Former President Donald Trump sparked widespread mockery and criticism during a recent meeting with new Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney after mistakenly identifying Russian-born NHL star Alex Ovechkin as Canadian.
During the diplomatic event, Trump attempted to praise Canadian contributions to hockey, beginning with a safe bet: “Wayne Gretzky, the Great One,” he said, referencing the legendary Canadian NHL player and longtime Trump supporter. However, he then veered off course by referencing Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin, who recently surpassed Gretzky’s goal-scoring record.
“You happen to have a very, very good hockey player right here on the Capitals… Just broke the record. And he’s a great guy,” Trump said. The problem? Ovechkin is not Canadian — he was born and raised in Moscow, has represented Russia internationally, and remains closely tied to Russian President Vladimir Putin. 
The gaffe was instantly seized upon by hockey fans and Trump critics alike, flooding social media with ridicule. “Geography was never his strong suit, huh?” one user wrote on X (formerly Twitter). Another sarcastically remarked, “The tremendous burden he carries of knowing it all.”
Critics also recalled Fox News host Ainsley Earhardt’s prior comment claiming Trump “knows about every sport.”
Notably, this isn’t Trump’s first mention of Ovechkin. After the Capitals won the Stanley Cup in 2018, he tweeted congratulations, calling Ovechkin “a true Superstar.” Despite that history, the mistake reinforced concerns about Trump’s lack of attention to detail — especially regarding international affairs.
Trump’s comment reignited controversy around Gretzky as well, whose association with the former president has caused backlash in his home country. According to a recent poll by DailyMail.com and J.L. Partners, 20% of Canadians believe Gretzky should remain in the U.S., while another 20% think he should apologize and cut ties with Trump.
The hockey legend’s presence at pro-Trump events, including the Mar-a-Lago election night party and the 2025 inauguration, has further stirred the pot. Even as Ovechkin broke his record, Gretzky was spotted sitting alongside Trump ally Kash Patel at UBS Arena in New York.
Tensions escalated after a statue of Gretzky in Edmonton was defaced, a symbolic protest against his alignment with Trump. Even his appearance as honorary captain for Team Canada at the NHL’s 4 Nations championship was criticized, particularly for his failure to wear national colors.
Canadian journalist Dave Naylor commented bluntly on X: “The honorary captain for Canada in this game publicly supports a political leader whose position is that Canada should not exist as a nation.”
Not everyone joined the outrage. Hockey Hall of Famer Bobby Orr came to Gretzky’s defense in the Toronto Sun, calling him “a man who wore the Maple Leaf with pride” and urging critics to remember Gretzky’s legacy both on and off the ice.
Still, Gretzky’s close ties to Trump remain a sore spot for many fans, with online backlash targeting both his political stance and that of his wife, Janet Jones, who shared photos of the couple celebrating with Trump.
As political and cultural divisions deepen, Trump’s Ovechkin blunder has once again blurred the lines between sports, nationalism, and politics.
