Could Wayne Gretzky follow in the footsteps of sporting greats George Weah and Imran Khan and become a world leader?
President-elect Donald Trump is encouraging the NHL legend to run for the highest office in his native Canada, although not necessarily as Prime Minister.
Speaking after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his intention to resign, Trump again hinted at his hope that the United States’ northern neighbor would become the 51st state on Tuesday.
“I have a lot of great friends,” Trump, 78, told a crowd at Mar-a-Lago. “One of them is the ‘Big One.’ I told him, ‘Run for Prime Minister, you’ll win… It’ll take you two seconds.’
“He said, ‘Well, am I going to run for prime minister or governor?’ “You tell me,” Trump continued.
“I said, ‘I don’t know, let’s make him Governor.’ I like that better.”
President-elect Donald Trump is encouraging the NHL legend to run for the highest office in his native Canada, although not necessarily as Prime Minister.
Three-time Stanley Cup champion Wayne Gretzky speaks during the state funeral of the late former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney at the Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal.
Trump, famous for his concern about the United States’ trade deficit with Canada, previously suggested that the country’s 10 provinces and three territories should become the 51st state. He even tweeted about the idea on Christmas Day, offering Gretzky as a potential ‘governor of Canada’.
“You would win easily, you wouldn’t have to campaign,” Trump wrote in his Truth Social post.
Unfortunately, Gretzky did not seem eager to become Prime Minister or Governor of Canada, according to Trump.
“I had no interest, but I think the people of Canada should start a WAYNE GRETZKY Movement,” Trump added. ‘It would be so much fun to see!’
Although he delivered a eulogy for former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney at a state funeral in Montreal last March, Gretzky has avoided politics since his compatriots criticized him for supporting then-US President George Bush’s invasion of Iraq in 2002. .
A sign reading ‘U$ Lackey’ was eventually hung from a statue of Gretzky in Edmonton, where the NHL’s all-time leading scorer won three Stanley Cups before his 1989 trade to the Los Angeles Kings.
Trump previously named Gretzky as a possible prime minister, while again suggesting that Canada join the US.
Gretzky’s wife, Janet Jones, also posted an earlier photo of him with a smiling Donald Trump.
Gretzky attended Trump’s election victory party at Mar-a-Lago, where the two golf fans and their families were seen celebrating together.
Janet Jones, Gretzky’s longtime wife, shared a photo of her husband with Trump on social media, which appeared to anger liberal hockey fans.
“You really have to question the ethics and logic of someone supporting someone like Trump,” one user posted.
“Apparently there is an inverse relationship between hockey skills and intelligence,” another added.
One of them said: “Few things in the world are more embarrassing than weird Canadian magicians.”
Gretzky was one of several sports stars who supported Trump during the election campaign.
He joined the likes of 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa, Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, retired Packers quarterback Brett Favre and former NASCAR driver Danica Patrick in endorsing Trump. to defeat Vice President Kamala Harris.