Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky says he is proud to be a Canadian and plans to “stay in his lane” as an athlete rather than wading into the political arena.
Gretzky downplayed his ties to U.S. President Donald Trump during an April 7 appearance on radio program “The Ben Mulroney Show,” saying he’s “proud” of his Canadian heritage and isn’t interested in engaging in political debates.
The Brantford, Ont., native also said his friendship with Trump gives him no sway over the president, just like being Canadian gives him no influence over the prime minister.
As a hockey player, politics “isn’t on the docket,” Gretzky said. “We stay in our lane. The prime minister and the president don’t tell us how to play hockey and we don’t tell them how to do politics.”
“Can you imagine me telling your dad what to do when he was the Prime Minister?” Gretzky added, referencing former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, Ben Mulroney’s father. “Your dad would have laughed at me.”
Several Canadian media reports have been critical of Gretzky because of his friendship with Trump and his decision to attend Trump’s election victory party and inauguration despite the president’s ongoing remarks about Canada becoming the 51st state.
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The criticism heightened after Gretzy did not wear a Canadian jersey at February’s 4 Nations Face-Off final in Boston where Canada defeated the United States. Gretzky, who was named the honorary captain for Team Canada in the final, also gave the U.S. bench a thumbs up, but didn’t appear to acknowledge the Canadian players, sparking comments about a lack of patriotism.
Mulroney questioned Gretzky about his name being dragged into the ongoing political debate since Trump slapped tariffs on Canada earlier this year citing issues with illegal migration and cross-border fentanyl trafficking.
The 64-year-old said he tries to focus on the things that really matter rather than political commentary.
“I’ve got five American kids, seven American grandchildren, an American wife, a 103-year-old American mother-in-law, and I always tell them every day, ‘you be as proud of the United States of America as I am to be a Canadian, that’s what your grandfather would have wanted,’” he said. “And so you know what? I don’t worry about those kinds of things, because you can’t make everybody happy.”
Gretzky has lived in the United States since he was traded from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings in 1988.
Gretzky was seen as a symbol of national pride for Canada during his time with the Oilers. His record-setting performances, which included guiding the team to four Stanley Cup titles, solidified his reputation as a national icon.
Gretzky’s long-standing scoring record was recently surpassed by Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin. The 39-year-old Russian scored his 895th goal last week, exceeding Gretzky’s previous record of 894.
Gretzky told Mulroney that losing the record he set in 1999 to a player from Russia didn’t bother him.
“When I went into the locker room [on April 6] with Alex, I didn’t look at him as a Russian,” Gretzky said. “I looked at him as an NHL hockey player and a guy that’s been tremendous in the city of Washington and great for the NHL. We always, believe it or not, really never talk politics in the locker room.”
