The sources we reviewed do not show a direct link between wayne gretzky and miguel patricio. No shared deal, ad, or meeting turned up. The sources reviewed establish an indirect link through Kraft Heinz and its hockey program.
That is a small link, and it should not be stretched. Below, you will see what is proven, what is not, and why the two names show up together.
Quick Answer
- Direct link: Not established in the sources we reviewed.
- Indirect link: Kraft Heinz, a company Patricio led, is tied to hockey through Kraft Hockeyville.
- Why it matters: A company deal is not the same as two people working together.
No proof of a meeting does not mean they never met. It only means we found no record.
What We Checked
We looked at official pages first. These included the NHL’s profile of Gretzky, the Kraft Heinz announcement that named Patricio CEO, and Kraft Heinz filings with the SEC. The SEC is the US agency that collects company reports.
We also looked at the NHL’s Kraft Hockeyville news. Then we read three articles that ask the same question as this one.
Last, we searched Reddit and forums for people talking about the two men together. We found five threads about Gretzky. None of them were about Patricio.
Are Wayne Gretzky and Miguel Patricio Connected?
The official records show two separate careers. Gretzky built his name in the NHL. Patricio built his in the business world, mostly at big food and drink companies.
The two paths cross only at one point. Kraft Heinz and hockey have a documented partnership. Patricio served as Kraft Heinz CEO from 2019 through December 31, 2023.
Here is how each claim holds up.
| Claim | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Gretzky has a major NHL career | NHL career profile | Confirmed |
| Patricio became Kraft Heinz CEO in 2019 | Kraft Heinz announcement | Confirmed |
| Kraft Heinz partners with the NHL on Kraft Hockeyville | NHL announcement | Confirmed |
| Gretzky and Patricio worked together | None found | Not established |
| They appeared in an ad together | None found | Not established |
| They are business partners | None found | Not established |
A claim marked “not established” is not proven false. It just has no source behind it yet.
Who Is Wayne Gretzky?
Wayne Gretzky is a retired NHL player. The NHL lists his career numbers on its official profile.
- Games: 1,487 regular-season games
- Goals: 894
- Assists: 1,963
- Points: 2,857
The NHL also records four Stanley Cup titles with Edmonton. It lists nine Hart Trophy wins as well. The official NHL record lists Gretzky first in career points with 2,857.
To a new fan, those numbers can be hard to picture. On Reddit, one person asked for a way to explain Gretzky to someone who knows nothing about hockey. A reply compared his scoring to a football player who leads in rushing and receiving combined.
Fans online often ask if he is the greatest ever. Some Reddit replies say yes and point to his stats. Others compare him with Mario Lemieux. One writer said Gretzky “was our Ali, our Jordan.” Another fan asked if his status is debated as much as Michael Jordan’s or LeBron James’s.
Some fans also ask if his records were easier to reach in earlier decades. They talk about speed, equipment, and defense. All of these talks are about hockey fame. They do not connect him to Patricio.
One fact has changed. Gretzky’s 894 goals are still his career total. But he no longer holds the NHL regular-season goals record. Alex Ovechkin passed Gretzky’s goals total on April 6, 2025, and reached 895 goals.
Who Is Miguel Patricio?
Miguel Patricio is a business leader. Kraft Heinz named him CEO in an announcement that set his start date as July 1, 2019.
Before joining Kraft Heinz, Patricio held senior roles at AB InBev, including chief marketing officer from 2012 to 2018. So his path ran through the food and drink world, not through sports.
His time as CEO has ended. In August 2023, Kraft Heinz said Carlos Abrams-Rivera would become CEO on January 1, 2024. Patricio was set to move to a chair role.
AB InBev’s biography says Patricio served as Kraft Heinz chair from May 2022 through December 2025. His executive chair role ended on December 31, 2025. John T. Cahill became independent chair on January 1, 2026, according to the company’s 2026 proxy statement. A proxy statement is a yearly paper that tells shareholders about the board.
What Is the Kraft Heinz and Hockey Connection?
This is the indirect link between the two names. It is a company link, not a personal one.
Kraft Hockeyville is a community hockey program. In March 2026, the NHL announced that Kraft Heinz and the NHL Players’ Association were partners in Kraft Hockeyville 2026. The NHL named Taber, Alberta, the winner on April 5, 2026. The program supports local hockey towns and their rinks.
Notice who is named in that announcement. It lists the league, the players’ group, and the company. It does not list Gretzky or Patricio.
A sponsor is a company that pays to back an event or a team. A sponsor does not work side by side with every person in a sport. A sponsor deal tells us the company likes hockey. It does not tell us who met whom.
A Simple Timeline
The dates matter here.
| Year | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 to 2018 | Patricio served as chief marketing officer at AB InBev | AB InBev biography |
| 2015 | Kraft Hockeyville USA launched, as reported in competing articles | Vents Digital |
| May 2022 | Patricio’s time as Kraft Heinz chair began | AB InBev biography |
| 2019 | Patricio became Kraft Heinz CEO | Kraft Heinz |
| End of 2023 | Patricio’s CEO tenure ended | SEC filing |
| December 31, 2025 | Patricio’s executive chair role ended | 2026 proxy statement |
| January 1, 2026 | Cahill became independent chair | 2026 proxy statement |
| April 5, 2026 | Taber, Alberta, named Kraft Hockeyville 2026 winner | NHL |
Look at the order. Kraft Hockeyville USA started before Patricio became CEO. So he did not start the program as CEO. It was already running while he led the company.
Did Wayne Gretzky and Miguel Patricio Work Together?
We found no record that they did.
We did not find a shared ad, event, deal, or project. The NHL program page names the NHL, the players’ group, and Kraft Heinz. It does not name Gretzky or Patricio as partners.
Be careful with any page that calls them partners. Unless it cites a reliable source for that exact claim, treat it as unproven.
Here is the fair way to say it: no direct link is shown in the sources we reviewed. That is different from saying they have never met.
How to Check a Claim About Two Famous People
Many pages link two famous names. Some of those links are real, and some are guesses. A few simple questions can help you tell them apart.
- Does the source name both people? A page about a company deal may name only the company.
- Is the claim about a person or a company? A company can back hockey without its CEO meeting every player.
- Is there a date? A link from 2015 may not apply to someone who joined in 2019.
- Is the source official? League pages, company announcements, and SEC filings carry more weight than a search snippet.
These steps are how we kept this article honest. Where a source was silent, we said “not established” and left it there.
Why Do These Two Names Appear Together in Search Results?
Search results show which pages mention both names. They do not show that two people know each other.
Several articles ask the same question: is there a connection? Those pages repeat the same idea. They link the two men through Kraft Heinz and hockey. Seeing the names side by side can make the link feel bigger than it is.
The five Reddit threads we looked at cover Gretzky’s stats, his rank among top players, and how he compares with stars in other sports. They concern his career and do not establish a connection to Patricio.
Current Checks
Some facts can change. Use this short table to keep them fresh.
| Fact | Status when checked | Check again |
|---|---|---|
| Patricio’s CEO role | Ended December 31, 2023 | Every 6 months |
| Patricio’s executive chair role | Ended December 31, 2025 | Every 6 months |
| Gretzky’s goals record | Passed by Ovechkin on April 6, 2025 | Once a year |
| Kraft Hockeyville partners | Kraft Heinz, NHL, NHL Players’ Association | Once a year |
| Direct Gretzky and Patricio link | Not established | When new news appears |
Frequently Asked Questions About Wayne Gretzky and Miguel Patricio
Are Wayne Gretzky and Miguel Patricio connected?
Not directly, based on the sources we reviewed. The sources reviewed establish an indirect link through Kraft Heinz and its hockey program. They do not establish a direct relationship between Gretzky and Patricio.
What connects Wayne Gretzky and Miguel Patricio?
Kraft Heinz and hockey connect them. Kraft Heinz partners with the NHL on Kraft Hockeyville. That is a company link and not a personal one.
Did they work together on a Kraft Heinz campaign?
We found no record of that. The NHL announcement names the NHL, the players’ group, and Kraft Heinz. It does not name either man as a partner.
Was Patricio CEO when Kraft Heinz joined hockey?
Not at the start of Kraft Hockeyville USA. Reports say that program launched in 2015. Patricio became CEO in 2019. The program was already running during his time as CEO.
Does Gretzky still hold the NHL goals record?
No. Gretzky finished with 894 goals. Alex Ovechkin passed Gretzky’s goals total on April 6, 2025.
Who is Miguel Patricio?
He is a former Kraft Heinz CEO. He started the job on July 1, 2019. Before joining Kraft Heinz, Patricio held senior roles at AB InBev, including chief marketing officer from 2012 to 2018.
Who is Wayne Gretzky?
He is a retired NHL player. The NHL lists 2,857 career points, four Stanley Cups with Edmonton, and nine Hart Trophy wins.
The Bottom Line
The sources reviewed establish an indirect link through Kraft Heinz and its hockey program. They do not establish a direct relationship between Gretzky and Patricio. No source shows they worked together or are partners.
If a new interview, ad, or official note appears, the answer could change. Until then, say only what the sources show.
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