Justin Bieber surprised a team of young hockey players in Whistler Thursday night when the pop singer dropped by to join them on the ice.
None of the midget A1 Winterhawks – comprised of players ranging from ages 15 to 17 – recognized the star during the practice, until he removed his helmet while shaking hands with the players after the game.
Without any mention to the team beforehand, Whistler Minor Hockey Association president Steve Legge “told the kids he's our affiliate player for the night" according to CTV News.
Legge had been contacted by Bieber’s people the night before - only mentioning that a high profile celebrity from L.A. wanted to pay a visit - but did not reveal that it would be the Canadian pop superstar himself. Legge assumed at the time it might be a player from the L.A. Kings.
According to Legge, Bieber held his own on the ice and even scored a couple goals.
"He's very fit. He was pretty impressive to our kids too, he's very humble and very respectful. It was awesome. Just an amazing experience for the kids. We gave him a jersey, and he instantly put it on. He just wanted to go play.”
One of the player’s parents, Rob Palm, also complimented Bieber in a Facebook post he wrote after the game, writing "The Biebs has pretty good hands and knew exactly where to be. He was super humble and a true gentleman. I gained a lot of respect for him as a result.”
Bieber was reportedly in the mountain town to enjoy some snowboarding and had spent the previous day at a local spa.
