Canada

John Davidson has difficulty remembering the last time Wayne Gretzky visited his childhood home across the street in this small city (Brantford, ON) a couple hours’ drive southwest of Toronto.

Now 85, Davidson still chases away the occasional curiosity seeker, a far cry from the days when busloads of children would pull up, or the time Wayne and his wife Janet showed up with an entourage, three limousines strong. The retired steelworker then lowered his hand to his knee to indicate how long he’s known Gretzky, before saying: “Wayne’s changed a lot since he went down to the States.”

“I always thought the hell out of him,” Davidson said of Gretzky. ”Hate is a terrible word. Dislike is a better word.

“It disappoints the hell out of me. And I don’t think his father would appreciate it either,” he added. “A lot of people are pissed off with him right now because he went and kissed the ring.”