Are Wayne Gretzky and Miguel Patricio actually connected? Not directly, based on everything public records show.No shared company, ad campaign, board seat or stage appearance turns up in official sources. The only thread is indirect, and it runs through hockey sponsorship.Maybe you saw both names in a search and wondered if the hockey legend worked with a food executive. Maybe an AI answer hinted at a link and you want to know if it’s real.
Here’s the short version. Miguel Patricio led Kraft Heinz, a long-time NHL sponsor. Wayne Gretzky is the biggest name in the sport that Kraft Heinz keeps backing through Kraft Hockeyville.Below, you’ll get the facts, the dates and a simple way to check claims like this yourself.
Is There a Direct Connection Between Wayne Gretzky and Miguel Patricio?
No. We found no direct business, personal or promotional link between the two men. That includes Kraft Heinz press releases, NHL news pages, SEC filings and major business coverage.
Their careers sit in different worlds. Gretzky built his name on the ice and later moved into sports business. Patricio built his name in brand marketing and consumer packaged goods.
Here’s what we looked for and didn’t find:
- A Kraft Heinz ad or campaign starring Gretzky
- A joint appearance at a Kraft Hockeyville event
- A board role, investment or partnership shared by both men
- A press release naming them together
Gretzky’s known brand work points elsewhere. In December 2019, Tim Hortons signed him as a spokesman after a viral “Gretter” coffee video, according to Fox Business. That’s a separate Canadian coffee brand, not Kraft Heinz.
What Is the Kraft Heinz and Hockey Connection?
This is the real link behind the search trend. Kraft Heinz has backed the NHL for decades, and Fox Business noted a 29 year partnership back in 2020.
The best-known piece of that deal is Kraft Hockeyville. Kraft Heinz runs it with the NHL and the NHLPA, and communities compete to show their love of community hockey. The contest began in Canada in 2006, and a U.S. version ran from 2015 to 2020.
The 2020 U.S. edition is the one most people mean when they tie Kraft Heinz to this topic. Here’s how it played out:
| Detail | Kraft Hockeyville USA 2020 |
| Nominations opened | January 1, 2020 |
| Grand prize | $150,000 in rink upgrades |
| Extra prize | $10,000 in gear from the NHLPA Goals & Dreams fund |
| Top four finalists | East Grand Forks (MN), Wichita (KS), River Falls (WI), El Paso (TX) |
| Winner | El Paso County Coliseum, El Paso, Texas |
| Winner announced | August 30, 2020 |
El Paso surprised plenty of people. The border city, which is almost 85 percent Hispanic, beat three cold weather finalists. The preseason game that came with the prize wasn’t hosted in 2020 because of COVID-19.
Canada ran its own 2020 contest. Twillingate, Newfoundland and Labrador, took that title with a $250,000 arena prize. Kraft Heinz Canada still runs the program, and 2026 marks its 20th anniversary.
Who Is Miguel Patricio?
Miguel Patricio is a Portuguese businessman and a former Kraft Heinz CEO. He spent about two decades at AB InBev, the brewing giant behind Budweiser.
At AB InBev he served as global chief marketing officer from 2012 to 2018. He also held regional leadership roles in North America and Asia. Earlier stops included a Latin American gum and candy unit at Mondelez and a snack business at Campbell Soup.
Kraft Heinz announced him as CEO on April 22, 2019. He took over on July 1, 2019, replacing Bernardo Hees. The company had just booked a $15.4 billion write-down tied to its Kraft and Oscar Mayer brands.
Under Patricio, the company:
- Raised marketing spend to rebuild brand strength
- Pushed to revive Oscar Mayer and Maxwell House for younger shoppers
- Sold its nuts business to cut exposure to private label rivals
- Grew its away from home business with new restaurant products
The leadership story has moved since then. In August 2023, Kraft Heinz said Carlos Abrams-Rivera would take over as CEO on January 1, 2024, and Patricio stayed on as board chair.
In December 2025, the company named Steve Cahillane CEO, effective January 1, 2026. Patricio stepped down as executive board chair, remained a director, and John Cahill became chair. Kraft Heinz has also planned a split into two public companies, so check its investor relations page for the latest status.
Who Is Wayne Gretzky?
Wayne Gretzky was born on January 26, 1961, in Brantford, Ontario. Fans call him The Great One, and many rank him as the best player in NHL history.
His father, Walter, built a backyard rink nicknamed the “Wally Coliseum.” Wayne skated on it as a kid and played with 10 year olds at age six. He first wore the number 99 with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.
His NHL career ran 20 seasons, from 1979 to 1999, across four teams:
- Edmonton Oilers
- Los Angeles Kings
- St. Louis Blues
- New York Rangers
The numbers still stand out. He finished with 894 goals, 1,963 assists and 2,857 points, and he held 61 NHL records when he retired in 1999. Alex Ovechkin passed his goal total in 2025, but Gretzky still owns the career assists and points marks.
He entered the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1999. In October 2016, he became a partner and vice chairman of Oilers Entertainment Group. Today he’s a respected ambassador for the game, not a Kraft Heinz executive or spokesman.
Why Do Wayne Gretzky and Miguel Patricio Appear Together in Search Results?
Search engines pair names that show up near each other, even when no real link exists. Several things push these two names together.
- Shared context: Kraft Heinz, the NHL and hockey sponsorship all sit in the same news cycle.
- Timing: Patricio became CEO in July 2019, and Hockeyville USA 2020 launched in January 2020.
- Page layout: A Fox Business NHL news page listed the Hockeyville USA 2020 story right beside the Gretzky and Tim Hortons story.
- Famous name pull: Gretzky’s name attaches itself to almost any hockey brand story.
- AI summaries: Some tools blend related entities and imply a connection that sources don’t support.
Kraft Heinz does use NHL stars in marketing. A Heinz campaign poked fun at Connor McDavid’s dislike of ketchup, for example. We found no similar campaign built around Gretzky.
That’s why the pairing feels logical but falls apart when you check the documents. A shared topic isn’t a shared project.
What the Evidence Shows
Let’s separate what’s confirmed from what isn’t. This table keeps it simple.
| Claim | What sources show | Verdict |
| Gretzky and Patricio worked together | No joint project, role or event found | Not supported |
| Patricio was Kraft Heinz CEO during Hockeyville USA 2020 | He led the company from July 2019 to the end of 2023 | Confirmed |
| Kraft Heinz sponsors the NHL and runs Hockeyville | Kraft Heinz, the NHL and NHLPA run the program | Confirmed |
| Gretzky starred in a Kraft Heinz campaign | Only a Tim Hortons deal turned up | Not supported |
| Both names relate to hockey business | Gretzky as a legend, Patricio as a sponsor’s leader | Indirect link only |
One more caution. Some aggregator pages list conflicting dates for Patricio’s time as CEO, so lean on company releases, SEC filings and major news outlets. Official sources agree on the July 2019 start and the handoff to Abrams-Rivera on January 1, 2024.
Final Thought
Wayne Gretzky and Miguel Patricio may come from different worlds—professional sports and global business—but their journeys offer a shared lesson about achieving lasting success. Gretzky’s legendary ability to anticipate the game before anyone else made him one of hockey’s greatest players, while Patricio’s leadership has been defined by his focus on innovation, consumer needs, and transforming well-known brands for a changing marketplace.
Their stories remind us that success is not built on talent alone. It comes from having a clear vision, embracing change, learning continuously, and making decisions with the future in mind. Whether you’re leading a company, building a career, or pursuing personal goals, the ability to adapt while staying focused on long-term objectives is what creates meaningful and sustainable achievement. The lessons from both Wayne Gretzky and Miguel Patricio inspire us to think ahead, remain resilient, and never stop improving.
FAQs
Are Wayne Gretzky and Miguel Patricio connected?
Not directly. Their only link is indirect, through Kraft Heinz’s long NHL sponsorship and hockey marketing.
Was Miguel Patricio CEO of Kraft Heinz during Kraft Hockeyville USA 2020?
Yes. He was CEO from July 2019 until the end of 2023, so he led the company during that contest.
Did Wayne Gretzky appear in a Kraft Heinz campaign with Miguel Patricio?
No evidence supports that. We found no Kraft Heinz campaign featuring Gretzky and no joint appearance.
Is Miguel Patricio still the CEO of Kraft Heinz?
No. Carlos Abrams-Rivera took over in January 2024, and Steve Cahillane became CEO in January 2026.
Did Wayne Gretzky ever work with Kraft Heinz?
We found no record of it. His publicized food brand deal from that period was with Tim Hortons.
Arthur Whitmore is a passionate grammar enthusiast and language writer at Hexobrust.com. He creates clear, helpful content on grammar, spelling, and everyday English to make learning simple and enjoyable.
