The wife of hockey great Wayne Gretzky says she was hurt by the media's treatment of her family following allegations of her involvement in an American gambling ring.

In an exclusive interview with Canada's Chatelaine magazine, Janet Gretzky says she had a hard time when the scandal began in February 2006.

"Wayne and I have had a great marriage for 20 years and a nice family, and the people in the media could care less if they are trying to cause friction in your marriage, trouble in your family, and make your kids feel a certain way,'' she told Chatelaine.

"That was a little hurtful because it was like, `Why? What have we ever done to you?'''

Chatelaine editor Sara Angel says Gretzky was warm and open through the interview.

"She was amazingly candid, and very brave to come out and talk about it," Angel told Canada AM.

"What she said was she was very hurt by the way that the media chose to handle the issue because she said... nobody wants to hear the good news, they want to hear this particular situation."

Janet Gretzky's name surfaced in a New Jersey state police investigation dubbed "Operation Slap Shot.'' She was accused of allegedly placing thousands of dollars in bets with a gambling operation that authorities said was financed by Rick Tocchet, an assistant coach with the Phoenix Coyotes, the team now coached by Janet's husband Wayne.

Tocchet has been suspended from his job and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

Janet Gretzky said she never placed any wagers on her husband's behalf, and he has denied any involvement in the alleged gambling ring.

Neither of the Gretzkys ever faced charges.

Janet Gretzky told Chatelaine she would like to put the whole incident behind her.

"She says the story's over. She says 'I wasn't charged and let's move on. Let's focus on my family, let's focus on what Wayne is doing,'" Angel says.

Janet Gretzky lives in a 1,672-square-metre home in a gated community just outside Los Angeles with four of their five children.

"Her eldest, beautiful daughter, Paulina, is starting a fledgling acting and singing career. She has another son (Ty) very interested in hockey. She has another who's about to become a soccer star, in her words... and then she has essentially two toddlers at home, Emma and Tristan," explains Angel.

Wayne Gretzky spends much of the year living in Scottsdale, Ariz., the home of the Coyotes, but heads back to California for weekend visits with his family.

"She's a modern mom," says Angel. "You can you imagine the amount of juggling."

Janet Gretzky told Chatelaine that she didn't want to move her children to Phoenix because they had a good life in California. But she admits the traveling is stressful.

"We've done this for a couple of years now, but I don't think we're going to be able to do it next year,'' Gretzky told Chatelaine. "This travelling back and forth is kind of getting to us.''

Angel says Gretzky appeared happy, overall, with a strong marriage.

"I think that within a marriage, sometimes when there's a crisis, it separates a couple. I think in their story, it really brought them together," says Angel.

"When you read the story, it is a love story, unquestionably."