7 celebrities you probably didn't know played hockey growing up
Hollywood and hockey have not always gone hand in hand.
Sure, the Slapshot films were a success, along with Miracle and The Mighty Ducks. But despite some positive strides over the years, hockey remains a bit of a rarity on the big screen.
With that said, plenty of stars you might not suspect actually grew up playing the great game. And no, they’re not all Canadian.
So, in case the folks in show business are looking to put together an All-Star team, here are seven celebrities who can hold their own on the ice.
Steve Carrell
Before he was Michael Scott on The Office, Steve Carrell was known best for his role as the starting goalie at Denison University in Ohio.
According to his Elite Prospects page, Carrell suited up for three seasons in the ACHA in the early 1980s before devoting himself to the stage.
Keanu Reeves
Movie star Keanu Reeves was stopping pucks before he was dodging bullets as Neo in The Matrix films.
That’s right — Reeves, who grew up in Canada, played goalie for De La Salle College in the 1981-1982 season and even earned a tryout with the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League.
Paris Hilton
One of the most unexpected entries on this list, before coining “That’s hot” and starring on a slew of reality shows, Paris Hilton was once a student athlete.
Her sport of choice? Hockey, of course.
The world learned of Hilton’s on-ice accolades when she tweeted out a photo of her 1998-99 junior varsity team photo from Canterbury School in New Milford, Connecticut.
Good times! 🏒🧍🏼♀️⛸ Let’s play sometime😉 https://t.co/Y795FhlX2Q pic.twitter.com/RHRXTFbudJ
— ParisHilton (@ParisHilton) January 6, 2023
Adam Sandler
Actor Adam Sandler may be a huge basketball fan, but he spent much of his childhood playing hockey, even serving as captain of his high school team in the early 1980s.
It turns out that Happy Gilmore, the story of a hockey player turned golfer, wasn’t entirely fictional.
Wyatt Russell
Likely the most skilled player on our list, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier actor Wyatt Russell (son of Miracle star Kurt Russell) played pro hockey before making his on-screen debut.
Before his career was cut short by injuries in 2010, Wyatt played goalie for numerous amateur and pro hockey teams, including the Richmond Sockeyes, Langley Hornets, Coquitlam Express, Chicago Steel, Brampton Capitals, and Groningen Grizzlies.
Margot Robbie
A-list actress Margot Robbie has collected many accolades throughout her acting career.
But before she was a star, the Australian fell in love with hockey.
“Well, I always wanted to play ice hockey back in Australia. I’m not sure why, but we didn’t have any ice where I lived. It was very hot, a coastal town,” she said in a 2014 interview. “So I played field hockey, but then when I moved to America, I was finally able to join a team once I wasn’t contracted to a show.”
Luckily, Robbie, who has been spotted at New York Rangers games, got to put her skating skills to use when she played figure skater Tonya Harding in the 2018 film I, Tonya.
Justin Bieber
Okay, it doesn’t come as much of a surprise that a kid from Stratford, Ontario, and a public Toronto Maple Leafs supporter spent his winters hitting pucks on the rink.
Nonetheless, Bieber deserves an entry on this list because of his impressive skating and puck-handling skills.
The pop star has been spotted playing in full gear on multiple occasions in recent years, including the 2017 Celebrity All-Star game and a private lesson with talk show host Jimmy Fallon.
And while he doesn’t get out on the ice too often, he’s clearly still got it.
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