On a Friday afternoon, Lorne Thurston and Joseph McIntyre had planned to visit the Wayne Gretzky statue in downtown Edmonton to get an up-close look at the iconic monument. However, their excitement turned to disappointment when they discovered that the statue had been smeared with what appeared to be feces, emitting a strong odor.

Wearing a white Oilers jersey, McIntyre, who was visiting from Nova Scotia, had hoped to take a photo with the Great One’s likeness. “Disappointing,” he expressed. “It shouldn’t have been done.”

Thurston, originally from B.C., echoed McIntyre’s sentiments, stating, “I thought people had more class.”

As the pair stood watching, an employee from Rogers Place came out and cleaned Gretzky’s face with a towel soaked in cleaning solution. The statue, originally unveiled at Northlands Coliseum in August 1989, was relocated to its current spot outside the Oilers’ new arena in 2016.

Wayne Gretzky, a hockey legend with deep ties to Edmonton, has recently faced backlash for his public support of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has voiced his desire for Canada to become the 51st state of the U.S.

Gretzky’s achievements on the ice, including leading the Oilers to four Stanley Cup victories and setting numerous records, still resonate with fans like Juanita Taylor. “Why would someone want to do that?” Taylor questioned, standing with the group of friends at the defaced statue. “[The statue] might not mean much to some people, but it means something to other people.”

Despite the vandalism, Oilers Entertainment Group did not issue a statement on the incident. The Edmonton Police Service confirmed they had not been informed of any vandalism.