When most people think of Hollywood, they most likely think of the famous movie stars and socialites that walk the streets. Sure, sunny Southern California has two NHL teams- the Los Angeles Kings and the Anaheim Ducks- but the sport is often associated apart from the celebrity scene. Similarly, although celebs are often spotted attending hockey games, they are only thought of as spectators or fans. However, hockey and Hollywood go hand-in-hand. Here are six celebrities that have a hockey background.
Justin Bieber
Courtesy of ESPN
It’s no surprise that the pop star, who grew up in Stratford, Ontario and is an avid Toronto Maple Leafs fan, grew up playing hockey. Bieber played for the Stratford Jr. Warriors all the way up until he started to gain international fame.
“He was a really good skater, really smooth on his skates and a really good stickhandler. To raise the puck at nine, 10 years old, most kids can’t do it much, but he could raise the puck and shoot high or wide and hit the goalie in the stomach,” his former head coach Rick Schwartzentruber said.
Even when he moved from Stratford to LA, Bieber continued to play hockey, and has often attended local hockey games. He has also appeared at the NHL All-Star Weekend on multiple occasions, from participating in the Celebrity Shootout to leading his own All-Star Team.
Keanu Reeves
Courtesy of bladesofsteel.com
Mr. John Wick and heartthrob of his day, Keanu Reeves was actually quite the hockey player during his younger years. “The Matrix” trilogy and “John Wick” star was a goalie for his local high school, and even earned the nickname “The Wall” from his friends and teammates. Reeves’ goal was to represent Team Canada at the Olympics and was about to start a major junior career with the Windsor Spitfires, when an injury ended his career. This injury, combined with a trip to New York to visit his stepfather, turned Reeves away from hockey and started his journey as an actor.
Recently, Reeves had the opportunity to make his hockey dreams come true, and signed a one-day contract with the Spitfires. Even though he never played after high school, he proved it’s never too late to live out your dreams!
Steve Carell
Courtesy of Eva Rinaldi (right photo)
Snarky Michael Scott from the NBC hit show “The Office” wasn’t only a hockey phenomenon on the show, but was also a hockey player in real life. Carell grew up in the hockey-crazed city of Boston, and the Boston Bruins’ success in the 1970s inspired him to start playing when he was 8 years old. He continued his hockey career collegiately at Denison University in Ohio, where he was their starting goalie from 1981 to 1984. Although he stopped playing after college, he has used his hockey skills on two episodes of “The Office”: “Michael’s Birthday” and “Threat Level Midnight.” Carell also likes to play recreationally and calls himself the “LeBron James of rec league hockey.”
Paris Hilton
Courtesy of barstoolsports.com
Most people know Paris Hilton as a media personality, socialite, and successful business woman . During quarantine in 2020, a Reddit thread and tweets from the Los Angeles Kings and USA Hockey revealed that the celeb used to play hockey. Hilton played forward for the Canterbury School’s Junior Varsity Girls Hockey Team in the 1998-99 season, before leaving the school due to her behavior. Last year, Hilton’s hockey background resurfaced when she participated in the “show yourself, show your sport” trend on TikTok, where she showed her current self and then zoomed in on the same roster picture with her iconic catchphrase “that’s hot” in pink letters on the screen in front of herself. In response, Hilton is proud to say that she has come a long way since she played the sport.
Avril Lavigne
Courtesy of Larry Busacca/Getty Images
In true Canadian fashion, Avril Lavigne’s father made sure she was on the ice soon after she learned to walk and taught her everything about the game. She played at the Novice, Atom and PeeWee levels, and was often the only girl on teams full of boys.
“I worked on my wrist shot and slap shot a lot. One time I had a breakaway in a game and scored. My dad caught it on tape. That was probably my big shining moment. I also remember getting into fights with the goalies and hearing cheers from the moms [in the stands] because I was the only girl. Whenever I’d get punched by a guy, I’d always punch back. The gloves came off!” Lavigne said in an interview with ESPN.
Playing with the boys prepared her for her stellar high school career, where she was the MVP for the Napanee District Secondary School Girls Varsity Team for two years in a row. She might have had more success, but she quit hockey when she was 16 to pursue her blossoming music career. Maybe the singer’s hit song “Sk8r Boi” was about a hockey player instead of a skateboarder.
Margot Robbie
Courtesy of James Devanney
The Australian actress is known for being a die-hard New York Rangers fan, quoting “they are the best.” Even though she often watches Rangers games, Margot Robbie revealed that she also played a bit of hockey herself.
“Well I always wanted to play hockey back in Australia. I’m not sure why, but we didn’t have any ice where I lived. It was a hot, coastal town… But then when I moved to America, I was finally able to join a team once I wasn’t contracted to a show,” Robbie said about how she became a fan of the sport.
Allegedly, she played right wing for an amateur beer league team in New York where she was way less enthusiastic about her own playing than she was about the Rangers.
“I play on a team but I’m definitely the worst on the team. I’m not so good at the ice skating part. The hockey is good, but the ice skating I need to work on,” she said in an interview on MTV.
Though she claims her skating is not that great, she is Barbie after all, and Barbie can do anything she puts her mind to.
Hollywood and hockey have a very close relationship, and these actors and actresses are just scratching the surface of the many celebs who have a passion for the sport.
Edited by Jenna Mandarano
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