There’s few things Jon Hamm loves more than his hometown hockey team — and later this month he will help celebrate some of the biggest names in the league’s history at the NHL 100 Gala.
The lifelong St. Louis Blues fan is set to host the star-filled event at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Jan. 27 as part of the NHL All-Star weekend. The NHL 100 will also feature appearances from legendary players as well as famous hockey fans from movies, television and music.
“I grew up a huge hockey fan and a St. Louis Blues die-hard, so it’s an absolute dream come true to host NHL 100, where I’ll be among the best players to ever play
“The NHL 100 will be a grand celebration and unprecedented gathering of the greatest players from our League’s 100-year history,” Steve Mayer, NHL Chief Content Officer and Executive Vice President, continued. “The NHL All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles is a fitting backdrop for a star-studded show that will salute the legends who have thrilled hockey fans and transformed
The former “Mad Men” star braved the cold on Jan. 2 to see the Blues play in the 2017 NHL Winter Classic at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri. Hamm’s dedication paid off and his team beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1.
Actor and loyal @StLouisBlues fan Jon Hamm is in the house, and @Jeremy_Roenick caught up with him! pic.twitter.com/6pVDJ9y3lU
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) January 2, 2017
The NHL announced last January that the City of Angels and home of the L.A. Kings would host hockey’s biggest weekend.
The League’s mid-season showcase will take place Saturday, Jan. 28 and Sunday, Jan. 29 and will include the NHL All-Star Skills Competition and the NHL All-Star Game.
This marks the third time the NHL All-Star activities will take place in L.A. The Kings previously hosted the NHL All-Star Game in 1981 and 2002. The 2016 NHL All-Star weekend was held in Nashville, Tennessee.
Later this year, the NHL will also expand to the desert with launch of new team, the Vegas Golden Knights.
The new Sin City franchise, approved by a unanimous Board of Governors vote in June, will begin play in the 2017-18 season. Home ice for the Pacific Division club will be the recently opened T-Mobile Arena, which has a hockey capacity of 17,368 and must have a pretty awesome cooling system.
The primary owner for the new squad is Bill Foley, whose franchise is on the hook for a $500 million expansion fee, which will be equally distributed to the existing 30 NHL teams.
In the meantime, check out Hamm cheering on his team last season in the photo below.
Did you think Jon Hamm was going to miss this game? Neither did we! #stlblues #StanleyCup #WeAllBleedBlue pic.twitter.com/orW0XzISs8
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) May 24, 2016