Before 2025 ended, Will Ferrell was seen at an L.A. Kings hockey game dressed as Buddy the Elf… or rather, a Buddy who’d fallen on hard times, as evidenced by his drinking and the cigarette in his mouth.

Christmas might be over, but we’re still thinking about that moment from long-ago December when Will Ferrell inexplicably dressed up as one of his most iconic characters, and now he’s explaining why he did it.

Will Ferrell explains recent appearance as disheveled Buddy the Elf at Los Angeles Kings hockey game where he drank beer and smoked candy cigarettes.

Will Ferrell told Jason Kelce and Travis Kelce on their podcast why he decided to dress up as a drunken Buddy the Elf at a Los Angeles Kings game on Dec. 29: 'Occasionally I just like to do weird things like that just to stir it up.

At running back, Ferrell saw no one better to break some tackles than Old School ’s Frank the Tank. Buddy the Elf, a “flexible and live” character, was drafted as wide receiver, causing some debate between Ferrell and Jason Kelce about whether Blades of Glory ’s Chazz Michael Michaels would do better in the position.

Ferrell's high energy performance as Buddy in Elf helped carry the film, although paired with his late co-star James Caan, who played Buddy's dad, a perfect combo was reached. Caan passed away in 2022, while Bob Newhart, who played Papa Elf, also died in July last year.

While attending the hockey game with his family, Ferrell broke character to smoke, drink and look grumpy while dressed as Buddy.

Will Ferrell was hilariously dressed as Buddy the Elf in the stands at an NHL hockey game, looking grumpy and pretending to smoke a cigarette. He first appeared as the character in 2003 family movie,

Will Ferrell showed up at an NHL game dressed as his beloved character from the 2003 family comedy Elf, only with a bit of a twist. Ferrell attended Sunday’s L.A. Kings-Philadelphia Flyers game at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena.

Will Ferrell is back as Buddy from the Christmas movie Elf, but definitely not in the way anyone was expecting. Directed by Jon Favreau, Elf has become a modern Christmas classic, with Buddy the Elf standing as arguably Will Ferrell’s signature role.

Will Ferrell is pulling back the curtain on why he chose to dress up as a haggard version of Buddy the Elf at an NHL game last month: 'I like to do weird things.'