The Christmas Gift the Toronto Maple Leafs Gave Justin Bieber

‘Tis the season. Three Toronto Maple Leafs gave Justin Bieber the ultimate gift this holiday season. At the same time, they delighted hockey fans in Stratford, Ontario.

We here at editorinleaf.com spent weeks curating the perfect gifts for every player on the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Three players themselves got together to give the ideal gift to the ultimate fan. They drove down to Stratford, Ontario to play a pickup game with Canadian pop music superstar, Justin Bieber.

Bieber isn’t just a random celebrity. He is deeply involved with hockey and the Buds in particular. He is among the most popular people on the planet who cheer for the Maple Leafs.

Toronto Maple Leafs and Justin Bieber

Because of that fame, Bieber has been invited to play on the ice at Scotiabank Arena and sit in private boxes to take in Leafs games.

Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and Tyson Barrie were all invited by Bieber to come to his hometown for a shinny game.

It’s unclear whether Drake was salty about not getting his own invite. When the trio of Leafs went down to Stratford’s William Allman Memorial Arena on Thursday, fans showed up to greet them.

The players were gracious with their time. They signed autographs and took selfies before taking to the ice.

The game itself included Bieber and his long-time friends. It was surely a fantasy lived out by everyone who got to skate with the Leafs. Not only are there perks to being a celebrity, but apparently there are some for befriending one as well.

One benefit to Bieber’s fame was being flown to the Staples Center in Los Angeles to participate in the 2017 NHL Celebrity All-Star Game.

He impressed fans with his abilities and demonstrated some grit in his game as well.

That’s why it wasn’t his empty-net goal or assist that stood out as a highlight of the game, but rather the liberties taken by a retired 18-year NHL veteran on the pop star. Bieber was the victim of a crushing blow by the former defenseman, Chris Pronger.

On the ice with the Leafs for the Boxing Day skate once again allowed Bieber to put his hockey skills to the test. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that the musician can hold his own with a stick in his hands. He used to play for the Stratford Warriors Atom Travel Team.

The Warriors were represented at the pickup game by a pair of players who had won last season’s OHF championship in April as major bantams. They beat the St Thomas Jr. Stars 5-1 in Lake Timiskaming, Ontario to be crowned the best team in the province. The accomplishment in minor hockey is equivalent to Junior’s Memorial Cup.

Bieber’s time with the Warriors has been frozen in time and put on display at the Stratford Perth Museum. The team jacket that he wore as a child became a must-see part of the “Steps to Stardom” exhibit.

Now that Matthews, Marner, and Barrie have given Bieber the gift of hockey, we look forward to the next crossover.

Perhaps one day soon we will see some Maple Leafs players singing and dancing on stage at one of Bieber’s concerts. They’ve already proven that they’ve got the chops when they belted Bon Jovi from behind the bench.

It’s always fun when the players intermingle with their fans, even the celebrity ones. We look forward to seeing what’s next for them all.