Gretzky's Loyalty: The Great One Addresses 51st State Controversy and Trump Friendship

Wayne Gretzky BioSnap a weekly updated Biography.

Wayne Gretzky has dominated hockey headlines over the past week, not for his record-breaking points but for finally opening up about that 51st-state controversy and his high-profile friendship with Donald Trump. In an exclusive interview on the 100 Percent Hockey podcast, he addressed the waves of backlash from Canadian fans who questioned his loyalty when Trump joked about making Canada the 51st state and even teased Gretzky about becoming “the governor of Canada.” Gretzky made it clear, publicly and emphatically, that despite having obtained U.S. citizenship after his trade to Los Angeles, he is a Canadian for life. The interview, widely cited by outlets like Hockey Feed, revealed details of a supportive phone call from former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the height of the firestorm. Trudeau offered Gretzky a “hug call”—and Gretzky, sounding genuinely touched, quipped back that maybe the U.S. should be the 12th province instead, earning some comic points but unfortunately missing his own punchline on Canadian geography.

He emphasized he has no interest in politics—he cannot vote in either country, he said, and just wants to be recognized as a hockey player, not a political figure. This candid response did little to quiet critics at the 4 Nations Face-Off final last February, when Gretzky, as honorary captain of Team Canada, was booed for not wearing a Canadian jersey and for his perceived closeness to Trump, but recent coverage in the Ottawa Citizen and Sportskeeda has generally cast Gretzky’s remarks as putting the matter to rest, at least for now. Social media has buzzed with hashtags like #GretzkyLoyalty and #CanadianForLife, with fan reaction split between enthusiastic support and lingering skepticism.

Businesswise, Gretzky’s profile remains bulletproof—World In Sport reports he is still the wealthiest NHL player ever, thanks to years of endorsements, investments, and his ongoing winery and sports ventures. He delivered major keynotes recently, including at Becker’s Hospital Review and the AAPEX industry conference, where by all accounts he charmed audiences with leadership lessons from his hockey days. On the broadcast front, NHL.com highlighted his appearance during TNT’s Veterans Appreciation Night, ensuring he remains front and center in the sport’s media landscape.

And just to prove that The Great One still has his playful spark, both Sportskeeda and ClutchPoints revived the running joke about Gretzky owing Alex Ovechkin a car, after Ovi netted his 900th career goal. While nothing official has been announced, hockey Twitter is watching for delivery of that promised set of wheels.

No reports this week of major personal appearances at his namesake events, and no fresh business launches are confirmed—though Gretzky’s vineyards and sports-related assets remain perennial buzz topics. If anything, the last several days have shown yet again that Gretzky, for all the controversy and commentary, continues to skate circles around the spotlight—cool, candid, and forever a headline maker in both hockey and pop culture.

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