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Behind the Scenes

Led by Vince Vaughn & Cobie Smulders, Team Red victorious at Skate for LA Strong

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Fun afternoon at Crypto.com Arena.

The Skate For LA Strong replaced NHL hockey on the schedule for a day in Los Angeles, as celebrities, Hall of Famers, NHL alumni, former Kings and local first responders hit the ice for a special day in Los Angeles.

Game 1 featured Team Blue versus Team White, with Smallville Actor Michael Rosenbaum leading the way early with two goals for Team Blue, with Mark Messier collecting an assist on his first and adding a goal of his own for an early lead. Noah LaLonde of “My Life With The Walter Boys” stole the highlights in the second half with a highlight-reel goal. Guy could probably log a few minutes in the AHL on a low-scoring team.

The final score read 6-3 in favor of Team Blue, which advanced to the final with the victory. Kings GM Rob Blake picked up a goal late, skating in from the right point, just like the old days.

Game 2 saw Team Red skate to a 5-0 victory over Team Black, joining Team Blue in the championship game.

Game 2 was loaded with more NHL players than the first game was, featuring several on each side. Former Montreal Canadiens forward and current actor on Shoresy Terry Ryan had two goals in the game, one in each half, while Kings Pro Scout Derek Armstrong buried one of his own as the Will Ferrell and Snoop Dogg led side exited early with the semifinal defeat.

Photo by Gary A. Vasquez/NHLI via Getty Images

Team Red once again did not allow a goal in the championship game, skating to a 4-0 victory.

Kings alum and player development staffer Mike Donnelly scored the game-winning goal with a wrist shot from distance while additional goals in the championship game came from Ryan and Hockey Hall of Fame members Jeremy Roenick and Natalie Darwitz. Billy Blase, a local goaltender who played for Team Red, made 29 saves across the two games without allowing a single goal in a performance that earned a ton of love on the broadcast.

Throughout the course of the game, donations were raised, with a final total hopefully released soon. Will share that information when available.

From the team’s official release –

Team Red went undefeated to claim victory at today’s Skate For LA Strong, “A Celebration to Support the Fire Recovery Efforts in Los Angeles,” which was hosted at Crypto.com Arena by the Los Angeles Kings, in partnership with the National Hockey League (NHL).

Team Red was coached by American actor and comedian Vince Vaughn and Canadian actress Cobie Smulders. Vaughn and Smulder’s roster, which featured 15 skaters and one goaltender, won the event by a combined score of 9 – 0. Offensively, former professional ice hockey player and actor Terry Ryan scored three goals while former LA Kings assistant captain Jeremy Roenick tallied a pair of goals and an assist on the day. Former LA Kings forward Derek Armstrong and former NHL forward Dany Heatley each registered a goal and two assists. Goaltender Billy Blase stopped all 29 shots faced across two matchups to secure back-to-back shutouts for his side.

The exhibition event, which was played in front of 12,167 fans, featured four teams playing in a single elimination format. Each team’s roster included a mix of celebrities, NHL Alumni and hockey dignitaries as well as local first responders from LAFD, LAcoFD and LAPD. Team Red defeated Team Black, coached by Will Ferrell and Snoop Dogg, in the second of the three 20:00 games this afternoon by a score of 5 – 0. Following their victory over Team Black, Team Red faced off against Team Blue, a group led by celebrity coaches Danny Devito and Al Michaels, in the final contest and recorded their second consecutive shutout, winning by a final score of 4 – 0.

The event was supported by generous contributions from Mercury Insurance, Delta Air Lines, Iron Bow Technologies, Blue Shield of California, DICK’s Sporting Goods, ABM, Fanatics, Yaamava’ Resort & Casino, Anheuser-Busch, Coca-Cola, Alterra Mountain Company Community Foundation, Big Bear Mountain Resort, Venbrook, Lucas Oil, Vivid Seats, First Round’s On Me, Toshiba and SoCalGas.

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