The wife of Canadian hockey great Wayne Gretzky is speaking out in defence of her husband and is commending another hockey icon for doing the same.
Janet Gretzky publicly thanked Bobby Orr for coming to her husband’s defence in a weekend op-ed published in The Toronto Sun in which he referred to Wayne Gretzky as a man who has “brought nothing but glory to his homeland year after year, decade after decade.”
Several Canadian media reports have expressed criticism towards Gretzky because of his friendship with U.S. President Donald Trump and his decision to attend Trump’s election victory party and inauguration amid the president’s ongoing remarks about Canada becoming the 51st state.
The criticism intensified after Gretzy did not wear a Canadian jersey at the recent 4 Nations Face-Off final in Boston where Canada defeated the United States. Gretzky, who was named the honorary captain for Team Canada in the final, also gave the U.S. bench a thumbs up, but didn’t go to the Canadian bench.
Orr said in his op-ed that he couldn’t “understand why the ‘haters’ have decided to go after Wayne because he ‘didn’t wear a Canadian jersey’ during his introduction at the final match.”
“I, for one, thought that he looked very dignified while representing Canada with class and professionalism,” Orr wrote.
Janet Gretzky thanked Orr for defending her husband in a Feb. 27 Instagram post that included a copy of Orr’s commentary.
“Your words mean the world to Wayne and his family,” she said. “I have never met anyone who is more Proud to be a Canadian and it has broken his heart to read and see the mean comments. He would do anything to make Canadians Proud, with his Love for Hockey and his Country.”
Gretzky’s wife and Orr are not the only people to come to his defence. Trump also took to social media to defend the former Edmonton Oilers captain.
“Wayne is my friend, and he wants to make me happy, and is therefore somewhat ‘low key’ about Canada remaining a separate Country, rather than becoming a cherished and beautiful 51st State,” Trump wrote in a Feb. 26 Truth Social post.
“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.”
Trump also listed in his post all of the advantages he said Canada would experience by becoming part of the United States, including reduced taxes, a robust military, the elimination of tariffs, and a thriving economy.
The president first began making comments about Canada becoming the “51st state” last November after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau travelled to Florida to discuss the tariffs Trump was threatening to impose on the country during his first day in office.
Along with the ongoing comments about merging Canada with the United States, Trump has confirmed he will impose 25 percent tariffs on Canadian goods beginning next week, saying Ottawa has not done enough to address his border security concerns.
