Donald Trump DEFENDS Wayne Gretzky after NHL Hall of Famer receives extreme backlash from Canadians during 4 Nations Face-Off

Wayne Gretzky was slammed by Canadian fans for showing a thumbs up to Team USA and for his ties with their President Donald Trump.

Donald Trump DEFENDS Wayne Gretzky after NHL Hall of Famer receives extreme backlash from Canadians during 4 Nations Face-Off

Wayne Gretzky and Donald Trump (Image via Imago)

On Wednesday, Donald Trump issued a statement regarding NHL Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky. The US President came into the defense of his “friend” after he received extreme backlash from the Canadian fans.

Gretzky, known as “The Great One“, is considered by many as the greatest hockey player of all time. The Canadian international has several records across the NHL and is one of the most popular athletes among the world.

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During the 4 Nations Face-Off final match between the USA and Canada, Gretzky found himself under fire from his own countrymen. While making his way through the center ice, the former Edmonton Oilers captain would show a “thumbs up” to Team USA on the bench before standing besides Sidney Crosby as the honorary captain of Canada.

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This action of Gretzky was not met well with the fans. They would question his loyalty on social media and attack him. Some even pointed out his political support for Donald Trump. After Trump won the 2024 Presidential Elections, Gretzky and his wife Janet were present at the resort where Trump celebrated his win.

Following this extreme backlash, Trump came to the aid of Gretzky. On Truth Social, he dropped a huge sentence and called him a “fantastic guy”. He later pointed out that he should only support Canada and make the people happy.

Wayne and Janet, his wonderful wife, love Canada, and they should only support Canada, and whatever else makes the Canadian People, and Governor Justin Trudeau, happy. He supports Canada the way it is, as he should, even though it’s not nearly as good as it could be as part of the Greatest and Most Powerful Country in the World, the Good Ole’ U.S.A.!

Donald Trump on Truth Social

Before this, he even joked about how Gretzky was somewhat ‘low key’ about his nation remaining a separate country. A few days back, Trump claimed that Canada would one day become the “51st state” of the United States.

Bobby Orr blasts Canadian fans for attacking Wayne Gretzky during 4 Nations Face-Off final

When the 4 Nations Face-Off started, Wayne Gretzky probably would not have thought that he would become public enemy No.1. Following the backlash from the fans, a fellow Canadian great and NHL Hall of Famer Bobby Orr also came into his defense. He would blast the fans for attacking the forward star.

Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr
Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr (Image via The Boston Globe)

In a special column to the Toronto Sun, Orr stated that Gretzky has several times don the Maple Leaf of Canada and has delivered for his country. He believes that his countrymen are behaving in a weird manner regarding Gretzky.

How fickle can people be, when someone who has given so much time and effort to Canadian hockey is treated in such a way. Listen, we all have our personal beliefs as they pertain to things such as religion and politics. Wayne respects your right to such beliefs – why can’t you respect his?

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There had also been reports of unrest among some Edmonton faithful. An Edmonton resident recently claimed that it was time for the government to rename a Wayne Gretzky street due to his political ties with Trump. Ex-NHL star Theo Fleury would react to this and claimed that the “cancel culture” was making a comeback.

Speaking on the 4 Nations Face-Off, Gretzky’s country Canada took home another gold medal as they defeated USA 3-2 in overtime. A golden goal from Connor McDavid sealed the game and extended the dominance of Canada in international events.