Mourning Gretzky still aids in selection

The Great One's mother passed away last week.
By GEORGE RICHARDS
Knight Ridder Newspapers
MIAMI -- There are a few holidays Canadians hold in high regard, and one comes every four years.
Last Wednesday, the announcement of the Canadian Olympic hockey team brought its nation to a standstill, with millions stopping their daily routine to watch the live broadcast from Vancouver or tune in on a radio.
As joyous an occasion as it is, this year was different. A moment of silence was held before the much-anticipated unveiling of the team, and a pall of sorrow hung over the proceedings.
Wayne Gretzky is considered Canadian royalty, his nation's favorite son. Gretzky lost his 64-year-old mother Phyllis after a yearlong battle with lung cancer last Monday night, and an entire nation felt his pain.
"To the Gretzky family, our thoughts and prayers are with you," said Kevin Lowe, the assistant executive director to Team Canada and Gretzky's former teammate with the Oilers.
Director of Team Canada
Gretzky, known simply as "The Great One," is also the executive director of Team Canada.
He helped build the team that won gold in Salt Lake City in 2002, Canada's first Olympic gold in 50 years. Forget Gretzky's amazing playing career, forget about the job he has done turning the Phoenix Coyotes into winners.
Simply bringing the gold medal back to its rightful home -- the place where hockey was born and nurtured through generations -- put Gretzky on a pedestal where few others have enjoyed the view.
When Gretzky received word from Brantford, Ontario, that his mother had taken a turn for the worse, he met briefly with his team at a hotel in Los Angeles and headed home.
Gretzky told the Coyotes he needed time to be with his family, and everyone understood. He also told Team Canada he wouldn't be able to devote as much time as needed to pick this year's team.
"I am sorry I cannot be here today for what is such a great day for Canadian hockey," Gretzky said in a statement. "I know my mom was looking forward to this day as every Canadian is."
Still took part in selection
Panthers coach Jacques Martin is an assistant for Team Canada, and said that despite the turmoil, Gretzky took part in Wednesday's conference call to finalize the team.
"Wayne is such a great family person and such a great team person," Martin said. "He was on the call and offered his opinion."
While her son was constantly in the spotlight, Phyllis Gretzky shied from the publicity yet was called the glue that held her famous family together.
"As you know, she was the person who stood back and didn't really enjoy the limelight," Wayne said at Thursday's funeral. "But in our house, she was the limelight."
One of her five kids became perhaps the most famous hockey player the world has known. Wayne Gretzky is hockey. And it should be noted, Phyllis Gretzky meant more to her son than the wonderful game he transcended ever did.
"It definitely was a difficult process for Wayne and his family," said Lowe, now Edmonton's general manager. "Wayne never ceases to amaze me. We're lucky to have him; not just Hockey Canada, but all of us."