Wayne Gretzky says he backs Canada’s decision to bar Russia from the upcoming world junior hockey championship in Alberta.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said earlier this week Russian and Belarusian athletes will not be permitted to represent their countries on Canadian soil while the war in Ukraine continues.
The decision came after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled Russia must be reinstated to international hockey competition, starting with the world juniors. Russian and Belarusian teams have been banned since Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Speaking at a Friday ceremony hosted by Upper Deck to rename the Hockey Hall of Fame’s resource centre in honour of his late father, Gretzky said he understands the position Carney has taken.
The Great One praised Carney for making his position clear, saying “good for him” before adding, “I think a lot of the players and the people of Canada feel the same way.”
The world juniors are scheduled to run from Dec. 26 through Jan. 5 in Edmonton and Red Deer.
Broken clock…
Fuck Russia. Fuck Wayne Gretzky, also.
Who cares what Gretzky thinks or says about Canada. Shut up and get back under Trumps desk.
Canadian here, I think the only NHL game I saw he played (was actually LA vs Edmonton early - mid 90s). He was always the biggest hockey star and I rarely payed much attention to hockey (outside video games hell I think one was called Wayne Gretzky hockey, and worked with a sim game kinda like football manager does on its own). Fuck Gretzky for siding with Trump at one point, with a barbed goalie stick right up where the beavers don’t go. I even enjoyed the silly 90s cartoon with him bo Jackson and Jordan.
I hope Brett Hull isnt an asshole. His game was my fav.
Unsure if I never saw it before or just forgot. But no memorable times of playing that game if it was available for rent in the small town I grew up. I definitely know of Brett Hull for sure but yeah unsure if I played, but the cover appeared familiar so perhaps or just saw an ad or article about it at one point.
The game I was thinking of was circles with lines for hockey players, quite an old dos game. Wait perhaps misremembered, but apparently made by Bethesda games. Heh probably was buggy as shit but was fun. I could be recalling two parts to the same game I suppose. Been nearly 40 years now, feels weird to type as I round 50.
Brett Hull hockey ‘95 for snes.
I lived across the street from a Blockbuster type store and it was in their test cabinet for a long ass time.
I ended up getting a copy at a pawn shop.
Reminder that he was a Trump supporter.
Probably still is, even as Trump was threatening annexation.
He is not Canadian has lived longer in America, hasn’t picked up his medal in what 20 years cause is busy.
You know what they say about a broken clock?
A broken clock also thinks Wayne Gretzky is a giant asshole who should disappear from public life.
and take his piss-for-wine brand with him
Fuck this MAGA loser chud, no one gives a shit what he has to say
Fuck that maga loser
gretzky can pick the corn out of my shit. Fucking treasonweasel.
Fuck this fossilized pile of severely concussed overly lauded hick trash from Brantford.
Hes not too concussed. He famously avoided conflict and the league started to treat him with special rules and he barely took a hit. His enforcers treated him like a goaltender out there.
Edit: but he is a well known severe alcoholic. So there’s that.
Eat shit, bozo! “The great once”
Wayne, I’m thankful that your father Walter passed on before he could see what you’ve become.
I’ve never met Wayne but I spent a lot of time around Walter through some of his relentless charity work, and I agree with this. Walter cared about people, and about Canada, and about Ukraine, and Canada’s general position on caring about people including people in Ukraine, deeply. As far as I can see, Wayne cares about money and his rich friends and family, apparently pretty deeply, and not much else. They are not the same.
I don’t think Walter was ever ashamed of Wayne while he lived, but I think he might have been now. He was pretty opinionated, but not unreasonably so, and passionate. A wonderful man, I don’t think I ever disagreed with him on any particular opinion or passion he held, he is still missed.
Wayne on the other hand needs to show some loyalty and a spine, be willing to speak out in support of his country even if it means going against his current place of residence, burning the cushy job, ditching his no-doubt lovely mansion and his no-doubt wealthy but also very shitty friends, and apologise for his association with some of them, instead of defending it. But I don’t think he has it in him. I don’t think he gives a shit about this country. I don’t think he’s torn up about it at all. I think he knows there’s more money to be made in the states, I think he thinks Trump helps him make more money, and I don’t think he has any interest in seeking the approval of the country that made him as long as there’s more profit for him in doing otherwise, and if that ever changes, I think it’ll be because the profitability of doing it changed, not because of genuine regret.
Fuck this asshole in particular. Gretzky had forfeited his right to have an opinion.
Fuck you Gretzky
On the one hand, the Russian government deserves some punishment for its actions over the past few years.
On the other hand, this is a trivial symbolic gesture at most and Gretzky’s endorsement makes it feel icky.
