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 is widely known as “The Great One,” the Hall of Fame hockey player who still holds more NHL scoring records than any player in history. While Gretzky’s career on the ice made him a household name, his wife has built her own story as a performer, mother, and public figure over nearly four decades of marriage. This article covers everything worth knowing about Janet Jones — her background, her career, how she met Wayne Gretzky, their wedding, their five children, and where she stands today.
Who Is Janet Jones?
Janet Marie Jones was born on January 10, 1961, in Bridgeton, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. She is American by nationality and grew up as one of several siblings in a Midwestern household; her father worked as a business executive. She attended Pattonville High School in nearby Maryland Heights, Missouri, where she developed an early interest in dance and performance.
Jones’s path into entertainment started young. She showed talent as a dancer, which eventually led her to television appearances and a national platform. Long before she became known as Wayne Gretzky’s wife, Janet Jones was working steadily as a professional dancer and actress in Hollywood, building a resume that included stage performances, television spots, and film roles throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s. Her Midwestern upbringing and disciplined dance training gave her the foundation for a career that would eventually put her in front of national audiences, long before she became one half of one of sports’ most recognizable couples.
Janet Jones’s Career & Professional Life
Janet Jones began her entertainment career as a dancer. She gained early visibility as a contestant on the television dance competition show Dance Fever in the late 1970s, and she went on to perform with a dance duo called Motion alongside the show’s host. That dance background opened doors into film and television work throughout the 1980s.
Her acting credits include the musical Annie (1982), The Beastmaster (1982), Staying Alive (1983), A Chorus Line (1985), and The Flamingo Kid (1984). She later appeared in Police Academy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach (1988) and had a role in A League of Their Own (1992) as a Racine Belles pitcher. She has also appeared in documentaries about her husband’s career, including Kings Ransom and Wayne Gretzky: Above and Beyond, often as herself.
Since the late 1990s, Jones has stepped back from acting to focus on family life, though she remains a public figure through her husband’s continued visibility in hockey circles and through their children’s own careers in golf and entertainment. Specific net worth figures for Jones individually are not publicly confirmed, though the couple’s combined wealth, built largely from Gretzky’s playing career, endorsements, and business ventures, is widely reported to be substantial.
How Did Wayne Gretzky and Janet Jones Meet?
Wayne Gretzky and Janet Jones first crossed paths in 1984, when Gretzky appeared as a celebrity judge on Dance Fever, the same show where Jones had once competed and performed. At the time, Jones was engaged to tennis player Vitas Gerulaitis, a relationship that lasted from 1985 to 1987.
Gretzky and Jones’s paths crossed again a few years later, in 1987, at a Los Angeles Lakers basketball game. This second meeting is generally cited as the real start of their relationship. Their courtship moved quickly once it began, and within a year the couple was engaged. Given Gretzky’s status as Canada’s most famous athlete and Jones’s growing profile in Hollywood, their relationship attracted significant media attention almost immediately, with Canadian and American outlets closely following the pairing of a hockey legend and a Hollywood dancer-actress.
Marriage & Wedding Details
Wayne Gretzky and Janet Jones married on July 16, 1988, in a lavish ceremony at St. Joseph’s Basilica in Edmonton, Alberta. The wedding was such a major event in Canada that it was broadcast live on national television, drawing comparisons to a royal wedding given Gretzky’s stature in the country at the time.
Just weeks after the wedding, on August 9, 1988, Gretzky was traded from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings, a move that shocked the hockey world and was informally dubbed “The Trade.” Some speculated the move was connected to helping further Jones’s acting career in Los Angeles, though Jones has pushed back on that narrative, saying in interviews that she would not have supported uprooting their lives just to advance her own career ambitions. The couple has remained married for well over three decades since that day in Edmonton.
Children & Family Life
Wayne Gretzky and Janet Jones have five children together: Paulina, Ty, Trevor, Tristan, and Emma. Their oldest daughter, Paulina Gretzky, has become well known in her own right as a social media personality and is married to professional golfer Dustin Johnson. Their sons Ty, Trevor, and Tristan have each pursued their own paths, with some involvement in sports and business, while youngest daughter Emma has kept a lower public profile.
Despite decades in the public eye, the Gretzky-Jones family has generally worked to keep their day-to-day life private, particularly around their children’s upbringing. Janet Jones has spoken about prioritizing family stability amid Wayne’s demanding hockey career and frequent relocations early in their marriage. As their children have grown into adults with their own public lives, the family has increasingly appeared together at sporting events, golf tournaments, and family milestones, offering the public occasional glimpses into their close-knit dynamic.
Janet Jones on Social Media
Janet Jones maintains a presence on social media, primarily through Instagram, where she shares moments from family life, appearances at her children’s events, and glimpses of her relationship with Wayne Gretzky. Her following, while smaller than that of her daughter Paulina, includes fans of Wayne Gretzky’s hockey legacy as well as those who remember her acting career from the 1980s. Her posts tend to focus on family gatherings, golf tournaments involving her son-in-law Dustin Johnson, and support for Wayne’s ongoing involvement in hockey broadcasting and business ventures, rather than heavily curated lifestyle content.
Quick Facts Table
| 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 individually confirmed; family wealth tied to Gretzky’s career |
FAQ Section
Q: What is Wayne Gretzky’s wife’s name? A: Wayne Gretzky’s wife is Janet Jones, an American actress and dancer. Her full married name is Janet Marie Gretzky.
Q: How old is Janet Jones? A: Janet Jones was born on January 10, 1961, making her in her mid-60s as of 2026. She was born in Bridgeton, Missouri.
Q: What does Janet Jones do for a living? A: Janet Jones built her career as a dancer and actress, appearing in films like A Chorus Line and A League of Their Own. She has largely stepped back from acting since the late 1990s.
Q: When did Wayne Gretzky and Janet Jones get married? A: The couple married on July 16, 1988, in a widely televised ceremony at St. Joseph’s Basilica in Edmonton, Alberta. They have remained married ever since.
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. Their oldest, Paulina, is married to golfer Dustin Johnson.
Conclusion
Janet Jones has spent more than three decades as Wayne Gretzky’s wife, but her story stretches well beyond that role. From her early days as a dancer on national television to her acting career in 1980s Hollywood, and now as the matriarch of a large, high-profile family, Jones has carved out an identity that stands on its own. Her marriage to hockey’s greatest player has kept her in the public eye, but her career, her family life, and her steady presence alongside Wayne Gretzky through the highs of his hall-of-fame career tell a fuller picture. Together, Wayne Gretzky and his wife remain one of sports’ most enduring couples.
