Robert Davis and Wayne Gretzky are connected through a high-profile 2020 police investigation involving stolen Gretzky hockey memorabilia. Robert A. “Rob” Davis was Chief of the Brantford Police Service when the force investigated memorabilia reported missing from the Brantford home of Wayne Gretzky’s father, Walter Gretzky. There is no reliable evidence that Davis and Gretzky were business partners, relatives, teammates, or longtime personal associates.
The distinction matters because “Robert Davis” is a common name. In this context, the documented Robert Davis is the Canadian police leader who served in Brantford and now heads the Moose Jaw Police Service in Saskatchewan. The connection with Gretzky is professional and tied specifically to the memorabilia investigation.
Who Is Robert Davis in the Robert Davis and Wayne Gretzky Search?
Robert A. Davis, commonly known as Rob Davis, is a Canadian police chief with a career dating to 1990. In testimony before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights in 2022, Davis identified himself as a Mohawk from the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory and said he had spent more than half of his policing career serving Indigenous communities.
Before Brantford, Davis held senior positions with several police organizations. His career included service with the Six Nations Police Service, Nishnawbe Aski Police Service and a five-year secondment to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. He later became chief of police in Dryden, Ontario, and then led the Lethbridge Police Service in Alberta.
Davis became Brantford’s police chief in 2019. He remained in the position until June 21, 2024, when he left the Brantford Police Service.
His career subsequently continued in Saskatchewan. The City of Moose Jaw announced on July 28, 2025, that Davis had been appointed Chief of the Moose Jaw Police Service, effective August 29, 2025. The service’s current leadership page continues to list Robert Davis as Chief of Police.
How Is Robert Davis Connected to Wayne Gretzky?
The connection dates to August 2020, when members of the Gretzky family contacted Brantford police after discovering that Wayne Gretzky memorabilia was missing from Walter Gretzky’s residence in Brantford, Ontario.
Investigators determined that some of the missing items were believed to have been sold to collectors in different parts of Canada. Because the investigation extended beyond Brantford, the Brantford Police Service worked with the Ontario Provincial Police and Royal Canadian Mounted Police, with assistance from Halton Regional Police during the execution of search warrants.
Robert Davis was Brantford’s chief at the time. His connection to Gretzky therefore arose through his position as head of the police service responsible for the investigation.
Davis did not become associated with Gretzky because of an NHL career or commercial venture. Reliable reporting does not establish that he was one of Wayne Gretzky’s teammates, coaches, agents, business partners or relatives.
The Wayne Gretzky Memorabilia Investigation
The case attracted national attention because of the cultural and monetary value attached to the items.
According to police accounts reported at the time, the missing property included game-used hockey sticks, gloves, pants, jerseys and a Wayne Gretzky Player-of-the-Year award. Investigators spent roughly three months tracing property believed to have been distributed to collectors.
On December 8, 2020, police executed search warrants at five residences in Ontario and Alberta. Authorities subsequently reported recovering Gretzky memorabilia valued at more than US$500,000.
As Brantford police chief, Davis publicly credited the investigators and participating agencies. Reporting on the police statement quoted Davis as saying that more than US$500,000 in Gretzky memorabilia had been successfully recovered.
Timeline of the Case
| Date | Development |
|---|---|
| August 2020 | The Gretzky family reported Wayne Gretzky memorabilia missing from Walter Gretzky’s Brantford residence. |
| August to December 2020 | Brantford police investigated with assistance from the OPP and RCMP. |
| December 8, 2020 | Search warrants were executed at five homes in Ontario and Alberta, with Halton Regional Police also assisting. |
| December 15, 2020 | Police announced arrests and said memorabilia worth more than US$500,000 had been recovered. |
| August 2021 | Charges against OPP Inspector June Dobson, arising from a separate alleged memorabilia fraud uncovered during the investigation, were withdrawn. |
| November 2021 | Charges against Oakville resident Ken Hadall in the memorabilia theft case were also dropped. |
The later withdrawal of the charges is an important part of the record. The original allegations should not be presented as convictions or proof of criminal wrongdoing.
Why Was Brantford Central to the Story?
Brantford is central to both men’s public histories.
Wayne Gretzky was born in Brantford, Ontario, on January 26, 1961. The NHL describes the city as his birthplace and traces his extraordinary early hockey development there before his junior and professional career began.
Walter Gretzky also became closely associated with his son’s hockey story. The family’s Brantford home contained memorabilia accumulated across Wayne Gretzky’s career, making the reported disappearance of jerseys, sticks and other artifacts particularly significant to collectors and hockey fans.
Robert Davis also had personal roots in the region. In parliamentary testimony, he described himself as a Mohawk from the Six Nations of the Grand River and explained that he returned to the area when he became Brantford police chief.
The Robert Davis and Wayne Gretzky connection is therefore partly explained by geography. Gretzky’s family home was in the jurisdiction of the police service Davis headed.
Was Robert Davis Personally Investigating Wayne Gretzky?
No evidence indicates that Wayne Gretzky himself was being investigated.
The Brantford Police Service was investigating the disappearance and movement of Gretzky memorabilia after the family reported items missing. Wayne Gretzky and his family were connected to the case as the owners or family associated with the property, not as criminal suspects.
It would also be inaccurate to claim that Chief Davis personally conducted every investigative step. As chief, he headed the Brantford Police Service while investigators handled the operational work. Public reporting principally connects Davis to the case through his leadership role and official statements about the investigation.
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The Separate Gretzky Hockey Stick Allegation
The 2020 investigation produced another case that was initially reported alongside the main theft investigation but was legally separate.
Police said investigators uncovered information suggesting that a different person had allegedly committed fraud involving Gretzky memorabilia. Ontario Provincial Police Inspector June Dobson was subsequently charged with fraud over $5,000 and breach of trust. OPP spokesperson Bill Dickson emphasized at the time that her charges were not related to the larger theft investigation.
The Crown withdrew the charges against Dobson in August 2021. Later reporting stated that Dobson maintained that Walter Gretzky had given her the hockey stick involved in the dispute.
This distinction prevents two different allegations from being incorrectly merged into a single story.
What Happened to the Main Theft Charges?
The Oakville man identified in reporting as Ken Hadall was originally charged with theft over $5,000 and possession of property over $5,000.
Those charges did not result in a conviction. CHCH reported in November 2021 that the charges against Hadall had been dropped.
That later development changes how the historical case should be described. A factually accurate account can state that police recovered the memorabilia, conducted searches and laid charges, but it should also state that the charges were subsequently withdrawn rather than implying guilt.
Who Is Wayne Gretzky?
Wayne Douglas Gretzky is one of the most accomplished players in professional hockey history. He played 1,487 NHL regular-season games for the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers. His career totals were 894 goals, 1,963 assists and 2,857 points.
Gretzky won four Stanley Cups with Edmonton and nine Hart Memorial Trophies as NHL MVP. He retired in 1999 with dozens of NHL records.
One major record has changed since many older biographies were published. Alex Ovechkin scored his 895th NHL regular-season goal on April 6, 2025, passing Gretzky’s career total of 894. Gretzky nevertheless remains the NHL’s all-time leader in regular-season assists and points, with 1,963 assists and 2,857 points.
As of the 2026-27 NHL season, Gretzky also continues to work as an analyst on TNT’s NHL coverage alongside Liam McHugh, Henrik Lundqvist, Anson Carter and Paul Bissonnette.
Where Is Robert Davis Now?
Robert Davis is currently Chief of Police in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.
The Moose Jaw Board of Police Commissioners appointed him in 2025 following a national search. His official start date was August 29, 2025. The city credited him at the time with more than 34 years of law-enforcement experience and previous chief roles in Brantford, Lethbridge and Dryden.
His role remains current in 2026. The Moose Jaw Police Service lists Davis as chief, while recent City of Moose Jaw and Saskatchewan government announcements identify him in that position.
Are Robert Davis and Wayne Gretzky Friends or Business Partners?
There is no reliable public evidence establishing such a relationship.
The documented connection is much narrower: Davis was Brantford’s police chief when the Gretzky family reported valuable Wayne Gretzky memorabilia missing from Walter Gretzky’s home. Brantford police became the lead agency in the multi-jurisdictional investigation, and Davis spoke publicly in his official capacity about the recovery of the property.
Claims of a private friendship, family relationship or business partnership between Davis and Gretzky would require evidence that is not established by the authoritative sources covering the case.
Why the Name Robert Davis Can Cause Confusion
Robert Davis is a common name shared by people in sports, business and other fields. For example, former NFL wide receiver Robert Jamal Davis played for Washington and Philadelphia, while Robert M. Davis is the chairman and CEO of Merck. Neither should automatically be assumed to be the Robert Davis associated with Wayne Gretzky in this particular search context.
The strongest documented match is Robert A. Davis, the Canadian police chief. His full name appears in Canadian parliamentary records, which identify him as Robert A. Davis and record his introduction as “Rob Davis.”
FAQ
What is the connection between Robert Davis and Wayne Gretzky?
Robert A. “Rob” Davis was Chief of the Brantford Police Service during the 2020 investigation into Wayne Gretzky memorabilia reported missing from Walter Gretzky’s Brantford home. Davis’s connection to Gretzky is therefore a professional law-enforcement connection.
Did Robert Davis play hockey with Wayne Gretzky?
No reliable source establishes that Brantford police chief Robert A. Davis played professional hockey with Gretzky. Davis built his career in policing, while Gretzky played 20 NHL seasons after entering the league with Edmonton in 1979.
How much Wayne Gretzky memorabilia was recovered?
Police reported recovering property valued at more than US$500,000. Items included game-used sticks, hockey gloves, pants, jerseys and a Player-of-the-Year award.
Was anyone convicted of stealing Walter Gretzky’s memorabilia?
The publicly reported charges discussed in the 2020 case were later withdrawn. Charges against OPP Inspector June Dobson in the separate stick-related case were withdrawn in August 2021, while charges against Ken Hadall in the main theft case were reported dropped in November 2021.
Where is Robert Davis now?
Robert Davis is Chief of the Moose Jaw Police Service in Saskatchewan. He took office on August 29, 2025, after previously serving as chief in Brantford, Lethbridge and Dryden.
What records does Wayne Gretzky still hold?
Gretzky remains the NHL’s career leader in regular-season assists with 1,963 and points with 2,857. Alex Ovechkin passed Gretzky’s former career goals record of 894 in April 2025.
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