Justin Bieber captained Team Black at the Skate for LA Strong charity event (Image Source: Imagn)
Justin Bieber was part of the superstar celebrity lineups that turned up for the Skate for LA Strong charity game hosted by the Los Angeles Kings at the crypto.com Arena to raise money for the relief efforts in the Los Angeles wildfires.
The charity game featured four teams consisting of 16 celebrities, including pop stars, actors, NHL alumni and personnel from LA’s first responder groups.
The charity event, which had star-studded lineups that featured the likes of Steve Carrell and Ross Lynch, was played out in a four-team knockout fixture. There were two 20:00 minutes semifinal games in two 10:00 halfs and a 10:00 final. Justin Beiber featured for Team Black, who were coached by Snoop Dog and Will Ferrell. They were down 3-0 after the first period.
In the intermission, Beiber gave a rinkside interview to ESPN where he was asked about Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. The Canadian star, is known to be a loyal supporter of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
He is close friends with the pair and was also involved with the two during the 2024 NHL All-Star weekend. He was the celebrity captain for Matthews’ team.
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“I love those guys, man. Let’s go, 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦. Let’s go Leafs,” Bieber said.
Unfortunately for Bieber and his team, they weren’t able to erase the 3-0 deficit and ended up losing 5-0 to Team Red with 2024 NHL Hockey Hall of Famer Jeremy Roenick doing most of the bulkwork.
There was a hilarious incident between the two in the second period where they both ‘dropped gloves’ and engaged in a fight that brought out the laughs from everyone in attendance.
NHL and LA Kings’ efforts earns praise from firemen
The LA Kings and the Anaheim Ducks were at the forefront of the donations given to relief efforts. The 12 professional sports teams situated in the Los Angeles area contributed more than $8 million. Sunday’s charity had a dedicated QR code attached to the screen with viewers making their contributions.
One of the fireman who was interviewed after the game expressed his gratitude for the recognition showered upon their work:
“Immediately there was an outpouring of love and support for us and what we were doing, which we felt,. So, to do something like this, it’s just phenomenal. It’s just a blessing. We’re super thankful for it. Plus, it’s a fun game to play. There are so many great things about this.”
The event was won by Team Red that coached by actors Vince Vaughn and Cobie Smulders. They beat team Blue, which was coached by actor Danny DeVito and play-by-play sports broadcaster Al Michaels.
