Wayne Gretzky and Miguel Patricio come from two very different worlds. Gretzky is one of the greatest hockey players of all time. Patricio is a Portuguese business leader who ran The Kraft Heinz Company.
So, what connects them? Public sources do not show a direct deal, project, or personal link between the two men. The closest link is indirect. Kraft Heinz is tied to hockey through Kraft Hockeyville, and Patricio was the company’s CEO while that program was running.
Is There a Direct Connection Between Wayne Gretzky and Miguel Patricio?
No public source we found shows Wayne Gretzky and Miguel Patricio working together. There is no joint business deal, shared ad, or official partnership that names both men. That does not prove they have never met. It only means there is no public proof of a direct tie.
The simplest way to see it is to split the story in two. Kraft Heinz has a real link to hockey through Kraft Hockeyville. Patricio led Kraft Heinz while the program was active. But that does not mean he worked with Gretzky or hired him for a campaign. A link between Kraft Heinz and hockey is one claim. A link between these two men is a different claim, and it needs its own proof.
The main question is whether any reliable source names both men in the same campaign or event. The records below confirm a company-level link to hockey, but do not establish a direct link between Gretzky and Patricio.
What Is the Kraft Heinz and Hockey Connection?
Kraft Hockeyville is a program that supports local hockey communities and their rinks. It is run with the National Hockey League (NHL) and the NHL Players’ Association (NHLPA).
Kraft Hockeyville USA launched on January 1, 2015, under Kraft Foods Group. The launch campaign involved Kraft, the NHL, the NHL Players’ Association (NHLPA), NBC Sports Group, and USA Hockey. The Kraft-Heinz merger was completed later, on July 2, 2015. The launch also named former NHL player Jeremy Roenick as a promotional partner. Miguel Patricio did not become Kraft Heinz CEO until July 2019.
That 2015 announcement did not mention Gretzky. On August 31, 2020, the NHL confirmed Kraft Heinz, the NHL, and the NHLPA as partners in Hockeyville USA. That was during Patricio’s time as CEO. In 2020, El Paso County Coliseum won Kraft Hockeyville USA. Kraft Heinz promised $150,000 for rink upgrades, while the NHLPA Goals & Dreams fund provided $10,000 worth of new equipment, according to the NHL’s report on the 2020 winner.
The program continued in 2026. The NHL announced 13 provincial and territorial winners in March, and Taber, Alberta, was named the overall Kraft Hockeyville 2026 winner on April 5.
These are real, dated links between a company and a sport. But none of these announcements names Gretzky and Patricio as partners. A company can back a sport without every famous player taking part. Two things happening in the same years also does not mean two people worked together.
Who Is Miguel Patricio?
Miguel Patricio is a Portuguese business leader with a long career in food and drink. Before Kraft Heinz, he held senior marketing and leadership roles at AB InBev and Ambev.
He became CEO of Kraft Heinz in July 2019. His time as CEO ended in 2023, and Carlos Abrams-Rivera took over on January 1, 2024. Patricio also served as chair of the board from May 2022 to December 2025, according to AB InBev’s official biography.
Kraft Heinz has since named a new leader. Steve Cahillane became CEO in January 2026, so Patricio is now a former CEO and former chair of the company.
His years as CEO overlap with Kraft Hockeyville USA in 2020. But timing alone is not proof of contact. No public source we found shows Patricio meeting Gretzky or working with him on any Kraft program.
Who Is Wayne Gretzky?
Wayne Gretzky, known as “The Great One,” played 20 seasons in the NHL. He played 1,487 regular-season games and scored 894 goals. He added 1,963 assists, for 2,857 points. He also won four Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers. After his playing days, he went into business, including restaurants, a winery, and menswear.
For years, his 894 goals were the NHL record. That changed on April 6, 2025, when Alex Ovechkin scored his 895th goal and passed him. Gretzky’s 2,857 career points are still a major benchmark in the sport.
His fame explains why people may search his name next to a business leader’s name. But fame does not show a working link. To say Gretzky took part in a Kraft Heinz event or ad, we would need a source that names him and describes his role. We have not found one.
Why Do Wayne Gretzky and Miguel Patricio Appear Together in Search Results?
The current search results include pages that use both names and discuss a possible connection. Their appearance in the same results does not prove that the two men worked together. Others simply list basic facts about each man, and none of them points to a real event or business deal.
The current search results include pages that ask about a possible connection and others that give basic facts about both men. These results show that websites are covering the query, but they do not establish a real-world relationship.
What the Evidence Shows
Here is what the sources support, and what they do not.
| Claim | Status |
|---|---|
| Gretzky played 20 NHL seasons and won four Stanley Cups with the Oilers | Verified |
| Ovechkin passed Gretzky’s goal record on April 6, 2025 | Verified |
| Patricio was Kraft Heinz CEO from July 2019 to the end of 2023 | Verified |
| Patricio was board chair from May 2022 to December 2025 | Verified |
| Kraft Heinz, the NHL, and the NHLPA are partners in Hockeyville USA | Verified |
| Gretzky and Patricio worked on a joint ad, deal, or event | Not established |
| Gretzky and Patricio have never met | Not established |
“Verified” means a source backs that exact claim. “Not established” does not mean the opposite is proven. It means we have no reliable public evidence either way.
A direct link would need stronger proof. An official announcement naming both men would work. So would a campaign video, an event program, or a clear interview. Until one of those appears, a personal or business link should not be called a fact.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Wayne Gretzky and Miguel Patricio connected?
A direct personal or business link has not been confirmed in public sources. The closest link is indirect. Kraft Heinz supported hockey through Kraft Hockeyville while Patricio was CEO.
Was Miguel Patricio CEO of Kraft Heinz during Kraft Hockeyville USA 2020?
Yes. He was CEO from July 2019 until the end of 2023. The NHL announced Kraft Heinz as a Hockeyville USA partner on August 31, 2020. This timing does not prove he worked with Gretzky.
Did Wayne Gretzky appear in a Kraft Heinz campaign with Miguel Patricio?
We found no verified source that says so. Kraft’s 2015 Hockeyville USA launch featured Jeremy Roenick, not Gretzky. Without an official announcement or other strong proof, it would be wrong to claim a shared campaign.
So, What Connects Wayne Gretzky and Miguel Patricio?
The public evidence does not confirm a direct relationship between Wayne Gretzky and Miguel Patricio. The clearest link is indirect: Kraft Heinz runs Kraft Hockeyville with the NHL and NHLPA, and Patricio was the company’s CEO when it was named a Hockeyville USA partner in 2020. Until a reliable source shows both men in the same event, ad, or project, the link between them should be treated as unverified.
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Hi, I’m Sophia Turner, a content writer who focuses on celebrity biographies, net worth information, and entertainment topics. I enjoy researching public figures and using reliable sources to make complex or unfamiliar information easy to understand.
My goal is to create clear and useful articles about celebrities, including their careers, achievements, backgrounds, and public work. I also follow entertainment news and trends to keep the content relevant and interesting for readers.