VH1's "Sober House" is a sequel of sorts to "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew," which was train-wreck television at its finest. "Sober House" features a gaggle of former stars recovering from various forms of addiction, including the incomparable Andy Dick, former Guns 'N Roses drummer Steven Adler, former "American Idol" contestant Nikki McKibbin (who, for the record, was smokin' back in the day) and model/actress Amber Smith (who, for the record, is smokin' today).
On last week's episode, Smith's battle with sobriety was challenged when she was invited to a party by a friend: hockey enforcer Kip Brennan (above left), formerly of the Los Angeles Kings and New York Islanders and now playing for the AHL's Hershey Bears. Smith decided to go to the shindig -- which she said reminded her of "Animal House" - but was promptly abandoned by Brennan. She then moped around, complaining about being alone ... before finding some liquid companionship via an extravagant vodka ice luge.
Our heroine (not to be confused with Steven Adler's heroin) was in a full-on addiction relapse when none other than Joffrey Lupul of the Philadelphia Flyers (above right, according to several viewers) appeared on screen to pick up the pieces. Lupul scored his 16th goal of the season in Sunday's win over the Atlanta Thrashers.
Through the miracle of reality television editing, Lupul appears to be simultaneously horsing around with, hitting on and enabling Smith as she staggers through the night. It was an odd sight, to be sure; and by that we mean seeing a Flyers player partying with someone outside of a Temple University frat.
Lupul's moments with Smith were fleeting, as she found Kip again later that night. Said Smith: "I remember saying, 'Do you like the dress I bought?' and he said, 'Yeah, it's going to look great on my floor.' And I don't remember much after that." Stay classy, sir.
Sports
You can watch the full clip of Smith's party adventure on VH1.com. The folks over at Philly Sports Forums and the official VH1 boards are having their say about the hockey-related appearances. Puck Daddy reader John M., who tipped us to the story, isn't exactly pleased to see Lupul make the cut on "Sober House":
While this isn't a Michael Phelps-esque level of douchery ... it solidifies one thing that many fans, including myself have been on the fence about: Lupul's work ethic. Which I have heard was one of the main complaints about the talented but underachieving winger.
Eh, maybe. We're too busy trying to figure out the next strange intersection between hockey and VH1 "celeb-reality," after this "Sober House" thing and that hockey-instigated exploding implant incident on "Rock of Love Bus." If all of this leads to Flavor Flav dropping the gloves with Brooke Hogan, count us in.
