Justin Bieber made a surprise appearance at the 2026 NHL Draft.
The Canadian singer stopped by the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York to announce the No. 1 draft pick for his favorite team the Toronto Maple Leafs Friday evening. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced Bieber as one of the team’s “most diehard and iconic fans.” The singer started in the audience before taking the stage alongside the commissioner
The singer, unsurprisingly given the Buffalo crowd, was met with boos when he began lamenting his love for his favorite team. “What’s going on Buffalo? What’s up Toronto? The child in me is ecstatic right now, I’ve been a Leafs fans since I was a little boy,” he told the crowd.
Bieber then announced that Penn State’s Gavin McKenna had been drafted to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The hockey player, who hails from Whitehorse, Yukon, walked out to Bieber’s song “Yukon” and posed for photos with the singer. Bieber directed McKenna to watch a message from Toronto’s captain Auston Matthews.
Bieber also joined McKenna during his onstage interview. “Being here is a dream,” Bieber told the crowd before promising to wear a McKenna jersey during a game next year.
The singer’s had quite the year following his headlining appearance at the 2026 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Bieber’s stripped-back Coachella set was a hit both at the festival and in person. He played his newer music along with a selection of his older tracks, opting to pull up old music videos on YouTube to sing along to with the crowd.
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