Canadian hockey legend Wayne Gretzky is facing backlash at home over his support for US President Donald Trump, who has threatened to use economic force to make Canada the 51st state.
In the past few days, the 64-year-old retired NHL player has faced criticism on social media, boos in Canadian bars when he appeared at a televised Canada-US hockey game and a push to rename a freeway that bears his moniker.
The online petition to rename Wayne Gretzky Drive in Edmonton, Alberta, says Canadians feel “betrayed” by his support for Trump.
Photo: AFP
Known as “The Great One” for his prowess on the ice, Gretzky, who is a naturalized US citizen, in January attended Trump’s inauguration in Washington and was photographed wearing a hat bearing the president’s “Make America Great Again” slogan.
As of Saturday, the petition had more than 11,700 signatures.
“I have lost all respect for Gretzky,” one person wrote on the site.
“Traitor to the Canadian people who made him who he is today,” another said.
Canadians have a long history of taking their national hockey team seriously, and Trump’s provocative comments about making Canada the 51st US state have raised tensions both on and off the ice.
Last month, there were three fights in the first nine seconds of a Canada-US opening matchup at the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament, which took place after Trump had threatened to slap punishing tariffs on Canadian imports.
The US national anthem was also booed at the tournament and other NHL games in Canada.
Gretzky took flak for wearing a blue suit instead of a Team Canada jersey, during his appearance as its honorary captain before the 4 Nations Face-Off final.
Canada won the final 3-2 in overtime, after losing to the US 3-1 in their previous tournament match.
The censure has prompted Trump and Bobby Orr, another Canadian hockey icon, to come to Gretzky’s defense.
Trump took to social media to praise Gretzky, calling him “a fantastic guy.”
“They call him, ‘The Great One,’ and he is,” he said.
Orr stood up for Gretzky in an opinion piece in the Toronto Sun, writing that “as both a player and administrator, he has brought nothing but glory to his homeland.”
Orr, who lives in the US and endorsed Trump in a full-page newspaper ad before the 2020 election, urged Canadians to “extend a little grace and a little respect for a good man and a great Canadian.”
Additional reporting by staff writer
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