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Iconic Wayne Gretzky Statue In Edmonton Defaced

Originally posted on Blade of Steel | By Tom Banks | Last updated Mar 22, 2025 10:55 AM ET

Wayne Gretzky has lost plenty of popularity in Canada in recent times, and now, one of his iconic statues in Edmonton has been defaced in a shocking act.

Wayne Gretzky is considered by many to be the greatest player in NHL history, leading the NHL in all-time goals (for now) and points while leading the Edmonton Oilers to five Stanley Cups.

Although he would finish his career in the United States playing in Los Angeles, New York and St. Louis, The Great One has been seen as a hockey icon in Canada, with many growing up hearing stories about him and being inspired to get on the ice.

Unfortunately for one reason or another, things have changed in recent times, and in a shocking act, one of the statues of Gretzky in Edmonton has now been defaced, with at least one Oilers fan showing 99 exactly what he thinks of him.

Many fans in the comments were wondering whether or not there would be an investigation into this, and while not much has been said by the Oilers or by Gretzky himself, this is certainly something that the Oilers organization doesn't want to keep happening, so they may find a way to shut this down.

Unfortunately, whether justified or not, Gretzky has frustrated many Canadians since leaving the Oilers over 35 years ago, and some continue having resentment towards him for whatever reason, but even this is taking it way too far.

Ultimately, no matter what you think of Gretzky or any other player in any sport with a statue outside an arena, defacing it like this simply isn't necessary, so for now, we will wait and see how this is handled by the Oilers organization, as it's something that shouldn't be happening more than once.

This article first appeared on Blade of Steel and was syndicated with permission.

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