Las Vegas Weekly

June 22, 2009 · 11:12 AM

Strip Scribbles: Mel B has hometown visitors for her farewell performances

By Robin Leach

Mel B at Tabu in MGM. We recognize the Big Bad Wolf in the background ready to bust out of his shirt.

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

Coincidentally, the British dodgeball champions hail from Mel B’s hometown of Leeds in Northern England. The Leeds Hawkeyes took on the world champion San Diego Crossfire in the Doritos Dodgeball Challenge at the Planet Hollywood pool deck over the weekend. To add pep to their game, the Leeds lads watched the ex-Scary Spice Girl in her final Peepshow performances, and she greeted them all like long lost family!

April Corbin

The Leeds Hawkeyes took on the San Diego Crossfire in the Doritos Dodgeball Challenge.

Mel B’s three-month headliner run ended last night, and she returns home to Los Angeles today. The Leeds Hawkeyes are an amateur dodgeball team from Leeds Metropolitan University who dodged thousands of balls fired in a merciless cannon deluge to win the right to play the world champions in the matchup. For the record, the Crossfire crushed the Hawkeyes 9-0.

Photo: Las Vegas News Bureau

Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals wins the Lester B. Pearson Award, the Hart Memorial Trophy and the Maurice Richard Trophy at the 2009 NHL Awards in the Palms.

*I loved the quote from Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin, who did some hard partying while in Las Vegas: “It’s going to be hard for hockey players to live here. Every day it is nightlife, lots of clubs and lots of strip clubs here. It’s pretty hard for young guys, especially for those of us who do not have a wife or girlfriend.” Alex proved that by doing all and more, including a $500 win playing blackjack. Alex was one of a total of 110 NHL players who partied in Las Vegas this weekend after Thursday’s NHL Awards at the Palms. Alex leaves town today with three awards and the blackjack winnings!

Photo: Las Vegas News Bureau

Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings wins the Frank J. Selke and Lady Byng trophies at the 2009 NHL Awards at the Palms.

The NHL stars have continued their invasion of the Strip’s hot nightspots: Phoenix Coyotes’ Dan Winnik was at Lavo in the Palazzo, Mark Messier was at Blush in the Wynn, while nearby at Victor Drai’s Tryst was Detroit Red Wings center Pavel Datsyuk at Alex’s VIP table. Moon in the Palms hosted a “Get Lucky in Las Vegas Party” with special guests Alex, Bobby Ryan of the Anaheim Ducks, Jeremy Roenick of the San Jose Sharks, Jim Slater of the Atlanta Thrashers and Brian Campbell of the Chicago Blackheads. The NHL stars were lined around the dance floor at VIP tables and happily posed for photos with fans throughout the night.

Alex, Jeremy and Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins were spotted catching some sun and palled up in a large group of friends in one VIP cabana for the Ditch Dating Game party the next day at the Palms pool. Alex wore Dolce & Gabbana sweatpants and a white T-shirt when he dined at N9NE Steakhouse on onion soup, calamari, filet and lobster mashed potatoes.

Photo: TVT

Hubert Keller of Fleur de Lys.

*Top Chef Masters contestant Hubert Keller hosts a special Fleur de Lys dinner at Mandalay Bay tonight with fellow chefs Steven Wolf and Laurent Pillard. Each will prepare two gourmet dishes for the unique tasting “Hybrid Night.” Unique because the delicacies will be matched up with selected beers from his Burger Bar in the adjoining Mandalay Place! Last week, Hubert, a former judge on the program, won the first round of the Bravo show. Click HEREfor Hubert’s recent interview with our Las Vegas Weekly colleague Sarah Feldberg.

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

Shwayze and Cisco Adler.

Tonight’s tips

Shwayze and Cisco Adler make the music for Prive’s hip-hop party in Planet Hollywood, there’s a $5,000 prize in the first-ever Capture the Flag contest at Jet in The Mirage, while pool partygoers play tug-of-war, Twister and raft races in the Hard Rock Hotel pool for the Relax Summer Games.

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

Human Nature arrives at the premiere of Smokey Robinson Presents: Human Nature at the Imperial Palace.

Tomorrow’s teases

Our Merry Mayor of Mirth Oscar Goodman will go face to face with a 550-pound ice sculpture of himself, and as we tell you the amazing Human Nature story of the Down Under boy band finding fame again on the Strip, we’ll also have “my very first day at Motown” stories from Las Vegas residents Smokey Robinson and Mary Wilson. Truly fascinating!

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter HERE.

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