VANCOUVER - He's won Junos and Grammys and sold millions of albums worldwide but Michael Buble says becoming a minority owner in the Western Hockey League's Vancouver Giants is his "most prestigious" accomplishment.
The Canadian crooner announced a stake in the Giants on Thursday with majority owner Ron Toigo, an old friend who's also in an investment group with Buble redeveloping a local golf course.
Buble joins fellow co-owners Sultan Thiara, former Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks coach Pat Quinn and NHL legend Gordie Howe in the Giants' ownership lineup.
"I've done lots of amazing things in my life, but this is easily the most prestigious for me," Buble, a Giants fan, said before he was presented with his own team jersey.
"It's a dream come true to be a part of this club."
The 33-year-old from Burnaby, B.C., has sold more than 15 million records since his major-label debut nearly six years ago.
The son of a salmon fisherman, Buble's childhood was an unlikely mix of helping out on the fishing boat, singing and watching Vancouver Canucks games with his father.
"It (hockey) is a huge part of my life, and I'm sentimental about it, actually," he said after the announcement.
"It's part of our life, it's almost the soundtrack to our life, especially here in Vancouver."
The Giants debuted in 2001. They won the WHL championship in 2006 and the Memorial Cup in 2007, and are currently leading the league's Western division.
Buble wouldn't talk about the size of his ownership stake, responding to the question by asking a reporter how much money she makes.
He said he doesn't expect to have much say in the operation of the club, though he might show up to sing the national anthem now and then.
"My plans are honestly to watch these boys," he said. "As long as they don't tell me what songs to put on my record, I promise I ain't gonna to tell them who to put in the ice."
Toigo said Buble's involvement in the community -- such as his work raising money for the B.C. Children's Hospital -- makes him a perfect fit for the team.
"It's all about doing the right thing ... and being involved in something that has a chance to win," he said after Thursday's news conference.
"The Giants is a brand, and Michael certainly brings awareness to the brand."
Buble, whose music is often compared to the likes of Frank Sinatra and Harry Connick Jr., might seem an odd match for the hard-hitting sport of hockey.
But Toigo doesn't see it that way.
"I think Michael's music is very versatile," said Toigo. "There's iPods (among the players) with Metallica to Buble. I think people are more versatile in what they listen to nowadays, and it's obvious because he sells right across the board."
Buble was in the studio during the summer working on another album, and he toured the U.S. in the fall.
Last month, he appeared on the cover of Chatelaine for its "Men We Love" issue, becoming only the third man ever to grace the front of the magazine. The first was hockey great Wayne Gretzky.
