LOS ANGELES — In an effort to aid recovery from the recent fires in Los Angeles, Justin Bieber and Steve Carell joined Hockey Hall of Famers Rob Blake, Mark Messier, Cammi Granato, and Jeremy Roenick on the ice Sunday. The event, dubbed “Skate for LA Strong,” took place at Crypto.com Arena, organized by the Los Angeles Kings and the National Hockey League.
The initiative was launched to support relief efforts following the Palisades Fire, which has been described as the most catastrophic wildfire in the city’s history. Bieber expressed the event’s positive spirit, stating, “We’re looking to have a good time and show when we come together, good things happen.”
The tournament featured four teams and was masterminded by Kings President Luc Robitaille, who highlighted the personal impact of the fires on attendees. “We’ve all been touched by what happened last month. We all have friends, families or different (people) that have been impacted, so for us to be able to make a difference and to do something, we’re gonna raise as much as possible and make a difference,” Robitaille remarked.
The team led by actors Vince Vaughn and Cobie Smulders emerged victorious, winning both of their games in the exhibition. Roenick had an exciting day on the ice, scoring two goals and engaging in a friendly tussle with Bieber during a match.
“This was an amazing celebration of hockey and first responders. It was a lot of fun, seeing everyone that showed up and some of the LA firefighters playing was a good feeling,” Roenick noted.
Other teams were directed by notable personalities such as Will Ferrell and Snoop Dogg, Danny DeVito and Al Michaels, as well as Hannah Stocking and Andrew Whitworth. Actor Skylar Astin expressed his enthusiasm for participating in the event, saying, “When the Kings asked me to do this, I was like, ‘Absolutely.’ I don’t care if I’d never thrown on a pair of skates before, this is where I want to be. I’m a resident of Malibu, so I really have the firefighters to thank for even containing it as much as they were able to.”
Astin reflected on the recent fires, explaining how he witnessed the aftermath first-hand. “I took PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) over here for the first time, and it was the first time I actually saw all the destruction, and it was really chilling. It’s going to be a while for us to really build back properly, but LA is a resilient community, and I think we’ll get it done.”
The event was broadcast locally in Los Angeles and nationally on ESPN2. Instead of selling tickets, access was granted to first responders and individuals who had been affected by the fires.
