TORONTO — Ironic how the buzziest topic among the players participating in Saturday’s NHL All-Star Game in Toronto is that there will be no All-Star Game next year.
And, perhaps, no All-Star Game in 2026 either.
For the official return of the NHLers to the Olympics — in an agreement signed by the NHL, its Players’ Association, and the IIHF Friday morning — and, mercifully, finally, a concrete plan to implement a reliable international best-on-best tournament calendar has captured the imagination of hockey’s greatest talents.
Sure, playing some 3-on-3 shinny for a cut of the $1-million prize purse is fun and entertaining and all. Yes, downtown Toronto is alive with hockey fanatics, gobbling up their first taste of all-star hosting duties in 24 years. And, make no mistake, Scotiabank Arena will be sold out for Saturday’s matinee tournament (3 p.m. ET, Sportsnet and Sportsnet+), busy with wide-eyed kids dressed like links of freezies in those pupil-popping Drew House sweaters.
But these elite players themselves are competitors, first and foremost. They’re entertainers and brand-pushers by default. Because to play the games, they must play the game.
So, as one of Saturday’s four team captains, Connor McDavid, surveyed the field of players he and celebrity co-captain Will Arnett could pick, he caught a flashback to 2016 in this same barn.
That year, Toronto hosted a World Cup, a kinda, sorta best-on-best and the most recent chance for NHLers to rep their countries. Except for a lost generation of talent, led by McDavid, who gathered under the banner of Team North America.
Seeing the faces of Auston Matthews, Nathan MacKinnon, Connor Hellebuyck, Morgan Rielly, and J.T. Miller, McDavid quipped that this 2024 all-star weekend is like a U-23 family reunion. (Jack Eichel was invited, too, but is injured.) As fond as those memories are, however, these guys want to lace ’em up for their own countries.
“It’s something we’re all hungry for,” McDavid says.
Which is why the news surrounding Toronto’s star-studded showcase — guaranteed participation in the 2026 and 2030 Winter Games, a Four Nations Face-Off in 2025, and hopes for a more legit World Cup in 2028 — has trumped the more immediate mini tournament.
“It’s just awesome news. I’m sure a lot of players are really happy,” golden goal scorer Sidney Crosby says. “From my experience in it, I don’t think you get better hockey than that.
“I’d love to be a part of it. It’s something you have to earn, though. It’s not something that’s given to you. Representing your country, you gotta earn it.”
While the future is bright, the present does bring some compelling exhibition matches.
Saturday’s All-Star Game kicks off with Team McDavid versus the Avalanche — and Cole Harbour — heavy Team MacKinnon, and it’s always a treat to see McDavid go head-to-head with Crosby.
“I think it’ll be pretty competitive,” Crosby says. “Guys have a lot of pride when they’re picking their teams. They’re going to show well.”
McDavid’s roster was picked in concert with Leafs fan Will Arnett, who resisted the temptation to scoop up Mitch Marner.
“It crossed our mind,” McDavid says, “but ultimately we feel good about our picks.”
The second semifinal pits Team Hughes against Team Matthews, which has the potential for bite considering the intensity of recent Maple Leafs–Canucks tilts.
Captain Quinn Hughes snatched up three Canucks forwards (Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser) plus goalie Thatcher Demko and noted Leafs villain Nikita Kucherov (who enjoyed getting booed during Friday’s Skills contest, by the way) in an attempt to disappoint the hometown fans.
While Matthews secured Leafs teammates Marner, Rielly, and William Nylander on a roster that will have the overwhelming support of the fans.
Sure, the incentive to win won’t be nearly as fierce as it will be when the NHL breaks for its non-all-star tournaments the next two winters, but there are still some bragging rights (and dough) on the line.
“We all kind of agreed, we’re not here to lose,” says Team MacKinnon goalie Jeremy Swayman. “So, we’re going to make sure we do everything we can to win.”
Hey, when it comes to international hockey, this weekend is already a victory for the game’s best.
