The key facts
- In an interview with TASS, Fetisov called Gretzky's words 'propaganda' and urged him to give up the nickname 'The Great'
- Gretzky supported the position of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on not issuing visas to Russian and Belarusian athletes
- The World Junior Championship will be held in Edmonton and Red Deer from December 26, 2026 to January 5, 2027; Russian national teams have been barred by the IIHF since 2022
The essence of the conflict
Two-time Olympic champion Vyacheslav Fetisov said in an interview with TASS, that Wayne Gretzky should give up the nickname 'The Great' after the Canadian hockey player supported the decision not to issue visas to young hockey players from Russia. According to Fetisov, it was Gretzky's support that outraged him, not Canada's position as a whole.
What Fetisov said
'What is terrible is that he said it while also citing the opinion of the people of Canada. I don't know what prompted him to say that. It's propaganda, a serious brainwashing. We played against each other as boys at the World Junior Championship, where he, by and large, began his career,' Life.ru quotes Fetisov as saying. In his view, the ban primarily hurts young athletes for whom the World Championship is a dream come true: 'Not issuing visas so that the guys can't play is completely disgraceful, to be honest. You may dislike them, voice your position, but banning young guys whose dream is to play at the World Championship... For this, he should definitely be asked to send the nickname 'The Great' to the archive.'
The trigger and the context
The trigger was Gretzky's remarks in support of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who previously stated that Russian and Belarusian athletes would not be able to represent their countries at competitions in Canada while the conflict in Ukraine continues. The World Junior Championship will be held from December 26, 2026 to January 5, 2027 in the Canadian cities of Edmonton and Red Deer. Russian national hockey teams have been barred from tournaments under the auspices of the International Ice Hockey Federation since 2022; according to Life.ru, Ottawa's decision has complicated the prospects of the Russian team's participation, despite the recent ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ordering Russian teams to be readmitted to international competitions. After the CAS decision, the question of the terms of return has once again become the focus of discussion.
