As one of the most popular and well known NHL franchises, it isn’t any surprise that the Detroit Red Wings have fans from every corner of the globe. And naturally, some of those fans are going to be celebrities.
Let’s take a look at some of the well known figures in entertainment who are also known for their love of the Winged Wheel!
No. 9: Chad Smith
The drummer for The Red Hot Chili Peppers spent most of his childhood growing up in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. And to say he took part in one of the greatest moments in Red Wings history would be an understatement!
Smith was in attendance for Game 4 of the 1997 Stanley Cup Finals in which the Red Wings earned their first Stanley Cup victory in 42 years. So why not make the night complete by drinking out of the Cup itself? He was able to get into the team locker room, and took part in the celebration:
“All the photographers were thinking, ‘He’s not a player,’ so they didn’t take any pictures. I was yelling, ‘Please, please take a picture.’ This one guy took a picture and he said, ‘Give me your information and I’ll get you the picture.’ I never heard from him,” Smith said. “Three years go by and I’m playing in a charity game in Boston and he was the ref. He came up to me and said, ‘Hey, I have a picture of you drinking from the Cup.’ I grabbed him and yelled, ‘Give me your information right now!’ Finally, he sent the picture. It’s now at home prominently displayed.”
Smith also went against advice of the band’s producers of playing a show at Joe Louis Arena in 2013 when the more modern Palace of Auburn Hills was available.
“Our agents said, ‘Oh, you’re getting a better offer from the Palace (of Auburn Hills), blah, blah, blah,’ and I’m like, ‘I don’t care about the money. It’s got to be Joe Louis,’” Smith revealed. “It’s a great, obviously storied place. As a kid I went to so many concerts and so many hockey games there. It means a lot to me. I’ll be very happy to do one last show in that place.”
At the end of the show, Smith (who had been wearing a Red Wings hat while performing) addressed the crowd:
“This is a dream come true for a kid from Detroit, to play one last show here at Joe Louis Arena. I’m humbled, privileged… I go to a lot of places, and I’m so proud to say I’m from mother-******g Detroit, Michigan. You guys are the best.”
– – Quotes via Sam Moore of NME Link – –
– – Quotes via Tal Pinchevsky of NHL.com Link – –
