Canadian music royalty will be part of this year’s NHL All-Star Weekend.
The Toronto Maple Leafs announced through social media on Thursday that Justin Bieber, the two-time Grammar Award-winning artist and a lifetime fan of the team, will be part of the NHL’s All-Star Weekend.
Bieber is expected to be one of the celebrity captains of the four All-Star teams, likely paired with Maple Leafs’ forward Auston Matthews, who appeared in the promotional video the team released. Celebrities will be paired with captains, who will pick the four teams of 11 players (nine skaters, two goalies) for the NHL All-Star Game.
Bieber, a native of Stratford, Ont., played hockey growing up and is known to skate with fellow Canadians in recreation leagues in Los Angeles, Calif. The eight-time Juno Award-winning musician is often seen at hockey games between California and Toronto, and has skated with members of the Maple Leafs in the past.
Bieber also has a long relationship with the Maple Leafs, having designed the team’s reversible sweater that was released in March 2022, in conjunction with his apparel company drew house and Adidas.
“My love for the Maple Leafs has always been a big part of who I am, and my passion for the team, and the passion of millions of fans, is stitched into this Next Gen sweater,” Bieber said. “I’m grateful to the Leafs for the chance to team up again to create something so authentic for the team and its fans.”
All-Star Weekend, which runs from Feb. 1-3, will have a completely new look this year. The player draft will take part on the Thursday, followed by the skills competition on the Friday. Twelve NHL All-Stars will compete for points in eight events, with the one who accumulates the most points taking home a prize of $1 million.
The All-Star Games themselves will take place on the Saturday.
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