Wayne Gretzky looks on during a press conference announcing he will be re-joining the organization in an off-ice role in Edmonton, Alta., on Wednesday October 12, 2016. Canadian entertainer Alan Thicke - a longtime sports fan with a strong connection to the hockey world - was remembered fondly by the sports community Wednesday. Thicke, from Kirkland Lake, Ont., died Tuesday at age 69. Hockey legend and longtime friend Wayne Gretzky offered his thoughts in a post on Twitter.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Amber Bracken

Former Blue Jays great Joe Carter first got to know Canadian entertainer Alan Thicke at a charity golf tournament a few years ago in Las Vegas.

Carter was a fan of Thicke's television work and walked over to introduce himself. Thicke was quick to share a personal family story with the former slugger, who hit a walkoff homer to give Toronto a World Series title in 1993.

"He said, 'Yeah, I named my son after you,'" Carter recalled Wednesday. "I was just kind of floored. I was like, 'Wow.' It made me really feel honoured because he thought that much of me and what happened in Canada to name his son after me.

"That was an instant hit with me right off the bat."

Thicke, a writer, composer, host, and actor perhaps best known for his role on the sitcom "Growing Pains," died Tuesday of a heart attack in Los Angeles. He was 69.

"He's a guy that you could approach and in five minutes say, 'I've known this guy all my life,'" Carter told The Canadian Press from Kansas City. "He's just that great a person."

Thicke often played in Carter's annual charity golf tournaments in the Toronto area. One year Thicke's son Carter made the trip as well and, given the back story, Joe made sure to have a "Carter" jersey at the ready.

"He wore it that night in the luxury suite, it was signed and everything," Joe Carter said. "He had a big smile on his face."

In an interview last year with MLB.com, Thicke described how he decided on the name for his youngest son.

"I was sitting in the bathtub," Thicke said. "We knew that we were having a boy and we were wrestling with a name and what would we do. And then I'm watching a documentary on the sports channel about Canadian baseball heroes ... and sure enough, Joe Carter, for hitting those home runs, and Gary Carter, being a great Expo catcher.

"And I said, 'Eureka!' Out of the tub and we have a name for the kid."

Thicke, from Kirkland Lake, Ont., was a big sports fan with a strong connection to the hockey world. He was remembered fondly throughout the sports community Wednesday.

Hockey legend and longtime friend Wayne Gretzky offered his thoughts in a post on Twitter.

"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," Gretzky tweeted.

A photo of Thicke with Gretzky, Phil Esposito and Gordie Howe — all wearing all-star uniforms — was posted on the NHL's Twitter feed.

"In addition to being a passionate fan, Alan was an energetic participant in many of our events, including all-star, charity games and awards shows," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. "He frequently attended games, and was with us as recently as September's World Cup.

"Alan always displayed humour and grace and he will be greatly missed. We send condolences to Alan's wife, Tanya, and the rest of his family as well as to his countless friends and the multitudes he entertained."

Thicke recently starred with son Carter in "Unusually Thicke," a reality/sitcom hybrid series that debuted in 2014. Joe Carter made a cameo in a Season 2 episode.

"He's your Dad next door so to speak," Carter said. "What you saw growing up, saw him on TV, and then you saw him in real life, he's the same person."

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News from © The Canadian Press, 2016