No. 231: PHYLLIS HOCKIN (a.k.a. 99's mom & Walter's missus) / The matriarch stayed in the background by choice, but I did have some time with her.
Wayne is Canada's sports icon & Walter its most loveable dad, so why Phyllis avoid attention? She didn't tell me outright, but she might have dropped a clue in our off-the-record conversation.
The Gretzky family at their trophy-swamped home back in the 80s: from the left, Wayne’s mom Phyllis Hockin, his sister Kim, father Walter and brother Keith
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to How to Succeed in Sportswriting (without Really Trying) to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.