Wayne Gretzky and Miguel Patricio have prominent careers in different fields: Gretzky in hockey, Patricio in consumer brands. The clearest link between their names is Kraft Heinz’s involvement in hockey. Patricio led the food company, while its Kraft brand has sponsored community hockey programs with the NHL. That overlap does not establish a partnership between the two men. The company and league materials reviewed for this article do not document one. Understanding the dates and the people involved makes the distinction clearer.
Who are Wayne Gretzky and Miguel Patricio?
| Person | Known for | Relevant dates and roles |
|---|---|---|
| Wayne Gretzky | Hockey player nicknamed “The Great One” | Retired in 1999 after a 20-season NHL career. He recorded 2,857 regular-season points and won four Stanley Cups with Edmonton. |
| Miguel Patricio | Consumer goods executive | Served as Kraft Heinz CEO from 2019 through 2023 and board chair from May 2022 through December 2025. The company said he would remain a director after leaving the chair role. |
Gretzky’s career totals and championships come from the NHL’s profile. Patricio’s tenure is documented by AB InBev’s board biography and Kraft Heinz’s December 2025 leadership announcement.
Where does Kraft Heinz fit into hockey?
Kraft’s most direct link to the sport is Kraft Hockeyville, a program that recognizes communities and helps fund local arena improvements. Kraft launched a U.S. version in January 2015 with partners including the NHL, the NHL Players’ Association and USA Hockey. The first U.S. competition offered its winning community an NHL preseason game and $150,000 for arena upgrades.
The program continued during Patricio’s time at Kraft Heinz. For example, the NHL’s announcement of the 2020 U.S. winner named El Paso County Coliseum in Texas and identified Kraft Heinz, the NHL and the NHLPA as program partners. That establishes a company-level hockey connection during his tenure. It does not establish that Patricio personally worked with Gretzky on the program.
The timing matters, too. Kraft Hockeyville USA began four years before Patricio became Kraft Heinz CEO in July 2019. The 2015 launch announcement named former NHL player Jeremy Roenick as someone helping promote the U.S. campaign; it did not name Gretzky in that role.
Did Gretzky and Patricio work together?
The cited NHL, Kraft Heinz and corporate biographies support no documented direct collaboration between Gretzky and Patricio. They also provide no basis to describe the two as relatives, business partners or co-founders of a venture. A shared association with the broad worlds of hockey and consumer brands is too thin to imply any of those relationships.
Patricio’s work centered on running and governing Kraft Heinz. Before joining the company, he held senior roles at AB InBev, including global chief marketing officer. Gretzky’s documented achievements center on his NHL career; his own website also describes hockey activities including a foundation focused on helping young people play the sport. Those are separate career histories.
Frequently asked questions
Was Wayne Gretzky part of Kraft Hockeyville?
Kraft Hockeyville is a Kraft-backed program run with hockey partners, but the program announcements cited here do not identify Gretzky as its founder or as Patricio’s collaborator. The 2015 U.S. launch announcement identified Jeremy Roenick as a promoter.
Was Miguel Patricio a hockey player?
The Miguel Patricio discussed here is the former Kraft Heinz CEO. His published corporate biographies describe a career in consumer goods, including executive roles at AB InBev and Kraft Heinz.
Is Miguel Patricio still CEO of Kraft Heinz?
No. His CEO tenure ended in 2023. Kraft Heinz announced that Steve Cahillane would become CEO on January 1, 2026, and that John T. Cahill would succeed Patricio as board chair.
Does Gretzky still hold the NHL goals record?
No. Alex Ovechkin scored his 895th regular-season goal on April 6, 2025, passing Gretzky’s total of 894. Gretzky’s 2,857 career points remain a central part of his NHL record.
The connection in one sentence
Wayne Gretzky and Miguel Patricio are linked only indirectly through hockey’s overlap with Kraft Heinz’s brand sponsorship; the sources reviewed do not establish a personal or professional partnership between them.
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