Justin Bieber is celebrating his 27th birthday today, marking over a decade of pop-star status. And the boy looks good! He’s healthy and happy and obviously still motivated to create—The Bieb’s latest album Justice is slated to arrive next month.
The Stratford, Ontario native remains at the top of Canada’s A-list, and not just because he sings real good. The guy can also flick a stick. In fact, Bieber has got to be one of the most famous people to cheer for the Toronto Maple Leafs, showcasing a real passion for the sport, not just as a fan but as a lifelong player as well.
To celebrate JB’s b-day and show off what a good Canadian boy he really is, we’re looking back at 11 of his best hockey moments so far.
The time he taught Fallon how to git 'er done
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Last year, Biebs took Jimmy Fallon to the rink to teach him the fundamentals of the game. Justin suited up in Leafs gear and had Fallon complete some basic drills, like skating to and from the lines and weaving through pylons. Fallon, dressed in Rangers gear, genuinely didn’t look like he’d ever been on skates in his life, especially when it came time for the shootout.
The time he almost dropped his gloves and got into an old-fashioned donnybrook
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In 2016, Justin was playing in a beer league in L.A. when things nearly escalated to violence during a game after a member of the opposing team did Justin dirty and broke his stick mid-game. The altercation almost ended in a brawl, but the ref got things under control. Is it too late now to say sorry? Probably.
The time he flexed hard at the NHL All-Star Celebrity Game
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As if being rich, famous, and an award-winning musician wasn’t enough, Justin actually has skills on the ice too. During the 2017 NHL All-Star Celebrity Game, JB scored a goal and notched an assist, helping to lead Team Gretzky to victory. Our boy looked like one of the better players on the ice that year. Watch out, Connor.
His ongoing bromance with Auston Matthews
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Justin and Auston Matthews’ bromance is the hockey version of Drake and the Raptors’ Fred VanVleet. They just really get each other, OK? Bieber and the Toronto Maple Leafs star even do things like hop on IG Live and shoot the shit, ‘cause they’re close like that.
The average person plays shinny with their roommates, neighbours, friends. Not Justin. When he plays a game of pick-up it’s on home ice in Stratford, Ontario with a handful of NHLers like Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and Tyson Barrie, as he did a couple years back. Because he’s nice guy, he invited his childhood buddies too.
But you know who he didn’t invite? Drake, who jokingly expressing his displeasure at not being asked to lace up with Bieber and the Leafs. The Boy even took to his Instagram story and shared a hilarious photoshopped picture of him alongside Matthews, Bieber, and Marner, cropping out Barrie.
When he converted his wife into a Leafs fan
His most recent selfie with The Great One
Before he was the Justin Bieber we know today, Biebs was just like another other Canadian youth playing in a local minor hockey league. The Stratford Warriors were his crew in the early 2000s and the team photos prove his dedication to the sport at such a young age. He still has love for the team to this day, and can occassionally be seen catching their games.
When Blues goalie Jordan Binnington publicly challenged him to a shootout
When Chris Pronger crushed Justin against the glass
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OK, so it wasn’t exactly a skull-rattling hit into the boards, but during the aforementioned NHL All-Star Celebrity Game, Hall-of-Famer Chris Pronger made Biebs kiss the glass. He takes it like a true Canadian though, and of course Pronger makes sure he knows it was all jokes.
