Hockey Canada releases statement on Wayne Gretzky rumor on social media today

Earlier today a rumor was spreading on social media that Hockey Canada President Katherine Henderson banned Wayne Gretzky from Team Canada's dressing room ahead of last Sunday's gold medal game.

The rumor seems to have started with former NHLer Mike Commodore who stated on a Flames Nation podcast that Gretzky approached Hockey Canada about wanting to pump up the team ahead of Sunday's game, but was denied access by Henderson.

Ryan Whitney of Spittin' Chiclets then picked up the rumor and put Hockey Canada on blast:

NHL insider Chris Johnston quickly reported that Commodore's assertion is 100% not true:

Hockey Canada then confirmed itself that the rumor is not true:

Whitney then set the record straight for his followers:

If I'm honest... this is all a big nothing burger.

I can't imagine that a Gretzky-led pump-up would have made much of a difference in the gold medal game anyways. Most players on the team aren't even old enough to have watched Gretzky play in the NHL or for Team Canada. And it's not like they played poorly anyways... they played a stellar game and didn't need to be pumped up.

Thoughts?