The man accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from Walter Gretzky’s memories has had deep ties to some of the best hockey legends, including Bobby Orr, Doug Gilmour and the Gretzky family, according to TheHockeyNews.com. In fact, in an incredible twist of irony, the accused man was scheduled to be inducted into the Bobby Orr Hall of Fame in Parry Sound, Ont., The same Hall of Fame as Walter Gretzky entered ago. two years.
Brantford police confirmed that Ken Hadall, 58, of Oakville, Ont., Was charged with theft of more than $ 5,000 and possession of more than $ 5,000 in connection with the theft of $ 500,000 -American, equivalent to about C $ 640,000). of memories of the Gretzky house. They also confirmed that June Dobson, 58, is an Ontario provincial police officer in Grenville County, Ont., Has been charged with fraud over $ 5,000 and breach of trust in connection with a Wayne Gretzky’s childhood that was sold to a souvenir seller for $ 6,000.
Police said the two cases were unrelated and that, in fact, the investigation that led to Dobson’s arrest came out of the investigation into Hadall. Both people were well known to the Gretzky family. Dobson has been friends with Walter for many years and Hadall’s relationship is believed to date back to Keith Gretzky’s career in youth hockey in the mid-1980s. It should be noted that none of the suspects has been convicted of the crimes and is considered innocent until proven guilty.
But it’s clear that the theft from Gretzky’s house was not an introductory case and was internal work, which again provides a precautionary tale to NHL players and their families about whom they associate.
Hadall first met Gilmour early in his tenure with the Toronto Maple Leafs and the two have worked on some projects together, but a person close to the situation said Gilmour severed ties with Hadall last spring. . It is also evident that Hadall had a very close relationship with Orr, as evidenced by his incorporation into the Bobby Orr Hall of Fame. The induction was to be held on June 13, but was postponed due to COVID. TheHockeyNews.com contacted Bobby Orr’s Hall of Fame and a spokesman told him he had recently heard the news about Hadall and would not comment on anything.
The Bobby Orr Hall of Fame website says the mandate of its selection committee is to “select worthy candidates for the Bobby Orr Hall of Fame and two recognize the significant contribution and outstanding achievements to athletics and sports”.
When he announced the incorporation of Hadall as an honorary member last February, the Hall of Fame outlined his contributions as follows:
“Ken Hadall has been a dedicated and selfless friend and supporter of the Bobby Orr Hall of Fame for over a decade. Ken’s support has taken various forms over the years. His contributions to the annual Celebrity Golf Classic fundraiser are legendary and include prizes, gift bags, custom hockey sticks signed by the hockey royalty and collaborations with his extensive network to secure a growing list. great for celebrities to combine with golf equipment. Ken was key to negotiating an agreement with Samsung Canada that involved donating technology for the Hall of Fame exhibits, as well as a significant financial contribution to the Hall of Fame reserve funds. Ken loved the Parry Sound community and the pride shown in the local youth, which led him and Doug Gilmour to approach the Hall of Fame with a donation to establish a Bobby Orr Hall of Fame scholarship for to local youth in 2018. In addition to his supportive funding, Ken is incredibly generous with his time. It has been said that his most used phrase is, “How can I help?” The Bobby Orr Hall of Fame has benefited immensely from Ken’s generous support and dedication and the Hall is proud to receive him as an honorary member. ”