"He would do a great job": Don Cherry joins hands with USA President-elect Donald Trump in endorsing Wayne Gretzky as Canada's next Prime Minister

While Canada tries to sort out its political turmoil, there are more takers for Donald Trump's idea of having 'The Great One' Wayne Gretzky as the next Canadian Prime Minister.

Don Cherry, on his 'The Grapevine Podcast's latest episode, answered questions from fans about what he felt about Gretzky as the Canadian Prime Minister. Talking to his son, Tom, he said:

"He would do a great job, he'd be thinking of you and I". [00:38]

Tom Cherry immediately restated his father's proposition, saying:

"Yeah, no, I think he'd do a good job. I mean, you just get people around you that know what they're doing. And, yeah, you know. And then, he'd be, he's smooth, and he's smooth on camera". [00:44]

The idea was first floated around on Christmas by United State President-elect Donald Trump. Taking to X, he first demanded Canada be accepted into the US as the 51st State. He then wrote about a conversation with Gretzky where he offered him to be Prime Minister and received a disappointing reply from the NHL legend.

“I just left Wayne Gretzky, ‘The Great One’ as he is known in ice-hockey circles. I said, ‘Wayne, why don’t you run for prime minister of Canada, soon to be known as the governor of Canada — you would win easily, you wouldn’t even have to campaign.’ He had no interest,” Trump wrote on X.

He reiterated the sentiment few days later at a press conference from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

“I have so many great friends, one of them is The Great One, Wayne Gretzky. I said run for Prime Minister, you’ll win in a — it’ll take two seconds. But he said, ‘Am I going to run for Prime Minister or Governor, you tell me.’ I said, ‘I don’t know, let’s make it governor. I like it better,'" Trump said.

Wayne Gretzky wouldn't be the first NHL player to join Canadian politics

For Wayne Gretzky, there are a few precedents if he were to take the political line. Six-time Stanley Cup champion with the Montreal Canadiens, Ken Dryden served in the Parliament from 2004 to 2011.

A former Prime Minister had appointed Maple Leafs legend Frank Mahovlich to the Canadian Senate where he served for 15 years. Red Kelly, former Red Wings and Leafs legend, balanced his professional hockey career alongside serving in the Parliament in the 1960s.

Wayne Gretzky's family and Donald Trump are known to be close friends. His wife Janet had publicly congratulated the Republican Party leader, calling it a deserving win for him and his team back in November.