TORONTO – With the puck set to drop Tuesday for the 2013 NHL playoffs, fans around the league will be cheering loudly as their teams battle for Lord Stanley’s Cup.
Along with die-hard hockey fans, A-list celebrities will be looking to get in on the action as they support their favourite NHL teams.
From Montreal to Vancouver, Hollywood’s biggest stars will don jerseys, tweet and cheer to show their team spirit.
Here’s a look at five teams making a post-season appearance and the celebrities who follow them:
Montreal Canadiens
Celeb Fan: Viggo Mortensen
The Montreal Canadiens will face-off against the Ottawa Senators in the first-round and have a major supporter in actor Viggo Mortensen.
Best known for his role as Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Mortensen has been a Habs fan since he was a young boy growing up in New York City in the 1970s.
Although he spent time growing up in the U.S and Argentina, the actor has always taken his loyalty to the Canadiens with him.
In an interview with Canadiens magazine, Mortensen revealed that he often wore his Habs t-shirt on the set of The Road and under his armour while portraying Aragorn.
In 2009, Mortensen got the chance to be a part of Habs history when he introduced Guy Lafleur during the Canadiens Centennial celebration at the Bell Centre.
Ottawa Senators
Celeb Fan: Matthew Perry
Matthew Perry has been a long time Ottawa Senators fan as the former Friends star grew up in Ottawa.
During the 2012 NHL awards Perry got the chance to shake hands with Sens star, Erik Karlsson, as Perry presented him with the Norris Trophy for best defensive player.
It appears Perry has adopted the L.A. Kings as his other favourite as the actor spends time working in Tinseltown.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Celeb fans: Mike Myers, Keanu Reeves, Russell Crowe, Elisha Cuthbert
After a nine year hiatus the Toronto Maple Leafs will take to the ice against the Boston Bruins in their first playoff game since 2004. One of the most talked about teams, the Leafs claim a serious amount of celebrity hockey fans that include Keanu Reeves, Russell Crowe, and Elisha Cuthbert (engaged to Dion Phaneuf).
Justin Bieber strapped on the skates for a shoot around with the Leafs in 2011. Along with Phaneuf, Tyler Bozak and Jake Gardiner, the Biebs took shots on goaltender Jonas Gustavsson.
The most well-known Leafs fan goes to actor Mike Myers. Known for his roles as Wayne Campbell and Austin Powers, the actor has been a life-long Leafs fan. In the 2008 romantic comedy The Love Guru, Myers plays Guru Maurice Pitka who helps a struggling Toronto Maple Leafs player regain his confidence.
Vancouver Canucks
Celeb fan: Michael Buble, Colbie Smulders
Canadian crooner Michael Buble is a life-long Vancouver Canucks fan will be cheering against the San Jose Sharks in first-round playoff action.
In 2011 Buble got the chance to live out a dream when he skated with the Canucks during a practice.
“It was just the greatest day of my life, really,” Buble, a 36-year-old native of the Vancouver suburb of Burnaby, told reporters. “I had way too much fun. To get to do that, I guess, is every fan’s wish.”
Also a long-time Canuck fan is actress Colbie Smulders, who was born in Vancouver. Known for her role on the hit sitcom How I Met Your Mother, her character Robin Scherbatsky often wears a Canucks jersey and mentions the team constantly.
Boston Bruins
Celeb fan: Gord Downie
Although he’s sung about the Leafs, Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie is actually a fan of the Boston Bruins and has been since the 1970s.
In an interview with Maclean’s, Downey said that he and his siblings have always been Bruins fans. His godfather is Harry Sinden a former Bruins head coach and coach of Team Canada in the Famed 1972 Summit Series against the U.S.S.R.
Although he admits he has a small place in his heart for the Leafs, the Kingston, Ont. native will be cheering on the Bruins in the first round matchup against Toronto.
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