Michael Bublé Is 'Thrilled' to Be a Celebrity Captain for the NHL All-Star Game: 'Every Kids Dream' (Exclusive)

Michael Bublé is flying high and feeling good.

The 48-year-old Canadian singer is “thrilled” to announce that he is a celebrity team captain for the 2024 NHL All-Star Game in Toronto on Feb. 3. Going head-to-head with fellow Canadians and celebrity captains Justin Bieber, Will Arnett and Tate McRae, Bublé is ready to give it his all.

“I love hockey,” he tells PEOPLE. “I'm a big fan of the game and I always love representing my country and my passion for the sport… I was thrilled to say yes to this opportunity.”

This is not Bublé’s first rodeo when it comes to the NHL. In 2011, his longtime favorite team, the Vancouver Canucks, gave the performer a very special Christmas present. “They signed me officially — I became an official member of the team with a one-day contract,” he says. “I’ve already been an NHL player.”

While Bublé is a self-proclaimed “veteran” of the game — “I wish they would call me the ‘Great One,’ but they already use that for [Wayne] Gretzky, so I'll take the ‘Good One’ or the ‘Adequate One,’ ” he quips — this is his first time making it to the All-Star Game.

With Jack Hughes, a forward for the New Jersey Devils, and his older brother Quinn Hughes, a defenseman for the Vancouver Canucks, as his co-captains, Bublé is excited for his team to take the ice. 

“I’m sure Will [Arnett] would say the same thing — we’re like 12-year-olds getting to do this,” the "Everything" singer says about the upcoming game.

“This is like every kid’s dream... Are you kidding me? Every kid who loves the NHL,” he adds, explaining: “Imagine you get to go and sit with the greatest players in the world. We get to be part of choosing the all-Star team that is going to be competing against each other? That’s crazy!”

The 2024 NHL All-Star mock draft will take place on Thursday at 6 p.m. EST, kicking off a weekend of festivities ahead of the All-Star Game on Saturday.

But regardless of the outcome, Bublé is “happy” to be here. “I think this event is great… it helps to build and peak interest in the NHL,” he says. “We all want to win, I’m sure. But what I am excited for is having drinks and enjoying each other’s company. I’m competitive, but win or lose, I’m going to have a blast.”

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The 2024 All-Star Game airs on ABC, ESPN+, Sportsnet, CBC and TVA Sports at 3 p.m. EST on Saturday, Feb. 3.