Canadian director Jason Reitman and actors Adam Beach and Thomas Cavanagh are among the celebrities who will blog about hockey during this year's playoffs.

The National Hockey League has lined up more than a dozen celebrity fans to write about their favourite team or their love of hockey on the NHL website.

Jason Reitman, shown at the Academy Awards on Feb. 24, will blog about hockey for the NHL.
(Kevork Djansezian/Associated Press)

Adam Beach, a Canadian actor who plays the role of Det. Chester Lake on NBC's hit show Law & Order: SVU, will be following the Ottawa Senators in playoff action.

Thomas Cavanagh, the Ottawa-born actor who starred in the comedy Ed, also will be following the Senators, who open the playoffs Wednesday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

Reitman, who earned an Oscar nomination for his film Juno, is a Canucks fan who was left disappointed when the team failed to make the playoffs.

"So what I decided is that I'm going to write a kind of mythical blog about what the Canucks and [L.A.] Kings would be doing had they still been in," he said.

Reitman, 30, has directed commercials for the NHL and served on its entertainment advisory board.

A native Canadian who grew up in Los Angeles, he said he's followed hockey closely for seven years.

"I'd come to really love the game and I was just a little upset because I felt there was more of an opportunity for particularly Americans to know about the game and follow the game," he said.

The bloggers are meant to be "irreverent and candid" about their team and their love for hockey, said NHL spokeswoman Bernadette Mansur.

This is the second year the NHL has recruited TV, music and film stars to blog during the playoffs.

Other celebrity bloggers for 2008:

• Rob Mariano, a reality TV star from Survivor, following the Boston Bruins.
• Kevin Smith, director of Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, following the New Jersey Devils.
• David Boreanz, star of Bones, following the Philadelphia Flyers.
• Syd Butler, bassist for Les Savy Fav, following the Washington Capitals.
• Dierks Bentley, country singer, following the Nashville Predators.
• Thorsten Kaye, of soap All My Children, following the Detroit Red Wings.