NHL All-Star Weekend is upon us, and Friday’s festivities will look a little different this year thanks to a brand new All-Star Skills Competition format.
Twelve All-Stars have been selected to compete in a series of events in what is ultimately a winner-take-all competition. And while it’s all fun and games, it’s also got some significant incentive: the winner will be awarded $1 million.
So, how exactly will Friday night’s showcase go down? From the competition format and scoring system to participants and the events themselves, here’s what you need to know.
THE COMPETITORS
Twelve players will compete in Friday’s All-Star Skills Competition:
David Pastrnak, forward, Boston Bruins
Nathan MacKinnon, forward, Colorado Avalanche
Cale Makar, defenceman, Colorado Avalanche
Leon Draisaitl, forward, Edmonton Oilers
Connor McDavid, forward, Edmonton Oilers
Mathew Barzal*, forward, New York Islanders
Nikita Kucherov, forward, Tampa Bay Lightning
Auston Matthews, forward, Toronto Maple Leafs
William Nylander, forward, Toronto Maple Leafs
Elias Pettersson, forward, Vancouver Canucks
Quinn Hughes, defenceman, Vancouver Canucks
J.T. Miller, forward, Vancouver Canucks
*Barzal is replacing Jack Hughes, who will be in Toronto for the festivities but won’t participate in any on-ice activities due to injury.
THE COMPETITION FORMAT
This year’s skills competition features eight events — six in the first round, and one each in the second and third — in which player will compete for points.
Each of the 12 All-Star competitors will compete in four of the first six events and will earn points based on how they place in each. The top eight point-getters after the first six events will then move on to a seventh. The field will be narrowed down again to just six competitors for the eighth and final event.
Scoring for events Nos. 1-7:
First-place finish: five points
Second-place finish: four points
Third-place finish: three points
Fourth-place finish: two points
Fifth-place finish: one point
Sixth-place or worse: zero points
Scoring for event No. 8:
First place: 10 points
Second place: eight points
Third place: six points
Fourth place: four points
Fifth place: two points
Sixth place: zero points
The player who finishes the final event with the highest cumulative point total will win the $1-million prize. In the event of a tie for first place after all eight events, the player who finished with the higher ranking in the eighth and final event will win the overall competition.
THE EVENTS
Event 1: Fastenal NHL Fastest Skater
The competitors: William Nylander, Quinn Hughes, Cale Makar, Mathew Barzal, Connor McDavid
A staple of the All-Star Skills Competition over the years, the rules are simple: One at a time, each participant skates one timed lap around the rink in an all-out sprint. The player who skates the fastest wins.
Note: McDavid won this event three years in a row, from 2017 to 2019. Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin set the record in 2016 when he completed the course in just 13.172 seconds. Barzal came thisclose to matching Larkin’s time in 2020 (he skated a 13.175-second lap) and now gets another chance.
Event 2: Rogers NHL Hardest Shot
The competitors: Auston Matthews, Cale Makar, David Pastrnak, J.T. Miller, Elias Pettersson
Another signature event of the skills competition, and another simple strategy: Shoot the puck as hard as you possibly can into the net. With the puck positioned 30 feet away from the centre of the net, players can take a running start from the blue line in order to gain a little momentum before winding up to shoot. Each player has two attempts, and shots must be on goal to be calculated and recorded by the NHL’s puck-tracking system. Any malfunction — technologically, or even if the player breaks a stick — will result in that player getting a do-over.
Note: Pettersson took the title last year, when he hammered home a shot at 103.2 miles per hour, but no one’s come close to touching Zdeno Chara’s terrifyingly fast 108.8-mph shot he registered in 2012.
Event 3: Scotiabank NHL Passing Challenge
The competitors: Nathan MacKinnon, William Nylander, Cale Makar, Mathew Barzal, J.T. Miller, Nikita Kucherov, Quinn Hughes, Connor McDavid, Elias Pettersson, Auston Matthews, Leon Draisaitl (David Pastrnak is the only All-Star not competing in this challenge.)
The player starts behind the net and has 45 seconds to follow a set course and complete 11 passes aimed at five clusters of targets located along both sides of the rink. Each cluster includes three targets ranging in size and point value (graded 1, 2, or 3). A successful pass that hits a target earns the player that number of points.
The first five passes are to be made from a path that spans the length of the ice, crease-to-crease. Players must be aware of their position, both within the designated lane as well as whether or not they are offside. The next six passes will be made from the faceoff dots (see graphic for target locations and passing lanes). The player to accumulate the most points within the 45 seconds (or 11 passes — whichever comes first) is the winner.
Event 4: Tim Hortons NHL One-Timers
The competitors: Elias Pettersson, Nathan MacKinnon, Leon Draisaitl, Nikita Kucherov, J.T. Miller, Auston Matthews, Mathew Barzal, Davis Pastrnak
With help from a designated passer feeding them pucks from across the offensive zone, the competitor has one minute to shoot three one-timers from each of the three shot positions (nine shots total). To account for an errant pass or two, a player will receive a maximum of five passes at each position in order to make the three shot attempts per position. Points will be awarded based on the placement of the shot within the net, with the corners (three points) and top shelf (four) worth the most points.
If a player’s stick breaks, the clock will stop and the shot will be re-attempted. The player that accumulates the most points wins.
Event 5: Upper Deck NHL Stick-Handling
The competitors: Quinn Hughes, Connor McDavid, Elias Pettersson, Nikita Kucherov, Leon Draisaitl, Nathan MacKinnon, David Pastrnak, Mathew Barzal, William Nylander
In this timed event, each competitor must demonstrate puck control while skating through a series of 20 pucks, navigating a series of cones while skating forward and backward, and then showing off a toe drag around a net-front barrier before taking a shot on goal.
If a player loses control of the puck at any time, he will be instructed to return to the puck or cone that was missed, and complete the skill. The clock will run until the player has put the puck in the net. The fastest player to complete this course wins.
Event 6: Cheetos NHL Accuracy Shooting
The competitors: Nikita Kucherov, Cale Makar, Connor McDavid, Quinn Hughes, J.T. Miller, David Pastrnak, Nathan MacKinnon, William Nylander, Leon Draisaitl, Auston Matthews.
With the help of two designated passers dishing assists from either side of the net, the shooter — positioned 25 feet from the goal line — will take aim at four Styrofoam targets placed in each corner of the goal.
Any shot that makes contact with one of the targets is counted as a hit. The clock stops once the shooter has hit all four targets. The player to hit all four targets in the fastest time wins the event.
Event 7: Honda/Hyundai NHL One-On-One (Round 2 of Skills Competition)
The Competitors: Only the top eight point-getters following the first six events will compete in this event.
In this rapid-fire spree of scoring chances, the skater has one minute to score as many goals as possible. Pucks are placed at six designated positions, and the player cannot shoot before crossing the hashmarks. The puck is dead once it crosses the goal line (inside the net or outside), with no rebounds allowed. Goals scored with the first five pucks lined up are worth one point each; goals scored with pucks No. 6 and up are worth two points each. The player with the most points once the minute is up wins the event.
Additionally, eight goalies will also take part in this event:
Jeremy Swayman, Boston Bruins
Alexandar Georgiev, Colorado Avalanche
Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars
Sergei Bobrovsky, Florida Panthers
Cam Talbot, Los Angeles Kings
Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers
Thatcher Demko, Vancouver Canucks
Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
Competitors will choose the goalie they shoot against, selecting in reverse order starting with the eighth-place player, until all eight goalies are assigned. A player cannot shoot against his own team’s goaltender. There’s a fun incentive for these goalies, too — the netminder with the most saves will earn $100,000.
Event 8: Pepsi NHL Obstacle Course (Final round)
The Competitors: Only the top six point-getters following the first seven events will compete in this event.
This eighth and final event is designed to test multiple skills in a timed environment. On the referee’s whistle, the player takes off from the centre-ice line with the puck, skating around the back of the net and approaching a series of 12 bridges in the neutral zone — six of which will light up green, indicating the player must guide the puck beneath them. The player will then encounter a pile of pucks and a trio of mini nets intended to test accuracy on the fly. Once the player scores in each of those three mini nets, there’s a cone course to navigate, puck on stick, back through the neutral zone before taking aim at a target in the net upon its conclusion. The clock stops once the player successfully hits the target with the puck. The player with the fastest time wins.
