David Pastrnak had quite the All-Star Game from playing alongside Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on Team McDavid to getting too excited about his first shot in the one-timer event in the skills competition to even scoring on his teammate, Jeremy Swayman.
The Boston Bruins forward — who understandably got booed at his rival Scotiabank Arena in Toronto — also got to connect with Justin Bieber — a known Toronto Maple Leafs fan. The Canadian singer served as the co-captain for Team Matthews, which was led by four Maple Leafs players and coached by Jim Montgomery.
Even though Bieber was on the opposite bench and roots for one of the Bruins’ biggest rivals, Pastrnak knows the importance of having someone like the Grammy winner be part of the annual event. He also couldn’t help but throw a little jab toward Bieber.
“That was cool,. He’s an amazing, talented person,” Pastrnak told reporters. “Obviously, a fan of his music. He is a Leafs fan, so that’s a little step back. It was fun. I was able to get a picture with him in the room and on the ice. Definitely special. All the players appreciate him being a hockey fan. It helps our game when a person like this appreciates what we do.”
This wasn’t the first time Pastrnak took an opportunity to have a little fun at Bieber’s expense.
Back in 2019, Bieber posted to Instagram ahead of Game 7 between the Maple Leafs and the Bruins that he was hopeful for a win. Boston eliminated Toronto, and Pastrnak trolled Bieber by posting to social media, “Not today @justinbieber.”
Montgomery had the opportunity to have Bieber alongside him for the All-Star Game. Cameras often showed the two celebrating after each goal. And after the game, the Bruins coach revealed what it was like to have Bieber with him on the bench.
“The energy he had, he was right into it,” Montgomery told reporters. “I didn’t know what to expect. You could tell he loves the game. He was recognizing the real creative plays and talking out loud about them. Obviously a born and bred Canadian, he played it growing up, so he understood the intricacies of the game when someone makes a real intelligent play.”
Now, the Bruins return to practice Sunday without Bieber and his energy, but they have a lot of momentum as they prepare to get back into game action against the Calgary Flames on Tuesday as they look to remain atop the NHL standings.