I think the Wayne talk is getting over the top. I think it was a big miscalculation by Team Canada to not remove him as the team's honorary representative. Could have asked a lot of other players whose political views are either neutral or just not known to the public. Whether it was because they asked him earlier and thus didn't want to notify him that they wanted to make a change, who knows. But, someone up top should have made that decision.
Wayne, for his part, is also kind of tone deaf too. Maybe he thought he had so much goodwill that he would be immune to any criticism. If he didn't want to say anything to counter the 51st state and his name as Governor, that's fine, but would be wise to stay out of anything Canada related for the time being.