Biggest celebrity fans for all 16 Stanley Cup playoff teams
In honor of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs, we’ve identified a starting lineup of celebrity fans for all 16 NHL teams in the postseason.
Here is how they stack up.
Atlantic Division
The roster: Steve Carell, John Krasinski, Conor McGregor, Bill Burr
This is easily the funniest collection of celebrity fans, which is no surprise given Boston’s legendary stand-up scene.
Carell is one of the better hockey players on this list. The Massachusetts native played at several levels and confirmed his rooting interests during the 2019 Stanley Cup Final. Speaking of “The Office,” Krasinski enlisted David Denman (who played Roy on the show) to troll co-star Jenna Fischer in a video from Game 7 of that year.
Massachusetts native Burr tweets about the Bruins regularly.
Congratulations to the Boston Bruins! 65-12-5!!!! Incredible season! Unfortunately, I missed most of it watching gecko’s garage. #BillyBandwagon #GoBruins!
— Bill Burr (@billburr) April 14, 2023
McGregor, one of the most famous MMA fighters, visited the Bruins locker room and dropped the puck at a game in 2019. That’s good enough, at the least, to be the enforcer on this squad.
The roster: Justin Bieber, Drake, Will Arnett, Mike Myers, Chris Hadfield
The Leafs have no shortage of celebrity fans. They also have the high-end edge on this list, with Bieber and Drake, two of the most famous human beings on the planet. Bieber has released tributes to the Leafs. Drake was once visited by Mats Sundin at one of his concerts in Stockholm.
Myers is one of the longest celebrity Leafs fans, naming characters in “Austin Powers” after former Leafs Doug Gilmour and Nikolai Borschevsky. “The Love Guru” includes the Leafs in the plot of the film.
Toronto native Arnett also makes the starting five because he’s hilarious and “Arrested Development” still rules.
Finally, we have astronaut Hadfield, the first Canadian to walk in space. He also dropped the puck at a Leafs game from space, perhaps the biggest flex in recorded history.
The roster: Dick Vitale, Hulk Hogan, Charles Barkley, Stephen King
One commonality among Lightning celeb fans is their positive reactions to Lightning coach Jon Cooper. Cooper has been shouted out by Barkley and Dickie V.
We’re not sure how King became a Lightning fan, but he flew his flag in a reply to actor Kim Coates’ tweet. As for the Hulkster, he’s been an icon on the Tampa sports scene for quite a while and displays his Lightning fandom proudly.
Metropolitan Division
The roster: Stephen Colbert, Petey Pablo, John Isner, Evander Holyfield
Former heavyweight boxing champion Holyfield makes the list because of this incredible Storm Surge:
North Carolina, come on and raise up! Pablo has to be included, thanks to his anthem being the goal song.
Tennis pro Isner makes the list as a fan and as one-time tennis coach for Martin Necas and Teuvo Teravainen. And Isner knows about multiple overtime sporting events, having participated in an 11-hour match at Wimbledon.
Colbert is a native of Charleston, South Carolina. Not only did he celebrate on “The Daily Show” when the Canes last won the Cup in 2006, but he had Canes emergency goalie David Ayres make an appearance on “The Late Show.”
The roster: Kevin Smith, Shaquille O’Neal, Patrick Warburton, Edge, Jay Weinberg
Smith is a natural fit since he regularly fashions hockey jerseys and loves to rep his Devils (including a Devils section at his Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash comic store in Red Bank, New Jersey, a must visit).
Wrestler Edge is an interesting one — he certainly reps his Leafs, having grown up outside of Toronto. However, he fell in love with the game, and goaltenders in particular, watching Chico Resch play for the Devils. He’s attended games repping the red, black and white, so he definitely makes the cut.
Warburton will forever be connected with “Puddy” from “Seinfeld” (“gotta support the team!”). It would be a miss if we don’t get Puddy drinking from the Stanley Cup if Jersey wins. O’Neal was born in Newark and certainly doesn’t hide his love for the Devils. Weinberg of Slipknot rounds out the list, bringing the head-nodding, heart-pounding beats.
The roster: Margot Robbie, Liam Neeson, Tim Robbins, Eli Manning
The Rangers also have no shortage of celebrity fans — my personal favorites are Rick Moranis and Michael J. Fox — but the ones listed above are regulars to MSG and often seen on the JumboTron cheering the team. Liam Neeson even reenacted his famous scene from “Taken” for the team.
East wild cards
The roster: Kevin Connolly, Ralph Macchio, Chloë Grace Moretz, Billy Joel
Connolly has done plenty with the Isles, from making a pick at the NHL draft to making an ESPN 30 for 30 film on John Spano’s infamous efforts to buy the team. He was the easiest pick on this list.
Long Island native Macchio — star of “Karate Kid” and “Cobra Kai” — has been spotted at Isles games and had an Isles bobblehead in his honor.
Fellow screen star Chloë Grace Moretz is also frequently spotted at games rocking an Isles jersey. She also trolled Caps fans on social media.
Open net never works caps..
— Chloë Grace Moretz (@ChloeGMoretz) April 16, 2015
Despite his famed sellout streak at Madison Square Garden, Joel is a Long Island native and has been around for the team’s big moments, including the announcement of UBS Arena and postseason games at the Coliseum. He also has had a bobblehead night dedicated to him.
The roster: Ariana Grande, Josh Gad, Lexi Thompson, Tua Tagovailoa
Grande has one of the best celebrity hockey origin stories. Well before she became a megastar, she rode the Zamboni as a kid at a Panthers game. She also has the dubious honor of being the first person struck by a puck in the stands at the Panthers arena. Her fandom didn’t waver, though.
Star of the stage and screen — and, importantly for a sport played on ice, the voice of “Olaf” in the “Frozen” movies — Gad is a South Florida native and counts the Panthers among his favorite teams.
One of the team’s newer celeb fans is Miami Dolphins quarterback Tagovailoa, who celebrated his birthday with the Panthers. Sticking in the realm of athletes, LPGA tour member Thompson has also attended Panthers games.
Central Division
The roster: John Elway, Larry Walker, Trey Parker
We’ve got some great former Colorado athletes on this list, including Broncos legend Elway, who has golfed with Avs GM Joe Sakic and wished the team well on social media. Baseball Hall of Famer and Rockies legend Walker once served as the Avs’ honorary emergency goaltender.
Perhaps the most passionate celebrity Avs fan is “South Park” co-creator Parker, who has featured the Avs in the series.
The roster: Pantera
Members of the group Pantera might be some of the best celebrity fans of any NHL team — their goal song, specifically written for the Stars, has endured for decades. The team also partied with Pantera after the 1999 Stanley Cup win.
The roster: Richard Dean Anderson, the Hanson brothers, Prince, Nick Swardson
We start with the original “MacGyver” himself, Anderson. MacGyver can solve any problem, with seemingly any objects at his disposal; that sounds like a useful trait in a hockey player. Anderson is also renowned as a ringer in celebrity hockey games.
Next up are the Hanson brothers, from the greatest hockey movie of all time, “Slap Shot.” The Carlson brothers, who portrayed Steve and Jeff Hanson, are from Minnesota, while the third brother, David Hanson, is from Cumberland, Wisconsin.
Prince makes the list posthumously, as he deserves to be on any rundown of famous Minnesotans.
Another famous Minnesotan is comedian Swardson, who has been vociferous on social media about his fandom.
Pacific Division
The roster: Bryce Harper, Lil’ Jon, Wayne Newton, Gordon Ramsay, Daniel Negreanu
There’s no shortage of celebrities in Vegas. But it starts with Philadelphia Phillies star Harper, a Vegas native and huge Golden Knights fan.
Then there’s Lil’ Jon, who has served as hype man at T-Mobile Arena, as has Newton. The pair even performed a collaboration for the Golden Knights, which is the most random but most Vegas thing in recent memory:
Ramsay has joined Lil’ Jon at VGK games, donning the Golden Knights threads, so we’ll include him here too.
Then there is Toronto native Negreanu, one of the greatest poker players and a Golden Knights season-ticket holder. He is a die-hard hockey fan and been vocal about having a team in Vegas long before the Golden Knights arrived.
The roster: Jordan Buhat, Brett Kissel, Todd McFarlane, Kurt Browning, Kevin Smith
Buhat is an actor on the show “Grown-ish,” a spinoff of the show “Black-ish.” He is an Edmonton native and a die-hard Oilers fan.
Famed comic book writer McFarlane, who worked on “The Amazing Spider-Man” and “Spawn,” among many other projects, once owned part of the Oilers, despite being a Calgary native.
Country singer and Alberta native Kissel had a famous moment when a faulty mic turned into a memorable anthem rendition by a packed house of Oilers fans.
We’ll also include Browning, who was one of Canada’s more prominent figure skaters. He was an honorary captain when the NHL appointed celebrity captaincies in 1991.
The roster: Taylor Swift, Will Ferrell, Snoop Dogg, Zac Efron, Channing Tatum
Of course, L.A. is going to have the most star power. Swift alone would have dominated this whole thing, but add Ferrell, perhaps the most vocal of the bunch, along with Snoop, who hilariously has done Kings commentary, Tatum, who’s been sighted at games, and Efron, and you have a starting five fit for Hollywood.
West wild cards
The roster: Chris Jericho, Doc Walker, Fred Penner, Neil Young, Burton Cummings
The obvious choice here is Jericho, who grew up in Winnipeg. His father, Ted Irvine, played in the NHL mostly for the Rangers, later skating for the Kings during their first three seasons in the NHL. Jericho is an avid Jets fan and this video of him doing hockey highlights (including his dad fighting Bobby Orr) is definitely worth a watch.
The Jets celebrity fan group includes people whom Canadians would know pretty well:
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Country music group Walker, who once wrote a parody song cutting up the Nashville Predators
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Children’s show star Penner, who every Canadian who grew up in the 1980s knows extremely well
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Singer and Winnipeg native Cummings
The legendary Young has deep roots in Winnipeg, particularly early in his career, which definitely qualifies him for this group … as does this video of him welcoming the Jets back to Winnipeg.
The roster: Sue Bird, Macklemore, Marshawn Lynch, Rainn Wilson
A strong group for the young Kraken. They’ve got Bird, one of the best athletes of her generation; Wilson, who played Dwight Schrute on “The Office,” and rapper Macklemore and Seahawks legend Lynch, who are both part-owners of the team.
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Alden Gonzalez
LOS ANGELES — Aside from his ability to pitch and hit and stretch the boundaries of imagination, Shohei Ohtani has displayed another singular trait in his time in the major leagues: an ability to meet the moment. Or, perhaps, for the moment to meet him.
And so on Wednesday night, with his Los Angeles Dodgers looking to stay unbeaten, the score tied in the bottom of the ninth, and more than 50,000 fans standing and clenching the Ohtani bobbleheads they lined up hours in advance for, Ohtani approached the batter’s box — and his teammates expected greatness.
“He’s going to end this right here,” Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy said he thought to himself.
“We knew,” starting pitcher Blake Snell said. “It’s just what he does.”
Validation came instantly. Ohtani stayed back on a first-pitch changeup from Raisel Iglesias near the outside corner and shot it toward straightaway center field, 399 feet away, for a walk-off home run, sending the Dodgers to a 6-5, come-from-behind victory over the reeling Atlanta Braves.
“I don’t think anybody didn’t expect him to hit a walk-off home run there,” Dodgers utility man Tommy Edman said. “It’s just a question of where he’d hit it.”
The Dodgers are now 8-0, topping the 1933 New York Yankees of Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth for the longest winning streak to begin a season for a reigning champion. The Braves, meanwhile, are 0-7, the type of record no team has ever recovered from to make the playoffs. And Ohtani, with three home runs and a 1.126 OPS this season, just keeps meeting moments.
“He’s pretty good, huh?” Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez said. “It’s Shohei. He’s going to do that. He’s going to do things better than that.”
On Aug. 23 last year, Ohtani reached the 40/40 club with a walk-off grand slam. Five days later, the Dodgers staged a second giveaway of his bobblehead — one that saw his now-famous dog, Decoy, handle the ceremonial first pitch — and Ohtani led off with a home run. On Sept. 19, Ohtani clinched his first postseason berth and ascended into the unprecedented 50/50 club with one of the greatest single-game performances in baseball history — six hits, three homers, two steals and 10 RBIs. Barely two weeks later, he homered in his first playoff game.
When Ohtani came up on Wednesday, he had what he described as a simple approach.
“I was looking for a really good pitch to hit,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “If I didn’t get a good pitch to hit, I was willing to walk.”
Of course, though, he got a good pitch.
And, of course, he sent it out.
“You just feel that he’s going to do something special,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “And I just like the way he’s not pressing. He’s in the strike zone, and when he does that, there’s just no one better.”
The Dodgers began their much-anticipated season with a couple of breezy wins over the Chicago Cubs from Japan, even though Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman did not play in them. They returned home, brought iconic rapper Ice Cube out to present the World Series trophy on one afternoon, received their rings on another and swept a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers. Then came the Braves, and the Dodgers swept them, too — even though Freeman, nursing an ankle injury caused from slipping in the shower, didn’t participate.
The Dodgers already have two walk-offs and six comeback wins this season.
Wednesday’s effort left Roberts “a little dumbfounded.”
A nightmarish start defensively, highlighted by two errant throws from Muncy, spoiled Snell’s start and put them behind 5-0 after the first inning and a half. But the Dodgers kept inching closer. They trailed by just two in the eighth and put runners on second and third with two out. Muncy came to bat with his batting average at just .083. He had used the ballyhooed “Torpedo” bat for his first three plate appearances, didn’t like how it altered his swing plane, grabbed his usual bat for a showdown against Iglesias and laced a game-tying double into the right-center-field gap.
An inning later, Ohtani ended it.
“Overall, not just tonight, there is a really good vibe within the team,” Ohtani said after recording his fourth career walk-off hit. “I just think that’s allowing us to come back in these games to win.”
The Dodgers’ 8-0 start has allowed them to stay just ahead of the 7-0 San Diego Padres and the 5-1 San Francisco Giants in the National League West. Tack on the Arizona Diamondbacks (4-2) and the Colorado Rockies (1-4), and this marks the first time in the divisional era that an entire division has combined for at least 25 wins and no more than seven losses, according to ESPN Research. The Dodgers’ and Padres’ starts mark just the fifth season in major league history with multiple teams starting 7-0 or better, and the first time since 2003.
The Dodgers famously overcame a 2-1 series deficit to vanquish the Padres in the NL Division Series last year, then rode that fight to their first full-season championship since 1988.
That fight hasn’t let up.
“It feels like this clubhouse is carrying a little bit of the attitude we had last year that we’re never out of a game and we’re resilient, and we’ve been carrying it into this season,” Muncy said. “It’s been fun to watch. The guys don’t give up. Bad things have happened, and no one’s really been down or out on themselves. Everyone’s just, ‘All right, here we go, next inning, let’s get after it.’ The whole team, top to bottom, has been doing that. It’s been making it really, really fun to play.”
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