When Wayne Gretzky’s refusal to pick up Order of Canada caused major chagrin (image credit: IMAGN)
Wayne Gretzky, widely considered the greatest hockey player ever, was awarded the Order of Canada in May 2009. Despite this high honor, a controversy started as he never picked it up.
It prompted Christopher McCreery, a Canadian honors expert to comment about it. According to a 2018 article from Macleans, McCreery shared that he could not believe why Gretzky had not collected it.
“It’s just embarrassing,” McCreery said. “I’ve probably met 1,000 recipients of the Order of Canada. It’s a highlight of their lives — their country saying thank you.”
“All are supposed to be in the same category, yet they think they are on a plane above everybody else,” McCreery added.
Gretzky, who lived in California and holds dual citizenship, had a similar issue with a lower rank of the Order of Canada. He only picked it up 14 years later in a private ceremony, avoiding a public gathering.
The 18-time NHL All-Star’s representative had mentioned scheduling conflicts as the reason for not attending, however, there are numerous investitures scheduled yearly. According to McCreery, if someone can’t pick up their award within five years, they might as well not accept it.
The situation is not unique to Wayne Gretzky. Hockey players like Phil Esposito and Bobby Clarke also received the Order of Canada but never collected it.
McCreery also added that appointees are informed in advance and schedules are adjusted to accommodate them.
“They try really hard with the companion level. It’s the pinnacle for Canada,” McCreery explains.
Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds picks Wayne Gretzky to have healing powers
Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds, known for playing Deadpool, said he would give Wayne Gretzky superhuman healing powers. In an interview with Scott Campsall of The Score, Reynolds picked Gretzky when asked which athlete he would give this ability to.
“To one athlete, It’d be Gretzky,” Reynolds said.
Wolverine actor Hugh Jackman chose Jesse Owens for the same power.
Reynolds and Jackman are the stars of the superhero comedy movie ‘Deadpool & Wolverine,’ released on July 26. This movie is the third in the Deadpool series, following films in 2016 and 2018.
News
Riley Gaines Praises J.K. Rowling: The War for Women’s Sports Is Exploding!
Riley Gaines recently showcased her respect for Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling for taking a bold stand for women’s sports. The Harry Potter author shared a screenshot of the tweet of ‘The Pissed Off Lawyer’, which contained thoughts about transgenders…
The actress who plays the famous character Cho Chang in “Harry Potter” reacts to the backlash that author JK Rowling faced after making a series of transphobic comments.
‘Harry Potter’ actress Katie Leung responds to J.K. Rowling’s comments about trans women Author J.K. Rowling’s series of anti-trans tweets prompted a response from Katie Leung, who starred as Cho Chang in the Harry Potter film series. (Photo: Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for…
Cynthia Nixon Says J.K. Rowling’s Tweets Were “Really Painful” for Transgender Son
Cynthia Nixon, whose son Samuel is transgender, spoke about J.K. Rowling’s recent tweets during an interview with The Independent. Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for New York Magazine, Karwai Tang/WireImage Cynthia Nixon is speaking out about J.K. Rowling. Just a few months after the Harry Potter author…
Harry Potter author took part in coordinated feminist protest against survey which allowed people to self-identify their gender
JK Rowling has disclosed that she listed her religion in Scotland’s census as “believer in biology” as part of a feminist protest against the survey which allowed people to self-identify their gender. The Harry Potter author, who lives in Edinburgh,…
Breaking news: Maple Leafs Announce Full Roster for Pre-Season Finale Against Red Wings
Photo credit: USA Today Sports The Toronto Maple Leafs have selected their official roster for tonight’s pre-season finale against the Detroit Red Wings and Easton Cowan will not dress. Coming into tonight’s game against Detroit with a 3-1-1 record, the Leafs…
Leafs winger Nick Robertson was unfortunately injured in Thursday’s win over Detroit and this is believed to be the play that caused the injury.
Nick Robertson’s Injury a Mysterious One, But Here’s When it May Have Occurred It’s become a cliche at this point. Robertson has been excellent, scoring five goals in the pre-season and cementing his spot as a regular on the Toronto…
End of content
No more pages to load