Ex-Canadian player Wayne Gretzky is long retired from the game of hockey, but his popularity hasn’t seemed to dwindle one bit, not just in the sporting world but beyond.

The 65-year-old has grabbed the headlines this month after attending pop star Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding in New York City and Canada’s FIFA World Cup 2026 match in Houston within the space of 24 hours.

Buzzing Pop shared the pictures from both events that Gretzky was a part of, smiling and posing for cameras, in a post on X on July 4.

It was on Friday, July 3, when Gretzky was among the A-list celebrities to see Swift get married to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce at Madison Square Garden.

Some of the guests at the ceremony were Selena Gomez, Jimmy Fallon, Matthew Stafford, Ed Sheeran, Patrick Mahomes, Jessica Alba, Paul Rudd, and Gigi Hadid, among others, as per ESPN.

The newlywed couple is ardent followers of the NHL and were spotted sitting beside four-time Stanley Cup champion Gretzky Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers in 2025.

"Great night at the wedding," the Oilers great later posted on Instagram, describing the celebration in five words.

Gretzky’s daughter, Paulina, was also a part of the grand occasion in New York City, which featured more than 1,000 people closely associated with the newlywed couple. The fans should note that, just like Paulina’s father, her husband, pro golfer Dustin Johnson, is also a close friend of Kelce, despite both playing completely different sports.

During May last year, Gretzky actually made an appearance on Kelce’s podcast New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce, in which he discussed his life, career, and the NHL as a whole.

Moreover, just a day after enjoying the festivities of the Swift-Kelce wedding, Gretzky flew halfway across the United States overnight to be present for Canadian football’s big day.

What happened during Canada’s FIFA World Cup match in Wayne Gretzky’s presence?

On Saturday, July 4, Gretzky arrived in Houston to witness Canada play against Morocco in the Round of 16 clash in the FIFA World Cup 2026. He made his way to the stadium and joined the Houston Astros baseball players Carlos Correa and Jeremy Pena in the grandstands to watch the action, as per Chron.com.

It was a tough night for the Canadians on the pitch, with Morocco playing some of their best football in the tournament.

Ultimately, Canada conceded three second-half goals and lost to the African nation 3-0, with Gretzky and the rest of his countrymen having to endure the tough moments. Morocco will now play against France in the quarter-final of the FIFA World Cup after last time’s finalist beat Paraguay 1-0 in the other Round of 16 clash.

Coincidentally, Houston, where this football match took place in the presence of Gretzky, is one of the two cities, along with Austin, in line for an NHL expansion team in the Lone Star state of Texas.

It is highly expected that the Dallas Stars could see a new intra-state rival develop in the form of the NHL’s 33rd team very soon if everything goes to plan.

What are your thoughts on Wayne Gretzky still being so active and grabbing the headlines in his 60s? Tell us about it in the comments.

Read more at NHL Fan Central.

Written by

Arjun Sharma

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar