Kirstie McLellan Day co-wrote "99: Stories of the Game" with Wayne Gretzky.
I get it. You need something to be mad about. The world鈥檚 a mess, Twitter (sorry, X) is an all-you-can-eat buffet of outrage. It’s understandable, as the leader of the world’s most powerful country continues to threaten Canada with massive tariffs and 51st statehood, that Canadians are worried and angry. But why target a guy who鈥檚 spent his entire life making Canadians proud? Yes, Wayne Gretzky lives in the United States. Yes, he鈥檚 friends with President Donald Trump. And yes, he’s still just as Canadian as Saskatoon pie.
Listen, I had the privilege of working closely with Wayne while co-writing 99: Stories of the Game, and if there鈥檚 one thing I can tell you, it鈥檚 this: Wayne Gretzky doesn鈥檛 perform his Canadian pride. He lives it. It鈥檚 in his bones, in his blood, in the way he instinctively apologizes when someone bumps into him.
Take the time I visited his home in California: out of pure reflex, I started taking off my shoes at the door, because that鈥檚 just what we do. Wayne’s housekeeper looked at me as if I had grown a second head. Wayne? He just grinned and said, 鈥淥h, yeah 鈥 Canadians do that. We鈥檙e polite.鈥 He wasn鈥檛 just making small talk. He meant it. Wayne鈥檚 the kind of guy who still gets excited when he sees Canada geese flying overhead, who carries a little piece of home with him wherever he goes.
And let鈥檚 talk about what this man has done for Canada. Not just in the “he put us on the map” way (though, spoiler alert, he did). No, I鈥檓 talking about the countless times Wayne threw his body in front of a moving train for this country.
鈥 1978 World Juniors: 16 years old, playing against guys two and three years older, and he still leads the tournament in scoring. Teenage legend in the making.
鈥 1984 Canada Cup: Wayne leads the charge against Sweden in the final. No quit. No fear. Just Gretzky being Gretzky.
鈥 1987 Canada Cup: Game 3 against the Soviets. That perfect pass to Mario Lemieux for the game-winner? If you don鈥檛 get chills watching that, check your passport.
鈥 1991 Canada Cup: Wins another one.
鈥 1996 World Cup of Hockey: Wayne鈥檚 35, and he still shows up and plays his heart out for Canada. No half-measures with this guy.
鈥 1998 Nagano Olympics: Okay, don鈥檛 bring it up. It still stings. Not his fault he didn鈥檛 get a shootout attempt.
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鈥 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics: He鈥檚 not playing, but as Team Canada鈥檚 executive director, he rips into the doubters, fires up the squad, and guess what? Canada wins its first men鈥檚 Olympic gold in 50 years. Coincidence? I think not.
鈥 2010 Vancouver Olympics: Wayne鈥檚 the guy carrying the Olympic torch through the rain, lighting the cauldron, symbolizing everything good about Canadian hockey. We wouldn鈥檛 have wanted anyone else to do it.
And let鈥檚 not forget the price he paid in broken ribs, countless concussions, damaged knees and worn-down spine from having carried the weight of a nation’s hopes.
The man gave his body, his time, his heart and his soul for Canadian hockey. He made sure every kid growing up in a small-town rink believed they could make it, too.
Now, about that book. Wayne could have hired any hockey writer in the world. Someone from The Athletic, some New York Times darling, some stats-obsessed guy with a PhD in advanced analytics. But no. He chose me, a woman, a mother of five, born in Saskatchewan and living in Alberta, Canada. Because Wayne believes in Canadian voices. He believes in diversity, in giving opportunities where they鈥檙e earned.
And yes, he鈥檚 friends with Trump. So what? You鈥檝e never had that one buddy everyone else thinks is a jackass, but you鈥檝e got history, so you let it ride? You think Wayne isn鈥檛 talking to Trump, advocating for Canada in his own quiet way? Then you really don鈥檛 know him.
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Don Cherry once said that Canadians don鈥檛 like it when one wheat straw grows taller than the rest 鈥 we cut it down. Well, let鈥檚 not do that. Not to this guy. Wayne Gretzky is a once-in-a-lifetime Canadian, a man who鈥檚 given this country everything and asked nothing in return.
I鈥檓 not saying you have to fall to your knees, but I am saying: Show a little gratitude, will ya?
And for the love of God, leave Wayne alone.
Corrections — March 3, 2025
This article has been updated. Canada did not win a gold medal in the 1978 World Juniors as incorrectly stated in a previous version. The Soviet Union captured gold, Sweden, silver and Canada, bronze. In addition, Wayne Gretzky didn’t set up Paul Coffey for the game-winning goal in the semi-final against the Soviet Union in the 1984 Canada Cup. In fact, Paul Coffey’s shot was deflected by goal scorer Mike Bossy.
Kirstie McLellan Day co-wrote “99: Stories of the Game” with Wayne Gretzky.
Opinion articles are based on the author鈥檚 interpretations and judgments of facts, data and events. More details
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