Wayne Gretzky is the biggest name hockey has ever known, so when he is attached to an organization publicly, it’s a pretty big deal – especially when it happens outside of Canada.
Gretzky has been working with the Oilers in recent years and it appears as if he has accepted another position in China. Earlier in the year, Darren Dreger explained that Gretzky had a “lucrative deal” lined up to promote hockey in China and it appears as though part of that deal will be acting as the global ambassador for the Kunlun Red Star (China’s only team in the KHL).
In the deal, Gretzky will be opening a KRS-Gretzky Hockey School for players aged 8-17 and generally trying to grow the sport in China ahead of the 2022 Olympics.
Obviously, the first connection most people will make when they hear “Global Ambassador” is to Drake and the Raptors, because he is the team’s global ambassador as well.
Now the real question, who will attend more of their team’s games next year? Gretzky in China or Drake in Toronto? If Gretzky is really committed to growing the game in China, he’ll probably have to be there quite a bit. However, Drake is probably going to be at Scotiabank Arena a lot with Kawhi Leonard in town.
