One of Canada’s most powerful politicians wants the nation to lay off on the Wayne Gretzky criticism and backlash for his ties to President Donald Trump.
Canadians have heavily criticized Wayne Gretzky for his friendship with Donald Trump since the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off final between Canada and the United States on Feb. 20 (a game the Canadians won 3-2 in overtime).
The 64-year-old Gretzky was controversially named Canada’s honorary captain for the game. This decision irked many Canadians since Trump himself has pushed for the nation to join the U.S.
“The Great One “faced immense criticism for not wearing any Canadian-related merchandise (jersey, pin, etc), for giving the American players a “thumbs up” and for not acknowledging the Canadian bench for the ceremonial puck drop:
Speaking to reporters less than a week after winning another majority government in the 2025 Ontario general election, Premier Doug Ford detailed an emotional phone call he had with Wayne Gretzky.
Ford pleaded with Canadians to give Gretzky “a break”, claiming that the four-time Stanley Cup champion actually “choked up” during their call:
“One other thing I want to mention is my friend Wayne Gretzky,” said Ford, who won his third consecutive Ontario election last week. “He’s the most patriotic Canadian there is anywhere on the planet. As other Canadian athletes go down to the U.S., they hand in their Canadian passport and get an American passport to pay lower taxes.
“I talked to Wayne the other day, he was so choked up talking to me. He’s a patriot, he loves Canada, he never gave up his Canadian passport. So you know folks, give the guy a break. Just give him a break. He loves Canada. He loves it like no tomorrow.”
Wayne’s wife, Janet Gretzky, took down an Instagram post last week that stated her husband was heartbroken over the criticism he’s received from Canadians. Curiously, the NHL legend himself has not publicly addressed the matter nor his relationship with President Trump.
Wayne Gretzky Can Clear This Up With One Statement
Regardless of how one’s political beliefs, it seems obvious that the best solution here is for Gretzky to break his silence instead of letting people like his wife and Ford do the talking for him.
If Gretzky is the “patriotic Canadian” as Ford claims, the NHL great could at least say he’s friends with Trump but disagrees with the president’s decision to become America’s 51st state.
The longer Gretzky stays silent, the more the criticism grows.
