Don Cherry delivers blunt take on Wayne Gretzky's honorary captain drama at 4 Nations amid Donald Trump's tariff dispute

Wayne Gretzky became something of a controversial topic in Canada during the 4 Nations Face-Off. Gretzky's relationship with Donald Trump amid the strained political relations between the US and Canada became a flash point when the "Great One" was selected to be an honorary captain for Canada.

Gretzky then came under fire at the 4 Nations Final last week as the Canadian legend seemed to give the American bench a big thumbs-up before the contest. This was in contrast to what viewers saw between him and the Canadians, which was very little.

Ultimately, Hockey Canada won in overtime, but fans were unhappy with Gretzky. Former NHL coach Don Cherry discussed the situation on "Grapevine" with his brother, Tim. Tim Cherry said the following (9:40):

"The American players are probably banging their boards too, saying hey and he talked to the team before, like he talked to. The Canadian team before in the dressing room, he read the lineup, yeah? So it was Yeah, so like he had talked to the players. It wasn't like he snubbed them. He had talked to the players, gave them a little pep talk before the game.

"And then Eruzione came out wearing the sweater, like they think he should have worn the sweater and all that."

Don Cherry shared his thoughts on the matter, saying it's less about Gretzky than it is about Trump:

"It's not Gretzky. They're mad at Trump... He did give the thumbs up, but he would’ve given the thumbs up to the player, to the Canadian players too."

While this may be true to a large extent, Gretzky did receive a lot of criticism from fans. So much so that a petition was started to rename "Wayne Gretzky Drive."

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Bobby Orr comes to Wayne Gretzky's defense

Fellow Canadian legend and former Boston Bruins star Bobby Orr came to Wayne Gretzky's defense after the 4 Nations Face-Off came to a close. Orr believes his fellow Canadians are acting in a very disappointing manner (via The Toronto Sun):

"How fickle can people be, when someone who has given so much time and effort to Canadian hockey is treated in such a way. Listen, we all have our personal beliefs as they pertain to things such as religion and politics. Wayne respects your right to such beliefs – why can’t you respect his?"

Orr said he understands that fans have the right to express their opinions, but that Gretzky is still a regular person like any other Canadian.