Walter Gretzky, father of NHL star Wayne Gretzky, dies at 82

Wayne Gretzky said in a statement Thursday night that his father battled Parkinson’s disease and other health issues

Walter Gretzky, the father of hockey great Wayne Gretzky, has died. He was 82.

Wayne Gretzky said in a statement Thursday night that his father battled Parkinson’s disease and other health issues the past few years.

In his younger days, Walter Gretzky became a name himself, appearing with his famous son in commercials and emerging as a blue-collar symbol of a devoted hockey parent.

HEART PROBLEMS MAY BE RARE IN PRO ATHLETES AFTER COVID-19

Wayne Gretzky Family is seen with his dad, Walter on October 27, 1994, in Canada. (Photo by Dick Loek/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

His celebrity status increased after making a remarkable recovery from a stroke suffered in 1991.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

His recovery was chronicled in his autobiography, "On Family, Hockey and Healing," and in a 2005 made-for-TV movie.

Load more..