Celebrity fans of each team in 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Eastern Conference

The quest for the Stanley Cup is on. Fans of 16 NHL teams hope their team will be lifting Lord Stanley come June. A couple familiar faces could be in the stands cheering on their teams. Take a look at what teams famous fans are rooting for in the Eastern Conference.

Eastern Conference

Buffalo Sabres:

Chad Michael Murray

The “One Tree Hill” star – and Buffalo native – will undoubtedly be supporting the Sabres throughout their first playoff run since 2011. He recently attended the Sabres’ game against the San Jose Sharks on March 10 and banged the drum before puck drop to get the crowd hyped up. The actor is also known for his roles on “Gilmore Girls” and “Riverdale.”

Tampa Bay Lightning:

Titus O’Neil

The WWE champion who was born and raised in Florida is a longtime Lightning fan. After the team won the Stanley Cup in 2021, he visited the players and presented them with a custom WWE championship belt to commemorate the victory.

He’s known to be very active in Tampa, helping support the local community.

Montreal Canadiens:

Celine Dion

The iconic singer has been cheering on the Canadiens for years, even announcing the team’s draft pick at the 2024 NHL Draft. Dion – from Charlemagne, Quebec – visited the team in 2023 after a game in Las Vegas, where she currently resides.

Carolina Hurricanes:

Stephen Colbert, John Isner

A couple of big-name celebrities will be cheering on the Hurricanes as they make their way through the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Late-night TV host Stephen Colbert is a longtime Hurricanes fan, and hosted Carolina’s emergency goalie David Ayres on his show after his viral moment in 2020 that saw him enter – and win – an NHL game.

John Isner – the former tennis star – volleyed with former Hurricanes Martin Necas and Teuvo Teravainen back in 2019. The North Carolina native is an avid fan of the team and attended the 2023 Stadium Series in Raleigh.

Philadelphia Flyers:

Adam Goldberg

Creator of the hit TV show, “The Goldbergs,” Adam Goldberg made a point to include the Flyers in his show as much as he could. Goldberg grew up outside of Philadelphia, and him and his family have always been Flyers fans. When he was younger, Goldberg grew out his hair to match the style of Mike Ricci, who started his long NHL career with the Flyers. During “The Goldbergs” run, Goldberg dedicated an episode of the show to the late Ed Snider, who founded the Flyers in 1967. Footage from the team’s 1974 Stanley Cup championship was used at the end of the episode.

Pittsburgh Penguins:

Pat McAfee, Joe Manganiello

It’s common to see both of these guys on your TV, and you’ll almost certainly see more of them during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Pat McAfee – the TV personality who runs his own sports talk show – is a Pittsburgh native and has long discussed his Pittsburgh sports fandom. In 2025, he hosted a live show at PPG Paints Arena, “The Big Night AHT,” and brought Penguins captain Sidney Crosby on stage to participate in the festivities.

Actor Joe Manganiello – also a Pittsburgh native – frequents Penguins games and has been heavily supportive of the team throughout the years. He won an Emmy for his narration of the 2017 documentary, "Pittsburgh is Home: The Story of the Penguins," and also narrated the 2022 documentary, " Sidney Crosby: The Rookie Year."

Boston Bruins:

John Krasinski, Steve Carell, Bill Burr

Maybe the funniest set of celebrity fans in this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs, each of these three comedy stars has a strong connection with the Bruins. All three are from the Boston area and have been loud supporters of the team over the years.

Co-stars on the hit show “The Office” for years, John Krasinski and Steve Carell both were big backers of the Bruins during the 2019 Stanley Cup Final run. During that year’s Stanley Cup Final, Krasinski trolled another “The Office” actor, Jenna Fischer (a St. Louis Blues fans), inviting her on-screen ex-fiancee to one of the games to cheer on the Bruins.

Carell has previously said that watching the Bruins’ success in the 1970s inspired him to take up hockey himself. He grew up as a goalie and played college hockey for Division III Denison University in Ohio.

Bill Burr is as big a Boston sports fan as they come and has never been shy about cheering on the Bruins. This season, he starred in the 2025-26 Bruins schedule release video.

Ottawa Senators:

Avril Lavigne

Born and raised in Belleville, Ontario, home of the Senators AHL affiliate, the pop-punk princess who owned the early-2000s music charts is said to be a two-time varsity hockey MVP while in school. In the summer of 2024 when Lavigne hit Canadian Tire Centre on her "Greatest Hits Tour," the team was ready with her old jersey. The Senators will certainly be looking to be skater boys for quite some time in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.