MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- Jordan Binnington would love to be selected to participate in the NHL All-Star festivities Feb. 1-3 in Toronto, which would be roughly one hour from his hometown of Richmond Hill, Ontario.
So what better way to try and get in through the fan vote than to enlist a previous challenge?
Justin Bieber (pictured) has another invitation, a challenge if you will, from Blues goalie Jordan Binnington for a 10-shot shootout at the All-Star Game in Toronto if he chooses to accept. Binnington put a post on 'X' Wednesday morning calling Bieber out for a competition of 10 shootout attempts, and if Bieber scores, Binnington will dye his hair blonde. Bieber had his own response that Binnington donate $10,000 to a charity of Bieber's choice if he scored.
"It's been a few years so I just thought you've got to shoot your shot," Binnington said. "It would be nice to be an All-Star, but it's tough with the voting situation, so I'm giving myself any chance I can have there, just throwing it out and see what happens."
Bieber, a Canadian singer from London, Ontario, which is between Detroit and Toronto, even offered up some video evidence of his getting ready for the challenge that never materialized in the end, even though Bieber has video of his hockey prowess getting ready for it.
What did materialize, courtesy of San Jose Sharks forward Tomas Hertl, was in fact a Binnington vs. Bieber shootout attempt at the skills competition:
Binnington would love nothing more than to earn his way there with the chance of going home, even under these circumstances, through the 2024 NHL All-Star Fan Vote.
But it will be tough for Binnington, who is 13-11-1 with a 3.05 goals-against average and .905 save percentage and a number of goalies from the Western Conference with better numbers. He remains optimistic.
"That would be cool. This one stands out, right, in Toronto," Binnington said. "It would be a lot of fun."
Binnington first called Bieber out in 2020 when he made the same offer at the All-Star Game in St. Louis. The banter was flying back and forth, but it never materialized in the end.
Now it's all about getting there this time, and if competing against Bieber makes it happen, that's Binnington's goal.
"Just trying to get there," Binnington said. "Throwing a little bone out there for people to see something if it goes down.
"It's on. I know he's been skating (and) training for the event, so we'll see what comes of it."
As for the competition, Blues forward Jake Neighbours likes Binnington's chances.
"I don't think he'd score [Bieber] ... at all," Neighbours said. "I'd give him 20 attempts. Well, actually I don't know, I've never seen [Bieber] play.
"I think he'd go 100 percent, 'Binner' would. It would be impressive if Bieber scored on him, that's for sure, yeah. ... 'Binner' is pretty stone cold. I can barely score on him. I don't think [Binnington] would want [Bieber] to score. I think he'd be pretty motivated to not let him get any, that's for sure."
And what does Blues interim coach Drew Bannister think?
"I don't know Justin Bieber, his skill level in hockey, but I'm going to have to go with 'Binner' there," Bannister said. "It could take a little while. We might have to be here all day."
