa before playing professionally with the Chicago Blackhawks. He retired in 1989 and in 1990 started his broadcast career doing the Blackhawks post game show. He was part of the broadcast team for CBS, working as an ice level reporter for the men’s hockey at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics and for NBC at the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City.
Before joining the Coyote broadcast team Darren spent 12 seasons working National broadcasts of the NHL for ESPN as an NHL game analyst and worked for the network and worked with the network for over a decade including NHL playoff contests on ESPN and NHL telecasts on ABC Sports.
Eddie Mio
Eddie Mio (born January 31, 1954, in Windsor, Ontario) was a professional ice hockey goaltender in the WHA and NHL and is currently Director of Player Development for the Phoenix Coyotes.
Over his NHL career, he compiled a record of 64 wins, 70 losses and 30 ties and a 4.06 goals against average over 192 games played with the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings.
Eddie Mio put himself on the map of professional hockey when he agreed to attend Colorado College from 1972–76. During that time, he established himself as a standout, winning first- and second-team all-star awards and making the NCAA West first all-American team two years in a row.
In 1974, the NHL's Blackhawks and the Blazers of the WHA drafted him. He played for neither club, wending his way instead through the minor leagues with Tidewater, Erie, and Hampton until he surfaced with the Indianapolis Racers of the WHA.
Mio had his first winning season in 1980–81 before being traded to the Rangers.
In New York, Mio backstopped the Rangers for two seasons before rounding out his career with the Red Wings in 1985–86.
Gino Reda
Gino Reda (born 1960 in England) is currently host of TSNs That's Hockey since 2001 after being on Sports Centre for the previous fourteen years. He joined TSN in the summer of 1988 as a reporter covering the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, Korea.
Moving to Canada in 1964, Reda worked as a freelance play-by-play announcer for the Humber College Hawks, Junior B Hockey, Junior A box lacrosse, the Canadian National Soccer League and the Canadian National Gymnastics Championships between 1983 and 1987.
Reda also serves as a host of Junior Hockey Magazine, a weekly syndicated radio show covering the weekly stories from the Canadian Hockey League.
Gino Reda is now in his sixth season as host of Canada's #1 daily hockey magazine show, Molson That's Hockey, keeping viewers up-to-date on all the latest headlines from the world of hockey.
Reda has also covered various events and shows on TSN, including NBA Tonight, FIFA World Cup, Canadian Hockey League, That's Golf, Rugby World Cup and TSN's overnight studio shows for the 2004 Olympic Summer Games in Athens.
Reda devotes much of his time to numerous charitable organizations. For the past 12 years, he has worked closely with World Vision Canada, raising money and awareness for children living in impoverished countries. Recently, Reda traveled to Tanzania and Malawi in Africa to host TV specials for World Vision Canada. Reda is also a member of the newly established Sick Kids Foundation Constellation of Stars, which celebrates celebrities who continue to show a long-term commitment to the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. In 2005, Reda was awarded the National Volunteer of the Year award by Special Olympics Canada.
Grant Fuhr
Grant Fuhr was born in Spruce Grove, Alberta, Canada on September 28, 1962. He has worked as the goaltending coach since July of 2004.
Grant Fuhr played 19 seasons in the NHL with six different teams (Edmonton, Toronto, Buffalo, LA, St. Louis and Calgary). He began his career and had his greatest seasons with the Edmonton Oilers (1980-81 to1990-91) where he won 5 Stanley Cup Championships. In his time in Edmonton he also won the Vezina Trophy (NHL’s best goalie) and finished runner-up several times. He also finished runner-up for the Hart Trophy (MVP) to teammate Wayne Gretzky.
In 866 games in his Hall of Fame career he was 404-295-114 with 25 career shutouts. He ranks 6th on the NHL all-time wins list and 6th on the NHL all-time games played list. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003 (his first year of eligibility) and is now the goaltending coach of the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes.
John Elway
John Elway was born on June 28th 1960 in Port Angeles Washington. He is a retired NFL quarterback and still lives in Colorado.
After a brilliant career at Stanford University where he played both football and baseball, John was drafted first in the 1983 NFL draft as well as being drafted by the NY Yankees. John shocked the world and chose baseball. Baltimore traded his rights to the Denver Broncos where he started his Hall of Fame career.
A 9 time Pro-Bowler, 5 time All-Pro player, 1987 NFL MVP, Super Bowl XXXIII MVP, led his team to 5 Super Bowls winning the last two he played in.
John transformed himself from star quarterback to NFL Legend in January of 1987 with a 15 play, 98 yard offensive series in the AFC Championship game now simply known as “The Drive”. Trailing by 7 with less than 6 minutes remaining and starting on their own two yard line John directed an awe-inspiring, nearly flawless drive culminating with a 5-yard TD pass to Mark Jackson. That score tied the game and sent it into overtime where John conducted a 60 yard drive to set-up the game winning field goal and send the Broncos to their first of 5 John Elway led Super Bowl appearances.
John retired in 1999 after being named Super Bowl XXXIII MVP and was elected to the Pro Football Hall Of Fame in 2004, his first year of eligibility. John still makes his home in Colorado where he oversees his car dealerships and is co-owner of the Arena Football Leagues Colorado Crush.
John MacLean
John MacLean (born November 20, 1964 in Oshawa, Ontario) is a former Canadian ice hockey player, and currently one of the assistant coaches of the New Jersey Devils. During his playing career, he played for the New Jersey Devils, San Jose Sharks, New York Rangers and Dallas Stars
John MacLean was selected 6th overall in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft. He was selected as the 1st choice of the New Jersey Devils. MacLean made his Devils debut on October 5, 1983 against the New York Rangers. Perhaps his most memorable moment as a Devil came on April 3, 1988, when he scored a goal in overtime against the Chicago Blackhawks to send the Devils to the playoffs for the first time. During his tenure with the Devils, MacLean won the Stanley Cup in 1995 while serving as the team's alternate captain. He remained with the Devils until December 7, 1997 when he was traded to the San Jose Sharks. After finishing the 1997–98 NHL season with the Sharks, MacLean signed as a free agent with the New York Rangers in July 1998. The Rangers traded MacLean to the Dallas Stars in February 2001. On June 7, 2002 John MacLean retired from hockey after 18 seasons
In September 2002 MacLean joined the coaching staff of the New Jersey Devils, and has served as an assistant coach since. He earned his second Stanley Cup as an assistant coach in 2003.
John was selected to two NHL All-Star Games, 1989 & 1991 as well as the New Jersey Devils MVP, 1989–90.
Kevin Sorbo
Kevin Sorbo has enjoyed success on television for over 15 consecutive years, a feat rarely accomplished by an actor. Sorbo quickly rose to stardom in the title role of the hit series, “Hercules, the Legendary Journeys”.
Following the success of “Hercules”, Sorbo went on to star in the lead role of “Captain Dylan Hunt” in “Gene Roddenberry’s, Andromeda”. The series, based upon writings from the late “Star Trek” creator’s archives, debuted as the number one hour show in first run syndication and held that spot throughout it’s five year run from 2000-2005.
In 1997, Sorbo made his feature film debut in “Kull, the Conqueror”, a prequel to “Conan, the Barbarian”. Other films include, “Walking Tall, the Payback”, “Walking Tall, Lone Justice, “The Last Chance Café”, “Something Beneath”, “Clipping Adam”, and most recently, “The Avenging Angel” “Meet the Spartans” just wrapped principal photography for a January ’08 release from New Regency and 20th Century Fox.
Sorbo has guest starred on the hit shows “Just Shoot Me”, “According to Jim”, “Hope and Faith”, “Two and a Half Men, USA networks “Psych”, and had recurring appearances on “Dharma and Greg”, and on Fox’s “The OC” in 2006-2007.
Sorbo is also spokesman for A World Fit For Kids, a non-profit organization that provides gang, drug, and dropout prevention to teens through mentoring programs. He was more recently named national spokesperson as successor to Arnold Schwarzenegger for The Afterschool Alliance, a nonprofit organization working to ensure that all children have access to safe, enriching afterschool programs by the year 2010.
Kirk Muller
Kirk Christopher Muller (born Feb 8, 1966 in Kingston, ON, Canada) is a retired professional ice hockey centre who played in the National Hockey League for 19 seasons from 1984–85 until 2002–03. Muller is currently an assistant coach for the Montreal Canadiens.
Muller started his junior career with the Kingston Canadians of the Ontario Hockey League, but his most successful junior seasons were with the Guelph Platers. He was drafted second overall by the New Jersey Devils in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft. He became the heart and soul of the Devil's franchise, with his intensity and two-way play. He was traded to the Montreal Canadiens on September 20, 1991.
He signed with the Dallas Stars in the middle of the 1999–2000 seasons. He retired at the end of the 2002–03 season.
Kirk Muller began his coaching career with the Queen's University Golden Gaels of the OUA in their 2005/06 season. On June 20, 2006, after one season as the head coach of the Gaels, Muller resigned to become the new assistant coach for the Montreal Canadiens under newly appointed head coach Guy Carbonneau.
Mark Messier
Mark Messier (born January 18, 1961, in Edmonton, Alberta) is a former ice hockey centerman of the National Hockey League. He spent a quarter of a century in the NHL (1979-2004) with the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, and Vancouver Canucks. He also played professionally with the World Hockey Association's Indianapolis Racers and Cincinnati Stingers. At the time of his retirement, he was the last former WHA player still active in professional hockey, as well as the last active player who had played in the NHL in the 1970s.
Messier is widely considered among the best NHL players of all time as well as among the greatest leaders in the game's history. He is second on the all-time career lists for regular season points (1887), playoff points (295) and regular season games played (1756). He won five Stanley Cups with the Oilers, one with the Rangers, and is the only professional athlete to captain two different teams to championships. In 2007 he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Marty McSorley
Martin James McSorley (born May 18, 1963) is a Canadian former professional hockey player in the National Hockey League and former head coach of the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League (2002-2004). He has also appeared in film and television roles.
In the NHL, he played as a defenseman for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers, San Jose Sharks, and Boston Bruins.
He won two Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers in 1987 and 1988, scoring twice during one game in the 1987 championship series.
During the 2005-06 NHL season, McSorley worked for Fox Sports Net West in Los Angeles, providing in-studio analysis of games involving the Los Angeles Kings or the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. He provided commentary for the San Jose Sharks games on FSN Bay Area during 2006-07 NHL season.
Matthew Barnaby
Matthew Barnaby was born on May 4, 1973 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Before retiring in 2007 Barnaby played for the Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Rangers, Colorado Avalanche, Chicago Black Hawks and the Dallas Stars.
Drafted 83rd overall in the 4th round of the 1992 NHL Entry Draft, Matthew was know as one of the NHL’s tough guys, always willing to stick up for a teammate. Matthew played left wing and in his career scored 113 goals, had 187 assists and had 2562 penalty minutes.
Nick Kypreos
Nick Kypreos (born June 4, 1966 in Toronto, Ontario) is a retired Canadian professional Hockey left winger. He played 8 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Hartford Whalers, Washington Capitals, New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Nick Kypreos's NHL career began as a member of the Washington Capitals. He immediately became known as an enforcer. A native of Toronto, Ontario, his best year was with the Hartford Whalers where he scored a career season high 17 goals and led the league with 325 penalty minutes. In 1994 Kypreos was a member of the Stanley Cup champion New York Rangers. Winning the Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers in 1994 was his career highlight. He made his final stop for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Kypreos retired finishing with 442 Games Played, 46 Goals, 44 Assists, 90 Points and 1210 Penalty Minutes.
He currently works as a hockey analyst for Rogers Sportsnet in Canada. Nick also co-hosts Hockey Central at Noon on The Fan 590 in Toronto and simulcast on Sportsnet.
Pierre McGuire
Pierre McGuire is an ice hockey analyst and provides color commentary for hockey programs on TSN, and The NHL on NBC, where he is the game host and "Inside the Glass" analyst. Previously, he was a hockey player and coach.
From 1995 until 2002, McGuire served as colour commentator for the Montreal Canadiens English-language radio broadcasts on CJAD 800. When TSN re-acquired the Canadian national cable rights to NHL hockey in 2002, McGuire was hired as its lead hockey analyst. With TSN, McGuire calls the games along with the play-by-play voice of Gord Miller.
He hosts a segment on TSN known as McGuire's Monsters, where he covers a player with a significant impact through a combination of skills. McGuire's Monster of the Week (or Month or Year) is a distinction going to the player he thinks had the largest impact on the game (providing video proof in the form of hits, blocked shots and goals).
McGuire also writes for Sports Illustrated and provides frequent commentary on New York's WFAN, Toronto's Fan 590, Ottawa radio station, the Team 1200, the Ottawa Senators fan pod cast SensUnderground, and Montreal's Team 990 where he can be heard on the Mitch Melnick show and the TEAM 1040 in Vancouver heard on the Canucks Lunch with Rick Ball .
Scott Thornton
Scott Thornton was born on January 9, 1971 in London, Ontario, Canada. He plays left wing for the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings.
Scott was drafted 3rd overall in the 1989 entry draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Scott has been in the NHL since the 1990-91 season and has played for 6 different teams (Toronto, Edmonton, Montreal, Dallas, San Jose, LA).
During his 18 year NHL career Scott has scored 144 goals and had 141 assists. Scott is currently a member of the Los Angeles Kings.
