Wayne Gretzky’s relationship with Trump gets backing from ex-NHL star
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Former NHL star PK Subban dismissed criticism of hockey legend Wayne Gretzky for his relationship with President Donald Trump earlier this month.
Gretzky was seen at Trump’s inauguration in January 2025, as the US president was inaugurated for a second term. In 2024, Trump teased the possibility of appointing Canada’s “Big One” as governor of the “51st state.”
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Wayne Gretzky arrives at the inauguration ceremony before Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th President of the United States at the US Capitol Rotunda in Washington DC on January 20, 2025. (Saul Loeb/Pool via Imagn Images)
Trump’s jab at Canada caused tensions to rise between the two countries, with the president later backtracking and calling Gretzky a “free agent.”
The growing tension has fueled an intense rivalry between the U.S. and Canadian hockey teams at the 4-Nation Meet in 2025, and many expect it to carry over to the Winter Olympics if the two teams meet this month.
Subban defended Gretzky’s relationship with Trump against critics in an interview with The Guardian. Toronto Sun.
“I want to know what contributions they have made to the country and what contributions they have made to the game of hockey,” he told the press. “We’re in a world of ideas; everyone has an opinion, and that’s great. But it’s not my job to listen to everyone’s opinion… Wayne has paid his dues.
FBI Director Kash Patel (left) talks with former NHL player Wayne Gretzky (right) during the first period of the NHL hockey game between the Washington Capitals and Chicago Blackhawks on Friday, April 4, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
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“He was in the trenches. He went to Nagano. He founded Hockey Canada. He played for Hockey Canada. He represented the country. He represented the league. He did everything. I’m sorry to the people who feel like he betrayed Canada. So I would say, ‘You have zero credibility to comment on Wayne Gretzky and the decisions he makes.”
Subban suggested that the conflict between Trump and Canadian leaders is why the 4-Nation Meet was a rousing success.
“Just him talking about it … had a bunch of people going, ‘Why is Trump talking about this hockey game?'” he told the Toronto Sun. “It made him ask.” “It was such a sensitive time and the president and the prime minister were so influential… I didn’t imagine the game would get this big or that world leaders would be involved in a tournament like this… But it changed the course of the game… It would be great to watch (the documentary) with Don Cherry and get his two cents in.”
PK Subban #76 of the New Jersey Devils handles the puck against the Dallas Stars on April 9, 2022 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. (Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images)
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Subban is the executive producer of the new docuseries “Rivals: The 4 Nations Face-Off.”
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