Céline Dion makes surprise appearance at NHL Draft amid health battle

Amid her battle with stiff person syndrome, Céline Dion made an unannounced appearance onstage at the 2024 NHL Draft in Las Vegas.

Originally appeared on E! Online

A new day has come for the National Hockey League and Céline Dion was there to help usher it in.

The singer made a surprise appearance onstage at the first round of NHL Draft in Las Vegas June 28, marking her first event since her documentary "I Am: Céline Dion," which chronicles her battle with stiff person syndrome, was released this week.

Wearing a white button-down shirt and cream skirt, the "My Heart Will Go On" singer made her way to the Sphere stage with her eldest son, René-Charles Angélil, 23, as the audience cheered. The Canadian singer then announced the Montreal Canadiens' fifth overall pick, Russian hockey player Ivan Demidov, 18.

"I was very happy to be able to announce the selection of the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft!" Dion, 56, wrote in French on her Instagram, alongside a pic of herself, Canadiens officials and Demidov posing for pics backage. "Congratulations to Ivan Demidov!"

Ivan Demidov is selected by the Montreal Canadiens with the fifth overall pick during the first round of the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Sphere on June 28, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

The "A New Day Has Come" singer added, "Thank you to the Canadiens for inviting me, and to the NHL for taking such good care of my family...we had a lot of fun!"

Dion has made few public appearances since sharing her diagnosis with stiff-person-syndrome, a rare progressive neurological disorder that causes her to have muscle spasms, in December 2022.

Almost a year later, the singer, who has not performed a concert in more than four years, stepped out with René-Charles and her twin sons Nelson and Eddy, 13, at a Canadiens game in Las Vegas, where she lives and had two concert residencies over the past two decades.

This past February, Dion and her kids met another Canadian NHL team, the Edmonton Oilers, also in the Nevada city. The five-time Grammy winner also made a surprise appearance onstage at the 2024 Grammys, where she was also escorted by her eldest son.

Angélil also accompanied his mom to the New York City premiere of the "I Am: Celine Dion" documentary June 17, more than a week before it began streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

"For a long time — for so many years — I have felt the love and the support of my fans around the world," Dion exclusively told E! News at the event. "They helped me to get where I am today."

At the screening, the singer got emotional while sharing a personal message to her fans "Thank you to all of you, from the bottom of my heart, for being part of my journey," she said. "This movie is my love letter to each of you. I hope to see you all again very, very soon."

Céline Dion is giving viewers a glimpse into her battle against stiff-person-syndrome. In her powerful, new Prime Video documentary, “I Am: Céline Dion,” the legendary singer opens up about living with the rare autoimmune neurological condition as she chronicles her life.