If a Donald Trump and Wayne Gretzky crossover was not on your 2025 Bingo card, you’re not alone, and some people are not happy about it.
Some people in Canada are not impressed with Canadian NHL All-Star Wayne Gretzky, who has recently come under fire for his affiliation with Trump. He’s previously been photographed with the U.S. president and attended his election night festivities, where Gretzky was photographed wearing a “Make American Great Again” hat.
The hockey player and his wife also attended the president’s inauguration ceremony, while Trump has previously said he encouraged Gretzky to run for Canadian prime minister.
Gretzky was born and raised in Brantford, Ontario, becoming a household name during his career with the NHL, including a 19789-88 stint with the Edmonton Oilers, where he won three Stanley Cup championships. He was then traded to Los Angeles and played for several American teams before his retirement in 1999. He is now a dual citizen of Canada and the United States.
After it was announced that he would be the honourary Team Canada captain for the 4 Nations Face-Off final last week, Gretzky was met with mixed reaction, being booed by some members of the audience. He also received some heat for wearing a suit, while the American captain, Michael Anthony Eruzione, wore his team’s jersey.
Read More
Canadian sports columnist Ken Campbell called the decision tone deaf.
“I really believe that like everyone else, Wayne Gretzky is entitled to support whomever he wants,” Campbell wrote on X. “While he’s done a ton for Canadian hockey, making him the Honorary Captain for Team Canada for this game is just plain tone deaf.”
I really believe that like everyone else, Wayne Gretzky is entitled to support whomever he wants. And while he's done a ton for Canadian hockey, making him the Honorary Captain for Team Canada for this game is just plain tone deaf.
— Ken Campbell (@Ken_Campbell27) February 21, 2025
TRUMP STEPS IN, DEFENDS GRETZKY
On Wednesday, the U.S. president took to social media platform Truth Social to share his support for the legendary Canadian hockey player, saying that Gretzky does not want Canada to become the 51st American state.
“Wayne Gretzky is a fantastic guy! They call him, ‘The Great One,’ and he is. He could run for any political office in Canada, and win. Wayne is my friend, and he wants to make me happy, and is therefore somewhat ‘low key’ about Canada remaining a separate Country,” Trump posted earlier this week.
“Rather than becoming a cherished and beautiful 51st State, paying much Lower Taxes, a Free and Powerful Military, NO TARIFFS, and having a Booming Economy,” he continued, saying that Wayne and Janet Gretzky support Canada.
“He’s the Greatest Canadian of them all, and I am therefore making him a ‘free agent,’ because I don’t want anyone in Canada to say anything bad about him,” Trump continued.
“He supports Canada the way it is, as he should, even though it’s not nearly as good as it could be as part of the Greatest and Most Powerful Country in the World, the Good Ole’ U.S.A.!”
Meanwhile, people are giving Gretzky the sideeye for his association with Trump, as the American leader continues to promote the idea that Canada should become the 51st state.
“Just going to state this matter-of-factly … the honourary captain for Canada in this game publicly supports a political leader whose position is that Canada should not exist as a nation,” Canadian sports journalist Dave Naylor posted on X.
“Wayne Gretzky has f***king ruined his reputation as the great one and Canadians don’t want him anymore,” another sports fan posted.
“You can’t be a great Canadian if you support Trump who [is] trying to destroy Canada, it’s that simple,” one person said on Instagram.
While Gretzky himself has not spoken out, on Instagram his wife Janet shared a letter of support from fellow hockey player Bobby Orr, adding that “mean” comments have broken her husband’s heart.
“He would do anything to make Canadians Proud,” she shared.
And some people are questioning why Gretzky himself has not spoken out.
“Why not sing it from the top of his lungs…. Why? Afraid of potus,” one Instagram user questioned under Janet’s post.
“Why doesn’t Wayne use his platform to say Canada needs to be independent and is not the 51st state. Why doesn’t Wayne speak up,” another user asked.
Amidst the fallout, some fans have petitioned for an Edmonton street named after the hockey star, Wayne Gretzky Drive, to be renamed.
“The Great One was a man who kids and hockey fans looked up to ever since he led the Edmonton Oilers during their glory days,” reads the petition.
“I think, for this reason, it stings even more to know that he supports Donald Trump despite knowing Trump’s intentions to annex his home country.”
At the time of publication, the petition had reached more than 10,000 of its 15,000 signature goal.
