Talk:Wayne Gretzky

Gretzky stating "Thank God I'm Polish"

When Gretzky was being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1999 he stated in an press conference "Thank God I'm Polish" in response to a joke about another inductee who wore a Scottish kilt. He was obviously referring to his ancestry so why is this not mentioned under the "Early years" section. Gretzky probably knows his family history quite well as his father probably explained it to him. He does not mention being Belorussian, Ukrainian, or Russian. I think it's important to include this information as these were his own words from his own mouth. I believe it was mentioned in the article a while back but someone removed it. There's a few sources online from the interview, for example on the CBS Sports website http://www.cbssports.com/u/ce/multi/0,1329,1618511_60,00.html Anyone who watched the press conference will remember him saying it. Please include this info in the "Early years" section. RangersFan99 (talk) 15:01, 4 November 2011 (UTC)

Sound like a reasonable addition to me.Moxy (talk) 15:16, 4 November 2011 (UTC)

In a September 2025 interview on the 'Be Better Off Show,' Wayne Gretzky explicitly stated his grandfather was '50% Jewish' and on https://www.kellypartners.com.au/be-better-off-show/episode-wayne-gretzky . While I understand the concerns about YouTube as a primary source, this is a direct biographical statement from the subject (WP:ABOUTSELF). Is there a consensus on how to include this verified self-identification? Dubnikov (talk) 02:18, 23 February 2026 (UTC)

Read his father's biography where he talks about waking up after his stroke being able to speak only the language of his childhood - Ukrainian. Walter also talks about his parents speaking Ukrainian at home. Obviously they were labelled Polish because these territories were under Poland then, but it sounds like they were ethnically Ukrainian. Rather than argue, I would leave it as is - all three nationalites - those were confusing times.Mykyta (talk) 03:53, 19 November 2011 (UTC)

I wonder how this is at all important or notable. Dbrodbeck (talk) 04:05, 19 November 2011 (UTC)

We can't speak about the past from our perspectives today. These times were difficult. All i can say, they all were from Russian Empire, so ancestors came from Russia, but who they were, it is hard to undestand as i see there are bunch of patriots from different ethnic groups who are trying to take a win on each other. Belarus, Polish, Ukrainian. Is it really worth to discuss? We can say - his ancestors were Slavs (cause all ethnic groups i mentioned are Slavs). Read this. http://alexovetjkin.blogspot.ca/2010/01/wayne-gretzkys-belorussian-roots.html — Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.252.76.134 (talk) 22:18, 6 June 2013 (UTC)

That does not seem to be correct as his mother’s maiden name is Hockin which is an English surname. So my question is: is Wayne Gretzky half-English Anglo-Saxon and why does this seem to be ignored and not even mentioned in the article in any way? M555333555M555333555M (talk) 13:14, 7 April 2025 (UTC)

There would have to be a reliable source stating the ethnicity/citizenship of his mother. Alaney2k (talk) 15:44, 15 May 2025 (UTC)

Citizenship again

Regarding this edit: has anything changed since Gretzky's 2010 interview where he said his only citizenship is Canadian? isaacl (talk) 22:22, 15 December 2016 (UTC)

• Nothing to note beyond a continued lack of ironclad sources attesting to the contrary. Ravenswing 03:24, 21 December 2016 (UTC)

Nothing that I have seen no. Dbrodbeck (talk) 12:54, 21 December 2016 (UTC)

For the record, this is one of the cases where, by consensus discussion, priority has been given to a first party source over third party sources (including various newspaper articles). Does anyone else have any feedback, or objections to restoring the earlier text? isaacl (talk) 16:45, 21 December 2016 (UTC)

• There are sentences in the Family and Political activity sections saying that Gretzky is a dual citizen, and a small paragraph in Personal life that reads, "He is a naturalized American citizen." If you decide that the prior consensus is still valid, then please consider removing/modifying these sentences, as leaving them intact will create internal inconsistencies and encourage future edits to the lead. Giants2008 (Talk) 01:08, 24 December 2016 (UTC)
  • It's hard to say what current consensus is without more participation. Would anyone else like to weigh in? isaacl (talk) 04:34, 24 December 2016 (UTC)
    • I have no objection to restoring the previous text, although I still believe those other sentences I brought up should be dealt with if bringing back the earlier text is the consensus here. Giants2008 (Talk) 16:14, 24 December 2016 (UTC)
    • Go ahead and bring it back. Lack of comments would also indicate that the consensus still holds. -DJSasso (talk) 16:31, 3 January 2017 (UTC)

There are now two cites in the article to reliable sources which say he is a naturalised American: Macleans and TIME. Given that, I've restored "American" to the lead sentence. Mr Serjeant Buzfuz (talk) 16:08, 23 February 2025 (UTC)

A 2025 quote from Wayne Gretzky on a podcast: "I never became an American citizen. I'm Canadian. I can't vote in the US because I live in the US and I'm Canadian." (). isaacl (talk) 18:20, 13 November 2025 (UTC)

Undrafted Category

Is there a reason the article isn't in Category:Undrafted National Hockey League players? Wheatzilopochtli (talk) 23:33, 16 June 2024 (UTC)

Seems like an oversight. Flibirigit (talk) 23:43, 16 June 2024 (UTC)

Maybe he didn't have that cat cuz he came to the NHL with the oilers and wasn't draft eligible? If he wasn't draft eligible, does that cat make sense for him? I mean, Gretzky's case isn't like Geoff Courtnall, for example, who was draft eligible but wasn't drafted. Just my 2 cents. Masterhatch (talk) 12:49, 17 June 2024 (UTC)

At the top of that cat, it says, "A category for National Hockey League players who played in at least one regular season or playoff game who were draft eligible but were not drafted." Based on that, that cat shouldn't be there. I'll remove it now. Masterhatch (talk) 12:52, 17 June 2024 (UTC)

Should we change the infobox to say ineligible instead of undrafted? Wheatzilopochtli (talk) 18:35, 17 June 2024 (UTC)

Las Vegas Desert Dogs

Wayne Gretzky is part owner of the Las Vegas Desert Dogs Lacrosse team of the National Lacrosse League founded in 2021. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2600:8801:1413:7C00:E8B5:3D36:EC38:AB3F (talk) 03:46, 13 February 2025 (UTC)

The citation at Las Vegas Desert Dogs could be imported here. Flibirigit (talk) 03:51, 13 February 2025 (UTC)

Has Gretzky ever bothered to pick up his Order of Canada?

According to this Macleans magazine article from 2018, Gretzky was promoted to Companion of the Order of Canada, the highest rank, in 2009, but had never bothered to pick up the insignia by attending an investiture, which is held four times a year. Is there any more recent reliable source on this point? Has he picked it up since 2018?

https://macleans.ca/news/canada/why-wont-wayne-gretzky-pick-up-his-order-of-canada/

Mr Serjeant Buzfuz (talk) 16:02, 23 February 2025 (UTC)

I suggest checking the Governor General of Canada web site. Flibirigit (talk) 16:22, 23 February 2025 (UTC)

Add the Years that Gretsky played for different teams

Under his picture where it says what teams he played for, it doesn't list what years as other articles of various athletes do.

Indianapolis Racers: 1978–1979 Edmonton Oilers: 1979–1988 Los Angeles Kings: 1988–1996 St. Louis Blues: 1996 New York Rangers: 1996–1999 71.176.231.195 (talk) 13:43, 28 February 2025 (UTC)

You will find all that in the "Career statistics" section. Masterhatch (talk) 16:57, 28 February 2025 (UTC)

Should he be described as a Canadian of Russian background now?

On top of being of Ukrainian, Polish and Belorussian backgrounds?

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6256447/2025/04/04/wayne-gretzky-alex-ovechkin-record-chase/

“No, not at all, not one bit,” he said. “Happy for Alex. My grandfather was Russian, he’d be really happy that a Russian broke my record. So, good for Alex.” ShirtMonopoly (talk) 14:21, 5 April 2025 (UTC)

Gretzky's legacy in 2025

Gretzky has received a lot of criticism in recent months for his silence on Trump's threats towards Canada, and there have been related calls to rename streets and venues named in his honour. Normally this sort of thing was be a blip and tabloid fare, but it has received coverage from mainstream outlets like CBC, Associated Press, Global News and The Atlantic. Even the criticism has been criticized. Would this be something worth noting under "Legacy"? — Kawnhr (talk) 21:03, 8 April 2025 (UTC)

I think so. Mr Serjeant Buzfuz (talk) 22:30, 8 April 2025 (UTC)

Wayne Gretzky’s mother

Hockin is her maiden name, based on a Google search it seems to be English, as in Anglo-Saxon from the British Isles. Is it possible that Wayne Gretzky is half Anglo-Saxon and this is ignored to make it look like he’s fully Slavic? M555333555M555333555M (talk) 01:49, 11 April 2025 (UTC)

Nobody claims Gretzky is wholly Slavic. His father's background is mentioned because reliable sources have been added. Multiple reliable sources must be provided to claim his mother's ancestry. Flibirigit (talk) 02:00, 11 April 2025 (UTC)

Nationality

@Flibirigit: May as well settle this here. I get that his dual citizenship is mentioned later in the article, but is there a reason not to consider him also an American for lead purposes? He's lived in the US for thirty years now, played for American teams for more than half of his career, and has dual citizenship. One of the examples given for MOS:NATIONALITY is

"Peter Lorre (June 26, 1904 – March 23, 1964) was a Hungarian and American actor

This is an example of a person who established a career in Europe as a Hungarian, then emigrated to the United States and was naturalized and continued his career, and is thus known as both a Hungarian actor and as an American actor. The use of and again prevents the introduction of ethnicity or birth."

Gretzky has basically exactly the same circumstances. Why would we not follow the Manual of Style here? Ladtrack (talk) 16:53, 14 April 2025 (UTC)

Sportspeople are categorized as expatriates. They regularly work in other countries. Citizenship is not the same thing as nationality. Gretzky is closest associated with Canada by playing on the national team. Flibirigit (talk) 17:14, 14 April 2025 (UTC)

This isn't a case of a person playing in a different country and then going back. He hasn't lived in Canada for decades. He is probably Canadian first because of the national team thing, which is why I said "Canadian and American". And just for the record, he isn't a sportsman anymore. He used to be, but he hasn't been for over twenty-five years now, and he's been living in the US that entire time. Had he been an active player, I might have agreed with you, but he can live wherever he wants now.

Just for the record, while you're right that citizenship is not the same thing as nationality, Gretzky is unambiguously an American national. According to the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, all US citizens are American nationals. He is also a Canadian national. That's why he should be defined as both. Ladtrack (talk) 18:47, 14 April 2025 (UTC)

In Canadian law, there's no difference. We don't have a "nationality" category, only citizenship. I agreed that "American" should not have been in the short description, because it made it sound like he was an American when he was playing, and that doesn't appear to be the case. However, the fact that he's an American is contributing to his notability now, which is the test for putting it in the lead. He is an American who went to the inauguration, who supports Trump (who wants to annex Canada), and talks with Trump about being governor of the 51st state. Plus the thumbs-up to the American team. That's why there's a movement to take his name off the road in Edmonton, that's why people are boycotting his wine: he's seen as an American who hasn't spoken out against his buddy Trump's proposals for annexing Canada. He's an American who can't be bothered to pick up his Order of Canada award from 2009. He is now equally notable as a Canadian and an American, and that dual nationality should be in the lead. Mr Serjeant Buzfuz (talk) 03:19, 15 April 2025 (UTC)

A 2025 quote from Wayne Gretzky on a podcast: "I never became an American citizen. I'm Canadian. I can't vote in the US because I live in the US and I'm Canadian." (). isaacl (talk) 18:25, 13 November 2025 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 17 April 2025

this line "{Gretzky is the leading career point scorer}" and assist producer in NHL history and has more assists than any other player has total career points.[4]

it needs to be removed. as of today Aleksandr Ovechkin is the leading NHL career point scorer. 2600:6C46:697F:D8CA:2500:738F:8781:9B44 (talk) 00:15, 17 April 2025 (UTC)

Declined request. Gretzky has 2,857 points, and 1,963 assists, both of which are far more than Ovechkin. Flibirigit (talk) 00:32, 17 April 2025 (UTC)

I've seen this quite a bit lately — editors who don't know the diff between goals and points. Masterhatch (talk) 00:47, 17 April 2025 (UTC)

Clarification in Lead: "in the same year" and Citation

Hi all, I recently made a small edit to the lead section, adding "in the same year" to clarify that Wayne Gretzky was traded to the Edmonton Oilers in 1978, the same year he signed with the Indianapolis Racers. I also added a citation to a reliable newspaper source to support this timeline. My intention was to help readers who, like myself, might not be familiar with the precise chronology of Gretzky’s early career. The original wording could be misread as suggesting a longer gap between his signing with the Racers and his trade to the Oilers. I felt that specifying "in the same year" made the timeline clearer, especially for readers less familiar with hockey history.

My edit was reverted with the comment "unnecessary citation in the introduction as per MOS:LEADCITE." I understand that the Manual of Style generally discourages citations in the lead if the information is cited later in the article. However, I believe the added phrase improves clarity, and the citation (while perhaps not strictly necessary in the lead) helps support a point that could otherwise be ambiguous. Would others support re-adding the clarification ("in the same year") to the lead, possibly without the citation if consensus is against it? Or is there a preferred way to make this timeline clearer for readers who may not know the details of Gretzky’s early career? Thanks for considering, Stephanwehner (talk) 17:33, 14 June 2025 (UTC)

Propose a simpler wording for the body of the article instead of adding unnecessary cites to the lead section. Flibirigit (talk) 20:50, 14 June 2025 (UTC)

A few possibilities:

1. Add "in the same year" without the citation.
2. Add "in November"

Example:

Gretzky was the top scorer in the 1978 World Junior Championships. In June 1978, he signed with the Indianapolis Racers of the World Hockey Association (WHA), where he briefly played before being traded to the Edmonton Oilers in November. Stephanwehner (talk) 13:26, 25 June 2025 (UTC)

Why is that much detail needed in the introduction? Specifics can go in the body. Flibirigit (talk) 17:18, 25 June 2025 (UTC)

The next sentence in this intro explains the switch to the Kings in August 1988. By making it clear which year he went to the Oilers, the number of years he played there becomes easy to figure out.

This is just a two/three word addition, I wouldn't refer to it as "so much detail"

Also I explained above. "My intention was to help readers who, like myself, might not be familiar with the precise chronology of Gretzky’s early career. The original wording could be misread as suggesting a longer gap between his signing with the Racers and his trade to the Oilers. I felt that specifying "in the same year" made the timeline clearer, especially for readers less familiar with hockey history" Stephanwehner (talk) 04:36, 26 June 2025 (UTC)

Incorporated a time frame while shortening the text. Less is more. Flibirigit (talk) 17:18, 26 June 2025 (UTC)