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Justin Bieber Plays At NHL All-Star Game

By Nicole Boyer
Published on: 15:25 PST, Jan 28, 2017

When the National Hockey League decided to organize an All-Star Celebrity Shootout, they had to go through various choices. However, there was one selection that stood out the most — Justin Bieber. Even though his huge army of fans is well aware that the singer admires the sport of hockey, there was no surprise when people saw his name among other celebrities, including actor Cuba Gooding Jr., Carter, James Badge Dale, Steven McQueen, Ross Lynch, and Riker Lynch. They were joined by several former and active NHL stars, specifically Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks and Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers, as well as Chris Pronger, Eric Lindros, Sergei Fedorov, Peter Forsberg, and Ray Bourque, according to Fox Sports.

Justin Bieber was on the Team Gretzky, which was coached by Wayne Gretzky, and among his teammates were actor Cuba Gooding Jr., producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Eric Lindros, Joe Sakic, and a few others. They played against Team Lemieux, coached by Mario Lemieux, which was comprised of actors Taylor Kitsch and David Boreanaz, as well as NHL legends Ray Bourque, Jari Kurri, Larry Robinson, and Scott Niedermayer.

The National Hockey League organized this game in order to expand the demographics of hockey fans. Inviting Justin Bieber to play was the easiest and the most efficient way to attract the attention of young audience — the demographics which NHL currently lacks.

Even though Justin Bieber doesn’t really look like a hockey player, he actually has notable hockey skills and definitely enjoys skating. There is no doubt that Justin Bieber had a few quite intense moments during Saturday’s game at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Bieber even managed to get a penalty shot in the event. Unfortunately, he was turned away after trying to go five-hole.

The most photographed moment, undoubtedly, was the episode when laughing defenseman Chris Pronger, who spent 18 years in the league as a hard-nosed defenseman, smashed Justin Bieber into the boards. Despite an obvious discomfort and possible pain, Justin quickly recovered and continued his successful run with an attempt of an attack. However, he was easily stopped by Jamie Storr on a penalty shot effort.

Although he did miss two penalty shots, Bieber scored a goal as time expired, prompting actor Cuba Gooding Jr. to joke, ”Twenty-five shots later, thank God he made it.” It is not bad, considering that he played professional hockey players who are on the list of “100 Greatest Players of All Times.” Gooding Jr. also added, ”I was shocked at how good the kid can play. He really has nice skills, and he’s a real sweet kid, too.”

Later, Justin posted on Twitter a picture of him in a hockey uniform and said it was the highlight of his life.

It is not the last appearance of Justin Bieber at the Staples Stadium in Los Angeles, as he will come back in two weeks, on February 12, with hopes to win a few Grammy awards. Justin is nominated for four Grammys, including Album of the Year and Song of the Year.

Well, who wouldn’t be happy after scoring a goal against pros like Chris Pronger or Peter Forsberg? However, this was not the only surprise. After the game, Justin Bieber showed up at the press conference holding a baby. He said that unfortunately, he can’t talk to the media because he is holding a baby. Crazy as it sounds, there are no comments yet on who and why they decided to allow Bieber to hold a baby.

[Featured Image by Leon Bennett/Getty Images]

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