COLUMN: As I See It – Gretzky tarnishes his image even more

Just when you thought hockey superstar Wayne Gretzky couldn’t possibly do any more damage to his once pristine legacy, he accepted an invitation from his pal President Trump to became a member of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition.

That someone as morbidly obese as Trump, someone who eats lots of junk food and thinks exercise is a waste of energy, would create a panel on fitness and nutrition, is beyond laughable. (Can you picture Trump trying to touch his toes?)

When we last saw the not-so-great one, he inexplicably didn’t wear a Team Canada jersey at the Four Nations tournament, even though he was their honourary captain; he refused to defend Canada when Trump mocked our Prime Minister; and he stayed completely silent as the convicted criminal repeatedly threatened to make Canada the 51st state in America.

It is still a national mystery why Gretzky never stands up for Canada in the face of Trump’s mockery, threats and illegal tariffs.

Now the “Great Once” has accepted a position to work for the first criminal to be voted into the White House.

By saying yes to Trump’s offer, Gretzky is essentially condoning Trump’s cruelty, corruption and hate. If he didn’t agree with Trump’s brutality and vileness, he would have done the ‘Canadian’ thing and politely turned down the invitation.

Turn the states into a dictatorship, where masked men grab people who are shopping, working on farms or attending their kid’s 6th year birthday party, only to be thrown in unmarked vehicles, without access to lawyers or due process, whisked away to detention centres in foreign countries? Wayne says “no problem.” By joining Trump’s panel, Gretzky is telling the world he is okay with Trump’s terrifying immigration raids.

By keeping quiet as Trump makes tariff deals with other countries while imposing punishing new 35 percent tariffs on Canada – tariffs that have already cost Canadian jobs – Gretzky is saying he is fine with the convicted felon going out of his way to hurt Canada, where Wayne learned the game of hockey that made him a living legend.

Despite the grotesquely disproportionate number of Palestinian deaths and what appears to be a premeditated Israeli campaign of starvation and genocide in Gaza, and then hearing Trump say he would like to turn Gaza into a resort, the most prolific offensive player the game of hockey may ever see, clearly approves of Trump’s horrific stance on the Middle East.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t join the panel.

Most normal people would be mortified by Trump’s close friendship with child rapist, pedophile and human sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, but the sickening reality that Trump and Epstein were “besties” doesn’t seem to bother Gretzky one iota.

And then there is the former NFL star, Lawrence Taylor, who has a high-profile position on the panel. In 2010 Taylor was charged with raping a 16-year-old girl. (He pleaded to guilty to a lesser charge to avoid jail time.) He is a registered sex offender in the state of Florida.

By joining a panel with a child rapist, the “Great Once” has sunk to a new, utterly inexplicable, low.

Gretzky’s wearing of a MAGA hat at the inauguration or staying silent in the face of Trump’s repeated threats against Canada are one thing; but working for a man who tried to violently overthrow an election, who seems incapable of seeing the basic humanity of immigrants and who is ruled by unbridled hatred and racism, are something else altogether.

Why, Wayne? Why are you doing this to your legacy?

The not-so-great one was once an ambassador not just for hockey, but for everything that was decent about Canada.

A person of integrity would not accept any job offer from a moral cretin.

Gretzky used to be a respected, honourable person; an icon that transcended sport and was a statesman for our great country and the values that make it great. He filled Canadians with pride.

Those days are over.

By joining Trump’s panel, Gretzky is making it very clear that he has no issues – none – with any of Trump’s words, deeds or crimes.

What a crying shame.

Buy Canada. Bye America.