Critiques of Gretzky's ties to Trump hasn't shaken superfan's support, memorabilia market

Jack Farrell · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Feb 28, 2025 7:10 PM EST | Last Updated: March 1

Hockey fable Wayne Gretzky mightiness beryllium successful the punishment container successful the minds of galore Canadians close now, but 1 Alberta-based superfan says his admiration for the Great One remains intact.

"Wayne is inactive Wayne," said Shawn Chaulk successful an interrogation Friday. "He's an icon [and] people should proceed to spot him arsenic such. Who cares what his governmental beliefs are?

"Focus connected each the bully he's done for the game."

Chaulk lives successful Fort McMurray, Alta., astir 430 kilometres northeast of Edmonton, and owns a monolithic postulation of Gretzky game-used sticks and jerseys, rookie cards and photographs. He adjacent sports a tattoo of the NHL's all-time points, assists and goals leader.

Gretzky has drawn the ire of hockey fans and non-hockey fans alike for his nationalist enactment of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has dismissed Canada arsenic a thankless, self-interested dependency that deserves to beryllium its 51 state.

Trump is besides threatening to punish Canada with steep tariffs starting adjacent week, saying Canada enjoys an unfair commercialized vantage and is not doing capable to halt cross-border cause traffic.

In Edmonton, the tract of Gretzky's hockey glory days, 1 nonmigratory has started a petition to rename the Wayne Gretzky Drive freeway. As of Friday, the petition has garnered implicit 11,000 signatures.

In Calgary, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith answered questions from reporters connected the controversy.

She acknowledged "The Great One" mightiness beryllium hitting a station oregon 2 successful his post-playing years, particularly by not wearing a Team Canada jersey erstwhile helium precocious served arsenic honorary skipper for Canada astatine the caller Four Nations Face-Off.

But that shouldn't diminish his on-ice legacy, particularly successful Edmonton, she said.

"I emotion The Great One, and I deliberation it's unfortunate," she said.

"The societal media sphere tin get a small spot mean, but I don't deliberation it detracts from his bequest astatine all."

Gretzky's ties to Alberta and Edmonton are deep. In the 1980s, helium led the Edmonton Oilers to 4 of their 5 Stanley Cups earlier being sent to the Los Angeles Kings successful a commercialized that shocked the hockey world.

He and woman Janet were joined successful Edmonton, and determination is simply a life-sized statue of Gretzky hoisting the Stanley Cup extracurricular the Oilers' downtown arena.

Gretzky attended an predetermination triumph enactment for Trump successful November and was seen sporting a Make America Great Again hat. He and Janet besides attended Trump's inauguration successful January.

WATCH | Why is Trump doing harm power for Wayne Gretzky?: 

Trump, arsenic good arsenic chap hockey fable Bobby Orr, person vouched for Gretzky's Canadian-ness, with some calling him 1 of "the greatest" Canadians successful history. His woman Janet has posted connected societal media that the rebukes person "broken his heart."

Gretzky retired in 1999 but his representation lives connected successful the sports paper and memorabilia business.

Jack Jensen, proprietor of a long-running memorabilia and collectible store called West Edmonton Coin and Stamp, said the contention has not affected income 1 mode oregon the other.

"The request hasn't changed a lot," helium said.

Jensen said Gretzky memorabilia hasn't flown disconnected the shelves for galore years arsenic the caller procreation of hockey fans absorption connected scoring worldly from today's superstars, similar Connor McDavid oregon Connor Bedard.

"Gretzky worldly is not that saleable," Jensen said. "It's collectible, but not that saleable astatine this point."

At Jensen's shop, near-mint information Gretzky cards from the aboriginal 1980s are priced astatine $450. A signed plaque and representation marking the clip Gretzky, arsenic a Los Angeles King, broke Gordie Howe's grounds for all-time constituent person is marked astatine $600.

Jensen said prices, particularly for the much collectible items similar game-worn equipment, apt won't ever dip successful worth careless of Gretzky's off-ice performances.

"People are frustrated close present and deliberation he's a traitor," Jensen said.

"But I deliberation he'll person longevity erstwhile radical get past this velocity bump that they're frustrated with him."