The hockey hero may have torpedoed a once-bulletproof image in Canada by fraternizing with Donald Trump at the worst time imaginable

Canada hockey legend Wayne Gretzky was already facing a strained relationship with the Canadian public when he emerged from the tunnel at his country’s 4 Nations Face-Off final against the United States in Boston last week.

But that strain reached a full-on breaking point on Thursday night when Gretzky gave an eager thumbs-up to the US players and wore no Canadian colors to a game where he was his country’s honorary team captain.