LA Kings and NHL Rally for Wildfire Relief With Skate for LA Strong, 'A Celebration To Support the Fire Recovery Efforts in Los Angeles'
With the Los Angeles area having suffered catastrophic damage from the recent wildfires, AEG's Los Angeles Kings teamed up with the National Hockey League (NHL) to host a special benefit hockey game, Skate For LA Strong, 'A Celebration to Support the Fire Recovery Efforts in Los Angeles.' The event aimed to raise proceeds for the LA Fire Relief Fund and provide support for those impacted by the fires.
Held at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA, Skate For LA Strong brought together celebrities, professional athletes, musicians, local first responders, and—most importantly—fire victims and their families. The exhibition game featured four teams competing in a single elimination format, with each team's roster including a mix of celebrities, former NHL greats, and first responders from the Los Angeles Fire Department, Los Angeles County Fire Department, and Los Angeles Police Department.
Headlining the player participants were stars like Justin Bieber and Steve Carell, alongside Hockey Hall of Fame members Rob Blake, Cammi Granato, Mark Messier, and Jeremy Roenick. Celebrity coaches, including Danny DeVito, Snoop Dogg, Will Ferrell, Al Michaels, Cobie Smulders, Hannah Stocking, Vince Vaughn, and Andrew Whitworth, added to the excitement. A complete list of participants and attendees can be found here.
For many attendees, the night was a rare opportunity to take a break from the overwhelming reality of loss and recovery, instead immersing themselves in a lively and uplifting atmosphere. Skate For LA Strong highlighted the power of sports and entertainment in bringing communities together, offering comfort, and fostering resilience in times of hardship.
The event also featured musical performances by producer and Kaskade, singer/songwriter Jordan Davis and singer Lauren Spencer Smith.
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New York Times
26 minutes ago
- New York Times
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New York Times
27 minutes ago
- New York Times
U.S. Olympic hockey: Projecting the men's First 6, stock watch on the rest of the roster
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And then there's Calder Trophy winner Lane Hutson, who also didn't go to worlds, and youngster Zeev Buium, who didn't play a lot at worlds but scored one of the biggest goals in the tournament. Advertisement Other potentials include K'Andre Miller, Jackson LaCombe, Ryan McDonagh, Brady Skjei and Luke Hughes. The U.S. will likely return with the same goaltending cast of Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger and Swayman. Who gets the nod will be determined closer to the tournament, but even though Hellebuyck is coming off his third consecutive subpar postseason with the Jets, he was great in the 4 Nations and likely has the inside track. Oettinger started one meaningless game in the 4 Nations and played well, but lost. And even though his postseason with Dallas started terrifically, it sure ended poorly with him getting chased after allowing two early goals to the Edmonton Oilers in an elimination game during the Western Conference final. Swayman had a rough 2024-25 season after arriving late to the Bruins following a contract dispute, but if he has a solid start next season, his World Championship performance (1.69 goals-against average and .921 save percentage in seven games) could, shall we say, sway things. (Top photo of Matthew and Brady Tkachuk: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)
Miami Herald
32 minutes ago
- Miami Herald
Did you remember when the Florida Panthers played in Miami? Take a look
The Florida Panthers were born in Miami. From their debut year in 1993 through 1997, South Florida's NHL team played at Miami Arena, sharing the place with the Miami Heat. It's where the rats hit the ice for the first time. It all started in 1995, right before a game, when a player noticed a live rat scurrying across the locker room and took care of it with his stick. The player then went on to score two goals — and a tradition was born. Fans started tossing rubber rats onto the ice to celebrate goals and victories. The Panthers reached the Stanley Cup Final in 1996 season while playing at Miami Arena in Overtown. But a sparkling new ice palace soon rose on the edge of the Everglades next to Sawgrass Mills mall. In 1998, the Sunrise arena opened. The Panthers packed their bags and headed northwest for the opening of what was first called National Car Rental Center. It is now Amerant Bank Arena The pink birthday cake on the edge of downtown Miami no longer exists except in our memories. So let's take a look through the Miami Herald photo archives at those early years for the Panthers on the Magic City ice.
