Wayne Gretzky says he is and always will be a proud Canadian, despite his relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump who has repeatedly called for Canada’s annexation since he returned to the White House earlier this year.
“People are going to say and believe what they want, right? The bottom line is, I know in my heart I’m Canadian, stayed Canadian and am a Canadian citizen for life, simple as that,” Gretzky said as a guest on an episode of the 100% Hockey podcast released Wednesday.
Hosts John Shannon and Daren Millard asked Gretzky if he understood the criticism he’d received earlier this year during the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off, which pitted Canada against the U.S. in a tense final amid heightened political rhetoric on both sides of the border.
“Oh sure,” Gretzky answered, “because Canadians are proud.”
Gretzky, who Trump considers a friend, was introduced as the honorary captain for Team Canada before the highly anticipated 4 Nations final in February but was swiftly criticized online for not wearing a Canadian jersey or speaking out against Trump’s 51st state comments.
While he understood the backlash, “The Great One” said it’s not his place to weigh in on political debates and reaffirmed his Canadian identity.
“I don’t know how many (Canadians) move to the U.S., whether it’s business, entertainment, hockey … but I would tell you that over 90 per cent of them become American citizens. I never became an American citizen; I’m Canadian,” he said.
Gretzky noted that as a Canadian who lives in the U.S., he can’t vote in American elections.
He also said that he can’t vote in Canadian elections either since he is no longer a resident. However, “Canadian citizens who live abroad may apply to be on the International Register of Electors, which will allow them to vote by mail-in special ballot in federal general elections, by-elections and referendums,” according to Elections Canada.
Previous rules barred expats who had lived outside Canada for more than five years from voting in federal elections, but a 2019 Supreme Court ruling guaranteed voting rights for Canadian citizens living abroad, regardless of how long they have been.
“I’m not into politics, so I can’t stop the prime minister from saying something and I can’t stop the president from saying something,” Gretzky said. “I’m just a hockey player, simple as that.”
Gretzky added that he also understands he’s a figure many Canadians want to hear from when it comes to matters of national pride, “but 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.”
In the fallout of the 4 Nations controversy, Gretzky said outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called him to offer his support.
“It was a wonderful phone call,” said Gretzky. “He reached out and he gave me a great line, he said, ‘I’m giving you a hug call,’ and I said, ‘OK, I needed it right now,’ so anyway, I understand Canadians are proud.”
