Wayne Gretzky’s wife says “The Great One” is heartbroken over recent fan backlash, revealing a surprising emotional toll on hockey’s biggest legend.
Janet Gretzky took to Instagram Thursday to defend her husband of 36 years, sharing (and later deleting) a powerful column written by hockey icon Bobby Orr that stood up for Wayne.
The controversy? Some Canadian fans are upset that Gretzky didn’t wear Team Canada gear when he served as honorary captain at the 4 Nations Face-Off final against the U.S. Instead, he wore a navy blue suit and – to some fans’ dismay – even waved to the American team.
“For the life of me, I cannot understand why the ‘haters’ have decided to go after Wayne,” Orr wrote in his Toronto Sun piece. “I thought that he looked very dignified while representing Canada with class and professionalism.”
The criticism has hit Gretzky hard. Janet revealed it’s “broken his heart” to see the mean comments about his patriotism.
Orr didn’t hold back in defending his fellow legend: “Remember, this is a man who wore the Maple Leaf on multiple occasions with pride. As both a player and administrator, he has brought nothing but glory to his homeland year after year, decade after decade.”
Adding fuel to the fire is Gretzky’s friendship with former U.S. president Donald Trump, which hasn’t sat well with some Canadians who view Trump as hostile to Canadian interests.
The backlash against one of hockey’s most beloved figures shows how even sports icons aren’t immune to today’s heated political climate.
