Alan Thicke died on Tuesday at the age of 69 after suffering a heart attack while playing hockey with his son.
More on that from the Los Angeles Times:
The Times spoke with Robin Thicke on Tuesday evening, and he called his father “the greatest man I ever met” and “always a gentleman.” He confirmed that Thicke suffered a heart attack while playing hockey with his son Carter, and that one of the last things he said was a compliment to his son on a nice shot.
“The good thing was that he was beloved and he had closure,” said Robin Thicke, who credited his dad, an accomplished musician himself, with being an inspiration and very supportive of his music career. “I saw him a few days ago and told him how much I loved and respected him.”
Thicke, who will leave a legacy as a father and actor, was also an enthusiastic and beloved hockey fan who created dozens of tie-ins with sports throughout his career. In fact, he played a huge role in bringing Wayne Gretzky to the Kings. Here’s what he told Sportsnet in 2012:
I was reminded of it a few days ago on the occasion of the anniversary of his trade from Edmonton to Los Angeles (on Aug. 9, 1988). He was house-sitting at my house in L.A. the night he got traded. I was in Norway with my other son (Brennan), and Wayne and Janet were house-sitting for my son Robin (11 years old at the time). I called from Norway because I picked up the Oslo morning paper and saw pictures of Gretzky — but I couldn’t understand the text, of course. And I thought maybe there had been a fire, a mudslide, a drive-by shooting, who knows? So I called home, and I learned Wayne left early in the morning; he got traded last night. He got the call at about 9 p.m., and he was gone by 6 the next morning. So we had to find a substitute nanny instantly, which is not as bad as what Edmonton had to find to replace him.
Bruce McNall, the former Kings owner, told Grantland in 2014 that Thicke was a little more involved than the actor may have let on in that 2012 interview. He had also helped the Gretzky and McNall form a relationship that made the move possible and had invited Gretzky to stay at his house:
“Wayne was sort of hiding out there more or less when we were cutting this deal,” McNall said. “Nobody really knew that Wayne was as involved with the transaction as he was, and I would be calling Alan’s house constantly for Wayne. So I let Alan know: “We got to keep this really on the QT because if any of this gets out to the press, it will probably get killed because of the backlash.” Alan was intimately knowledgeable about what was going on well before almost anybody else. I trusted him 100 percent. Wayne and I agreed that if there was one person that we could rely upon, it would be Alan.”
David Cook, Chris Evert, Lisa Leslie and Alan Thicke participate in 2016 Chris Evert/Raymond James Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic at Boca Raton Resort on November 18, 2016 in Boca Raton, Florida. (Photo by Johnny Louis/FilmMagic)
It wasn’t just hockey though. Here’s more from Thicke on his friends in sports from that same 2014 Grantland article, which is worth revisiting today. Looking back, it’s a great tribute to a man who according to reports made friends wherever he went and truly embraced — and appreciated — living out every sports fan’s dream.
“In case you’re making a list, I wouldn’t want anyone to be left out. I have close friendships with Mike Piazza, Phil Esposito, Luc Robitaille, and, of course, Wayne and Michael. Joe Carter and I have a special bond because my son Carter was named after him. My wife was pregnant, and we knew it was a boy, and I just happened to be sitting in the bathtub one day watching an ESPN special on Canadian baseball history, which, as you can imagine, was pretty short. And out came the names Gary Carter and Joe Carter. I had my eureka moment.
Barry Bonds was one of the guys that I met at Michael’s tournament, and we hit it off. And then there’s Donald Driver, and I had some fun with guys like Brett Favre in the old days, and Chrissie Evert has been a great pal, and Serena Williams is my secret crush. Jimmy Connors is a pal. Greg Norman is one that I like. Jack Nicklaus has been very kind to me in the past. Steve Garvey and Roger Clemens from baseball. Al Joyner from track and field is a pal. Richard Dent and Julius Erving and, significantly, Marcus Allen. I don’t know anyone from water polo or women’s softball.”
On Wednesday, the sport world reacted to Thicke’s death:
Janet & I are deeply saddened to hear of Alan's passing. He was a wonderful man,father,husband and friend.He will be missed by all. RIP Alan
— Wayne Gretzky (@OfficialGretzky) December 14, 2016
RIP to one of the great ones, Alan Thicke. pic.twitter.com/LvlU13s23h
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) December 14, 2016
Our thoughts are with the friends and family of Alan Thicke. A longtime friend to the LA Kings and the hockey community. pic.twitter.com/qPccXcY3SE
— #LAKings (@LAKings) December 14, 2016
Read more about Thicke over at USA TODAY.