Thursday, February 05, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

NORM: Thunder echoes in hockey movie

Celine Dion's ready to take a long break. Paris Hilton has plenty of time to talk to the animals. Elton John will help provide "The View from Las Vegas." David Letterman flashes back from Super Bowl scene.

There was always plenty of actor in former Las Vegas Thunder bad boy Sasha Lakovic.

So it makes sense that the popular hockey enforcer has discovered the ultimate stage: He gets a lot of face time in what figures to be a blockbuster movie.

Lakovic is in the thick of it again as the captain of the Soviet hockey team in "Miracle," the story of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team's upset of the ages. "Miracle," starring Kurt Russell, opens nationwide this week.

Lakovic, who spent most of his two seasons in Las Vegas in the penalty box, is one of five former NHL players cast as members of the Soviet team. He broke into the National Hockey League with Calgary in 1996 and played briefly with the New Jersey Devils.

Fatigued Celine

Celine Dion needs a vacation. An upcoming three-week hiatus, starting Sunday, might be just what the doctor ordered.

It turns out she had two panic attacks Friday during her show at Caesars Palace.

"She had a spasm of her respiratory system. She couldn't breathe and she panicked a couple times," said Dion's husband/manager, Rene Angelil. Earlier Friday, she had flown to surprise Oprah Winfrey at her 50th birthday party in Los Angeles.

Upon returning, Dion canceled the show 40 minutes into the performance and canceled shows Wednesday and tonight as well.

"She hasn't had a chance to recoup since her father's death" in November, Angelil said.

After performing a tribute to Luther Vandross at the Grammys on Sunday, the international singing star is heading for the Bahamas for a scheduled vacation.

Paris' Ark

Paris Hilton is FHM magazine's "Most Eligible Woman in the World 2004."

And she's clearly a front-runner for Ditz of the Year.

The spotlight-loving hotel heiress tells FHM that she got carried away on a Las Vegas shopping spree.

"I went to this pet store and bought a baby goat, a ferret and this one animal that was like half-monkey, half-raccoon. I tried to take them on the plane, and the flight attendants thought I was insane.

"They were like, 'This isn't a traveling circus. You're not bringing a goat on the plane.' So I ended up having to drive back to L.A. in a limo all by myself for six hours with the animals."

The Scene and Heard

Guests for "The View from Las Vegas" will include the Strip's newest headliner, Elton John, a slenderized Jerry Lewis, Meg Ryan and newlyweds Carmen Electra and Dave Navarro. The ABC show (KTNV-TV, Channel 13, 11 a.m.-noon) will spend the week of Feb. 16-20 poolside at Caesars Palace. Co-hosts Barbara Walters, Meredith Vieira, Star Jones, Joy Behar and Elisabeth Hasselbeck make up the Emmy-winning show. ...

KSTJ-FM, 102.7 has been voted Oldies Station of the Year for the southwest region by radioemporium.net. "Pretty cool, since we were up against some much larger markets," said Beth Lano, who teams with veteran Michael O'Brian on Star 102.7's morning show. KNPR-FM, 88.9 was voted best noncommercial station of the year for the region.

The Punch Line

"She's blaming the whole thing on 'wardrobe malfunction.' President Clinton is saying, 'Why didn't I think of that?' "-- David Letterman, on Janet Jackson's controversial flash at the Super Bowl.

Norm Clarke can be reached at 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com.