Sami Zayn Gets Hero's Homecoming At Canadiens Hockey Game
Sami Zayn was showered with love and adulation from his hometown fans during Tuesday night's hockey game between the Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Blackhawks.
The former "Honorary Uce" appeared for a live in-game interview with renowned Canadian announcer Pierre Houde, participated in several half-time activities, and even previewed his match against Roman Reigns this Saturday at the Elimination Chamber premium live event.
"I feel very confident about Saturday," Zayn said. "It is the biggest WWE event we've had in Montreal in over 25 years [since Survivor Series 1997]. I am going to be in the main event with Roman Reigns for the WWE Title. It's going to be huge!"
The in-arena interviewer encouraged fans to turn out in droves for both Friday's "WWE SmackDown" and Saturday's Elimination Chamber, with both events emanating from the same venue, the Bell Centre in Montreal, Québec, Canada. A few highlights from Zayn's cameo at the hockey game can be found below.
The Montreal kid is back home!
Ahead of #WWEChamber, @SamiZayn took in a @CanadiensMTL game and even got to show his skills on the ice 🏒 pic.twitter.com/rBBkM1vc8X
— WWE (@WWE) February 15, 2023
Sami Zayn getting the love at tonight’s Canadiens game in Montréal pic.twitter.com/VUcuttwEKU
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) February 15, 2023
Earlier this week on "WWE Raw," Zayn essentially gate-crashed the show and called out Cody Rhodes, his possible opponent in the main event of WrestleMania 39. The two men exchanged pleasantries and Rhodes urged Zayn to defeat Reigns at Elimination Chamber, just so they could come to blows at the "Showcase of Immortals." WWE has confirmed that it'll be Zayn vs. Rhodes at WWE's biggest show of the year if Zayn were to do the unthinkable this Saturday — end the dominant near-three-year reign of "The Head of the Table" as champion.
Meanwhile, Reigns has vowed to embarrass Zayn in front of his family and friends in Montreal, after accusing Zayn of creating a rift in his Bloodline.
"You broke up my family and I'm gonna break you in front of your entire family," Reigns told Zayn on "WWE SmackDown" earlier this month as he accepted Zayn's challenge for a title match.