Wayne Gretzky Olympic final controversy settled in odd claim by Elliotte Friedman
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Sam Walker
Mar 2, 2026 (8:51)
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Photo credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
Wayne Gretzky got dragged into Team Canada Olympic chaos, and Elliotte Friedman says the 2026 Winter Olympics mess came down to security not recognizing him.
The rumour mill started with former NHL defenseman Mike Commodore, who claimed Gretzky was told he was not welcome in the Team Canada room before the gold medal game.
That is a serious accusation in Canada, because it paints Hockey Canada as petty in the sport's biggest moment.
Friedman said Gretzky reached out to kill the story fast.
«There was a story this week about whether or not he was blocked by Hockey Canada to go in and read the lineup before the Gold Medal Game,» Friedman said during his weekly Saturday Headlines segment. «He reached out, and I think he just wanted to put this to bed. I don't think he wants the story to continue. He said that he and his family were treated very well by Hockey Canada this week."
The explanation is almost too weird to be real.
According to Friedman, Gretzky went down to ice level and an IOC security person did not know who he was, so they told him he could not be there.
So Gretzky just turned around and left, no scene, no argument, no headline, until the podcast clip blew up.
«But what he did say was that there was some kind of misunderstanding before the Gold Medal Game. He went down to ice level, and an IOC security person didn't recognize Wayne Gretzky and told him he couldn't be there, so he just left. I think, obviously, it's a sensitive time. I don't think he wanted Hockey Canada to be taking any heat that they didn't deserve to take.»
Hockey Canada also denied the locker room claim publicly, trying to put a lid on it before it spread any further.
Wayne Gretzky and Team Canada wear this one
When the temperature is already high, even a simple access misunderstanding turns into a national argument.
On the ice, the ending was brutal for Canada anyway, a 2-1 overtime loss to the Americans in the gold medal game.
That is why this detail sticks, because fans wanted one clean, proud moment, not another off-ice sideshow.
Gretzky's hockey resume is still untouchable: 894- goals-1963 assists-2857 points in the NHL, so the idea of him being waved off at a rink is almost comedic.
If Friedman's version is right, this controversy ends with a shrug, and the next question is whether anyone learned how to handle legends at the glass.
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