“The continued political BS”: NHL insider slams outrage over Wayne Gretzky's ties to FBI's Kash Patel

Wayne Gretzky has long been revered as the face of professional hockey, a figure who transcended the sport with grace and humility. But recently, The Great One has found himself in the crosshairs of political scrutiny—not for anything he said, but simply for who he was seen with.

Wayne Gretzky under fire for attending NHL games with Kash Patel , but insiders say criticism is overblown
Wayne Gretzky attended recent Washington Capitals games alongside FBI director and former Trump official Kash Patel, including the matchup where Alex Ovechkin scored his 895th career goal, officially surpassing Gretzky’s legendary record of 894. For many, this was a monumental night in hockey history. But for others, the presence of Patel—who has deep ties to former President Donald Trump—sparked backlash, especially among Canadian fans critical of Gretzky's silence on Trump’s past controversial statements.

Amid this rising criticism, NHL insider Frank Seravalli came to Gretzky’s defense. Speaking on the matter, Seravalli didn't hold back, “The continued political BS that came on the back end of Wayne Gretzky, celebrating with the ultimate class, as he always does… Alex Ovechkin, oh, he brought the FBI director, Kash Patel to the last couple games,” he said, pushing back against the outrage.

truly incredible work on dfo rundown today featuring the american phwa president with a full throated defence of wayne gretzky as a canadian and fbi director kash patel as a hockey guy pic.twitter.com/2uZMyRvWUL

— Sam (@samanthacp_) April 7, 2025

Seravalli highlighted that Patel isn't just a political figure—he’s also a longtime hockey enthusiast.
“Okay, so what? Kash Patel is a hockey guy. Go look it up... watch the video and photos of Kash Patel playing hockey guys, he's a legit hockey guy,” Seravalli added. “So because he's a Republican, because he's in a Republican office, all of a sudden we can't have that? Wayne Gretzky is a traitor?"

The timing of the controversy is particularly unfortunate, as it coincides with Ovechkin’s historic achievement. Gretzky, ever the sportsman, offered heartfelt congratulations to Ovechkin, saying:

“We're here today to celebrate this guy here, number 8... My congratulations to not only Alex, his mom and dad, his family, his wife, and his kids.”

Also Read: “You made the hockey world proud”: Janet Jones recalls Wayne Gretzky's locker room speech before USA-Canada 4 Nations finals

As debates swirl around the intersection of sports and politics, one thing remains clear—Wayne Gretzky’s legacy as a class act in hockey should not be lost in the noise.