Two visitors to downtown Edmonton, Lorne Thurston and Joseph McIntyre, were dismayed to find the statue of Wayne Gretzky smeared with what appeared to be feces.
McIntyre, an Oilers jersey-wearing fan from Nova Scotia, expressed his disappointment, saying, “It shouldn’t have been done,” as he had hoped to take a photo with the statue.
Thurston, from British Columbia, echoed this sentiment, stating he believed people should have “more class.”
They watched as a Rogers Place employee cleaned the statue’s face with a cleaning solution.
The statue, originally placed at Northlands Coliseum in 1989, was moved to its current location outside the Oilers’ arena in 2016.
Gretzky has recently faced criticism in Canada for supporting former U.S. President Donald Trump, who has suggested the U.S. and Canada should unite.
Despite being born in Ontario, Gretzky is deeply connected to Edmonton, having led the Oilers to four Stanley Cups and achieved numerous scoring records. He was traded to Los Angeles in 1988.
Gretzky’s wedding in Edmonton in 1988 also attracted worldwide attention.
Fans like Juanita Taylor still deeply respect Gretzky’s legacy. She questioned the motives of the vandals, emphasizing the statue’s importance to many.
Tim Shipton of OEG Sports & Entertainment described the vandalism as “unfortunate” given recent downtown issues. He condemned the act, highlighting the statue’s significance to Gretzky’s fans globally and announced an ongoing investigation.
Edmonton Police stated they were not aware of the incident.
