From the LA Times

Before the NHL All-Star game Feb. 2, celebrities and fans will get their own chance to compete.

By JON MATSUMOTO, Special to The Times
Thursday, January 24, 2002

In the trendy surf 'n' sun environment of Los Angeles, the mention of puck can just as easily bring to mind Wolfgang as it does a vulcanized rubber disc sliding across the ice.
But next week, the National Hockey League will attempt to temporarily turn Hollywood into Hockeywood with a series of special events preceding its All-Star game on Feb. 2 at Staples Center.
The last time the NHL's greatest players assembled in Los Angeles--1981--the league's itinerant All-Star game was just that--an All-Star game. Since then, this annual convergence of the world's best stick-wielding talent on ice has evolved into a multi-day festivity that also includes a slew of fan-friendly activities.
And the savvy marketers at the NHL promise that this year's All-Star bash will represent its glitziest and hippest midseason celebration to date.
"We're taking a different approach this year and making everything more of an entertainment show because we will be in the entertainment capital," said Greta Palmer, manager of events and entertainment for the NHL. "We want to offer something to fans of the sport and future fans of the sport by offering both hockey and entertainment."
A celebrity hockey game, performances by local rock bands and appearances by a number of non-hockey playing celebrities will help bring a distinct L.A. feel to the whole shebang, which runs Wednesday through next Saturday (Feb. 2).
The benefit celebrity game will take place at Staples Center on Wednesday night. Film producer Jerry Bruckheimer ("Black Hawk Down" and "Pearl Harbor") will lead a squad of hyped-up entertainers against a team captained by television creator-writer David E. Kelley ("Ally McBeal," "The Practice" and "Boston Public"). Cuba Gooding Jr., Kiefer Sutherland, Alex Trebek and Brendan Fehr will be among the celebrities skating for Bruckheimer's Bad Boys. Denis Leary, Jason Priestley, Scott Wolf and Joshua Jackson will be among the stars lining up for Kelley's Heroes. The skill level of both teams will be greatly enhanced by the participation of ex-NHL greats such as Phil Esposito, Jari Kurri and Dave Taylor.
"I never in a million years thought I would get a chance to skate with Phil Esposito and Jari Kurri," says Fehr, an actor on the UPN television drama "Roswell." "Being from Canada, this is going to be one of the most exciting moments of my life. If I skate on a line with Jari [who teamed with Wayne Gretzky for many years in Edmonton], I am going to have big shoes to fill in feeding him those passes!"
Taking a Slap Shot at Contests, Prizes
Taking place at the Los Angeles Convention Center next door to Staples Center, NHL All-Star FANtasy will anchor the festivities leading up to the NHL All-Star game. This multifaceted fan fair will take place over the course of the four-day celebration.
At All-Star FANtasy, puck followers will get a chance to test their slap shot against a radar gun and tend goal in a virtual-reality setting.