As Canadians celebrate the national hockey team’s victory at the 4 Nations Face-Off on Thursday night, hockey legend Wayne Gretzky is facing criticism on social media due to his ties to the United States.
In a thrilling finale, Canada defeated the United States 3-2 with an overtime goal by Connor McDavid, marking a comeback after a previous loss to the American team earlier in the tournament. The win was seen as a symbol of Canada’s resilience, especially following months of provocative comments from U.S. President Donald Trump about making Canada the 51st state.
Throughout the tournament, Edmonton Oilers icon Wayne Gretzky served as Team Canada’s honorary captain. However, his recent associations with Trump have sparked backlash. Since Trump’s presidential election victory in November, Gretzky has been spotted at several events alongside him. He reportedly attended Trump’s election night party at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, and later attended the presidential inauguration in Washington with his wife, Janet. Additionally, Trump mentioned on Truth Social that he had encouraged Gretzky to run for prime minister, humorously referring to the position as “soon to be known as the Governor of Canada,” a title he has also jokingly used for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Many fans found Gretzky’s role as Team Canada’s honorary captain inappropriate, given his perceived support for Trump. The controversy has even led to an online petition seeking to rename Edmonton’s Wayne Gretzky Drive. The petition cites Gretzky’s influence on young fans in Edmonton, stating that “it stings even more to know that he supports Donald Trump despite knowing Trump’s intentions to annex his home country.”
“The goal of this petition is to make City Council aware of how important this issue is to Edmontonians,” reads the petition, which has garnered over 2,500 signatures within three days.
