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Former NHL star P.K. Subban dismissed criticism aimed at hockey legend Wayne Gretzky for his association with President Donald Trump earlier this month.
Gretzky was spotted at Trump’s inauguration in January 2025 as the U.S. president took office for his second term. In 2024, Trump teased Canada with the possibility of naming “The Great One” the governor of the “51st state.”
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Wayne Gretzky arrives for the inauguration ceremony before Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th U.S. president in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, 2025. (Saul Loeb/Pool via Imagn Images)
Trump’s poking of Canada caused heightened tensions between the two countries before the president later backed off and called Gretzky a “free agent.”
The heightened tensions fueled intense competition between the U.S. and Canada hockey teams at the 4 Nations Face-Off in 2025 and many expect it to carry over into the Winter Olympics should the two teams meet this month.
Subban defended Gretzky’s relationship with Trump against critics in an interview with the Toronto Sun.
“I’d like to know what they’ve contributed to the country and what they’ve contributed to the game of hockey,” he told the outlet. “We’re in an opinion-based world; everyone has an opinion and that’s great. But my job isn’t to listen to everyone’s opinion … Wayne’s paid his dues.
FBI Director Kash Patel, left, talks with former NHL player Wayne Gretzky, right, during the first period of an NHL hockey game between the Washington Capitals and Chicago Blackhawks, Friday, April 4, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
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“He’s been in the trenches. He went to Nagano. He’s put together Hockey Canada. He’s played for Hockey Canada. He’s represented the country. He’s represented the league. He’s done it all. I’m sorry for people who feel (he betrayed Canada). So I would say this, ‘You have zero credibility to comment on Wayne Gretzky and the decisions he makes.’”
Subban suggested the back and forth between Trump and Canadian leaders was why the 4 Nations Face-Off became a rousing success.
“Just him talking about it … led to a whole bunch of people asking, ‘Why is Trump talking about this hockey game?’” he told the Toronto Sun. “That’s how sensitive of a time it was, and that’s how influential the president and the prime minister are … I didn’t imagine how big the game could get or having world leaders involved in a tournament like that … But it changed the trajectory of the game … It would be cool to watch (the documentary) with Don Cherry and get his two cents on it.”
P.K. Subban #76 of the New Jersey Devils handles the puck against the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center on April 9, 2022, in Dallas, Texas. (Glenn James/NHLI via Getty Images)
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Subban is an executive producer on the new documentary series, “Rivals: The 4 Nations Face-Off.”
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