Justin Bieber is showing support for his home town’s professional ice hockey team!
The 32-year-old “Love Yourself” singer is from Canada and has been a proud fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs since he was young. He was invited to day one of the 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo, New York on Friday (June 26) to announce this year’s top overall pick.
In a video shared by the official Maple Leafs X account, Justin is shown walking out in red track jacket featuring the Maple Leafs emblem as he greets the crowd and makes his way down to the main stage to chat with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.
During his walk to the stage, the multi-Grammy winner shared how “grateful” he was to be there as someone who has been “a Leafs fan since I was just a little boy.”
“Man, what an incredible night. Awe, man, the child in me is ecstatic right now,” he said.
Once on stage, Justin announced 18-year-old Gavin McKenna as the 2026 NHL Draft’s top pick.
“Mr. McKenna, we would like to draft you to the Toronto Maple Leafs,” Justin said.
Gavin was named one of the “Big 10 freshman of the year” after his “first season at Penn State,” and he ranked fifth in NCAA scoring. The announcer revealed he is the highest-drafted player ever from the Yukon region of Canada. Fittingly, Justin‘s song “Yukon” started playing during the pivotal moment.
With the hit HBO show Heated Rivalry becoming an international hit, many new fans have been discovering hockey and the NHL actually responded to the increased interest generated by the show’s popularity earlier this year!
Posted To:2026 Nhl Draft Event Photos Gavin Mckenna Justin Bieber NHL Sports
