This has been a pretty eventful year for Wayne Gretzky. Usually, ‘The Great One’ is in the news for all the right reasons. This year, however, has been a bit of a roller-coaster for the true-blue NHL legend.
At the 4 Nations Face-Off final against the United States in Boston, Gretzky was accused of disloyalty towards Canada after failing to wear his country’s colors, where he was the team’s honorary captain.
The fact that he appeared to be super courteous towards the US bench also caused an uproar, especially when, at the time, President Donald Trump was threatening to make Canada the 51st state and joked about making the NHL legend the governor of said state.
Wayne Gretzky Breaks Silence on Donald Trump-Adjacent Controversy
It took eight months, but Gretzky broke his silence on the whole 4 Nations controversy.
In an appearance on the 100% Hockey podcast, Gretzky gave his side of the story.
On being asked if he knew exactly why the outrage had ballooned into a full-blown story, Gretzky said, “Canadians are proud. But here are the two factors. I don’t know how many people moved to the US, whether it’s business, entertainment, or hockey; I don’t know the exact number. But I would tell you that over 90% of them became American citizens. I never became an American citizen. I’m Canadian. I can’t vote in the US because I live in the US and I’m Canadian.”
Gretzky, who has called the United States his home since 1988 following “the trade” to the Los Angeles Kings, went on to mention that he made a conscious effort to steer away from politics.
“I’m not in politics. So, I can’t stop the prime minister from saying something. I can’t stop the president from saying something. I’m just a hockey player, simple as that.
“As I said to the prime minister. He wouldn’t tell me how to play hockey, I’m not going to tell him what to do in politics, simple as that.”
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Interestingly, Gretzky was also pictured at Mar-a-Lago during Trump’s election night party with his family.
In the latter parts of the interview, the NHL icon made it a point to highlight his love for his country.
“The bottom line is, I know in my heart I’m Canadian, I’ve stayed Canadian, and I’m a Canadian for life. “I had a lot of support. You’ve got to take the good with the bad. It probably would hurt my dad, Walter, more, so I’m glad he didn’t have to see it.”
Gretzky also revealed that former Canadian PM Justin Trudeau reached out to him to clear the air following the controversy.
