Gretzky Backs Carney's Russian Junior Ban

Wayne Gretzky endorsed the prime minister's decision to bar Russian players from the IIHF World Junior Championship in Canada.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Hockey

Expressive sports illustration of a hockey player in red and white mid-stride across bright ice, stick raised, rendered in visible painterly brushwork. — Wayne Gretzky said Mark Carney was right to bar Russian players from the IIHF World Junior Championship being held in Canada this December. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Do you support Canada banning Russian athletes from the World Junior Championship?

Wayne Gretzky said "Good for him" in response to Mark Carney's decision to ban Russian players from the IIHF World Junior Championship held in Canada in December. Gretzky also said he understood the stance the prime minister has taken.

Why it matters

The endorsement from one of hockey's most prominent figures adds public weight to Canada's position on barring Russian athletes from the national tournament. It also comes as the Hockey Hall of Fame recognized Gretzky's family legacy with a renamed resource center.

The comments were made in public remarks at a Hockey Hall of Fame event rather than in a formal policy filing. The extraction does not include figures on how many Russian players were affected by the ban.

The players

Wayne Gretzky

Widely regarded as one of the greatest hockey players of all time, Gretzky is a Hall of Fame player whose public comments on politics drew attention at the event.

Mark Carney

Canada's prime minister, Carney made the decision to ban Russian players from the IIHF World Junior Championship.

Hockey Hall of Fame

The Toronto-based institution that preserves hockey history and honours its greats, it renamed its resource center after Walter Gretzky.

The details

Gretzky answered attendee questions about politics at the Hockey Hall of Fame ceremony renaming its resource center after his father, Walter Gretzky. The renaming was done in partnership with the Upper Deck memorabilia company, and the center is located in Etobicoke, Ontario.

2021: Walter Gretzky died at age 82.
December: Carney's ban on Russian players applied to the IIHF World Junior Championship in Canada.
November 6, 2026: The Hockey Hall of Fame renamed its resource center after Walter Gretzky, and Wayne Gretzky commented.

Big Picture

Canada's decision to bar Russian players from the World Junior Championship extends the posture the country adopted toward Russian athletes after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Gretzky's endorsement places a prominent hockey voice behind that stance.

Fans planning to attend or follow the World Junior Championship should note that Russian players are not part of the field. The ban shapes which national rosters Canadian audiences will see on the ice in the tournament.

The takeaway

Public figures' endorsements can shape how Canadians understand sports-related policy decisions. Following official announcements from the IIHF and the federal government gives the clearest picture of how such bans are applied.