Donald Trump’s efforts to repair diplomatic relations with Canada succeeded in a hook at Tuesday’s meeting with the new Prime Minister of this country, Mark Carney.
Declaring his respect for the neighbor in northern America, the president began to register his favorite Canadians to the assembled media, starting with the NHL legend and the famous supporter of Trump Wayne Gretzky.
“I love Canada,” said Trump. “I have a lot of respect for Canadians. Wayne Gretzky, La Grande.
Trump then referred to another NHL superstar in Alex Ovechkin of Washington Capitals, who recently exceeded Gretzky as top scorer in the league.
“You have a very, very good hockey player here on the capital, of which I have a lot … It is also a big hard cookie,” said Trump about Ovechkin. “I just broke the record. And he’s a great guy.
The problem, which was obvious for anyone who knew hockey or Russia, is that Ovechkin is not Canadian. He was born and grew up in Moscow and currently has a mansion brought in $ 4.2 million in Virginia.
President Donald Trump meets Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in the White House Oval Office, where Potus listed Alex Ovechkin as one of the Canadians he most respects
Ovechkin of Russian origin has never lived in Canada or played for a NHL Canadian team
And Ovechkin is not just a player born in Russia. He played international for Russia as recently as 2019 and could do so again at the 2026 winter games. Ovechkin even received praise from Russian President Vladimir Putin after going beyond Gretzky.
Hockey fans and Trump reviews were quick to seize the president’s blunder.
“Geography has never been his strong costume, huh?” One wrote on X.
“The huge burden he carries to know everything,” joked another.
Several commentators were quick to remember Fox Host and Trump Sycophant Ainsley Earhardt, who recently praised the president “knows all sports”.
And Trump not only realized Ovechkin during his second term. On the contrary, Putin’s supporter obtained a Trump cry after winning the Stanley Cup with the CAPS in 2018.
“Congratulations to the Washington Capitals for their big game and winning the Stanley Cup championship,” Trump wrote on what was then called Twitter. “Alex Ovechkin, the team captain, was spectacular – a real superstar! DC appears, in many ways. What time! ‘
Meanwhile, the Canadian resident of Maga-Land is expected to move to the United States, according to a fifth of all respondents in a new Dailymail.com and JL Partners survey.
Gretzky, a national hero of his native Canada, faced criticism in his country of origin in the middle of his embrace of Trump. Last month, in an online survey of more than 1,000 Canadians, a fifth said they thought Gretzky should stay in the United States.
20% additional respondents said Gretzky “ `should apologize and end his friendship with Donald Trump ”, while 40% said that there was a Canadian legend, whatever his friendship ” with the 47th president.
A Florida resident who lived before in Arizona and Los Angeles, Gretzky has been a lot in recent times, both because his NHL score record was broken by Ovechkin and due to criticisms he was confronted with Canada for his links with Trump.
Ovechkin received an “ Attaboy ” from Trump after winning his first cup with CAPS in 2018
Even while Ovechkin exceeded Gretzky with his 895th career goal last month, `The Great One ” was sitting alongside Trump Insider and director of the FBI Kash Patel at UBS Arena in Long Island.
Conservative and liberal Canadians have challenged Trump, who has repeatedly declared his desire to make the 51st America in Canada. In addition, he has since doubled the animosity between the two countries by adding prices to Canadian products.
Last month, a famous statue of Gretzky in Edmonton was smeared with excrement after the legend of the Oilers attended the post-electoral parties to the president of the Club of Palm Beach, Florida, as well as the inauguration in Washington.
But, in the middle of the trade war of the two countries, it is the presence of Gretzky as a honorary captain of Team Canada during the recent 4 NHL Nations Championship that really made some of his compatriots boom.
Many have criticized Gretzky for omitting to wear team colors during the Canada victory in overtime against the United States team in Boston. Others, on the other hand, focused on Gretzky’s links with Trump.
“It is enough to say this problem with a fact,” wrote Canada -based TSN journalist Dave Naylor, 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.”
But he obtained the support of another Hockey Hall of Famer in Boston Bruins Great Bobby Orr.
Gretzky remained silent on Trump’s prices against the United States, because the president has often declared his desire to make Canada the “51st state” and to name Gretzky the “governor”
In an opinion play for the Toronto Sun, the native of Ontario defended Gretzky, who won several major international competitions as Captain of Team Canada during his play days.
“For the life of me, I do not understand why the” hateful “decided to continue Wayne because he” did not wear a Canadian jersey “during his introduction during the final match,” wrote Orr. “For my part, I thought it looked very worthy while representing Canada with class and professionalism.
“Do not forget, it is a man who wore the maple sheet several times with pride,” continued Orr. “As a player and administrator, he only brought glory to his homeland year after year, decade after decade.”
Curiously, the orr column makes no mention of Trump directly.
Gretzky attended Trump’s electoral victory evening in Mar-A-Lago, where the two golf aficionados and their families were seen to celebrate together.
Janet Jones, the longtime woman from Gretzky and from Missouri, shared a photo of her husband with Trump on social networks, who seemed angry hockey fans last month.
“You really have to question the ethics and logic of someone who support someone like Trump,” said a user.
“Apparently, there is an opposite relationship between hockey skills and intelligence,” added another.
One said: “Little more embarrassing earth than the bizarre of Maga Canadian.”
