Let bygones be bygones? Fans weigh in on criticism of Wayne Gretzky over Trump ties

It wasn't long ago that some Canadians were up in arms about hockey legend Wayne Gretzky's ties to U.S. President Donald Trump's administration.

But as the Edmonton Oilers skate their way through the Stanley Cup final, hockey fans say it's time to let bygones be bygones.

"I don't think it matters," said Craig Hiscock, a longtime Oilers fan, as he posed Wednesday for a photo with a statue of Gretzky outside Rogers Place in Edmonton ahead of Game 1.

"Let's forget about the past. What he did here was a lot for the city, a lot for hockey."

The Gretzky statue was vandalized in March and smeared with what appeared to be and strongly smelled like feces. On Wednesday, a hip-high metal fence was up around the bronze figure.

An online petition started in February calling for a new name for Wayne Gretzky Drive also has about 14,000 signatures.

Are the Edmonton Oilers ‘Canada’s team’?

Gretzky, the Ontario-born hockey star who led the Oilers to four Stanley Cup victories in the 1980s, recently drew the ire of Canadians for his public support of Trump, who has repeatedly expressed his desire for Canada to join the U.S and become its 51st state.

The Great One was photographed with Trump several times at the president's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. In January, Gretzky and his wife, Janet, attended Trump's inauguration in Washington.

Frustrations grew after he appeared as honorary captain for Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off final with the United States. Video footage showed him giving the U.S. team a thumbs-up as he walked to the ice.

Gretzky also congratulated Dallas Stars players in their locker room last month, after they advanced to the Western Conference final.

The Oilers eliminated the Stars in five games and now have one win