Every year towards the end of the regular NHL hockey season and the beginning of playoff season, an All-Star game is hosted to highlight players who display extraordinary skill and talent. This game is a contest between the best players in America vs the best players in Canada. In preparation for this game, 4 teams of 11 players, consisting of 9 skaters and 2 goalies, are selected by celebrity captains to demonstrate their abilities and skills. This year, celebrities such as Justin Bieber and Tate McRae were involved in the process.
These chosen players compete in three rounds consisting of different highlighted skills. Round 1 included Fastest Skater, Hardest Shot, Upper Deck NHL Stick Handling, One Timers, Passing Challenge, and Accuracy Shooting. Round 2 then included a one on one where the player gets to select the goalie they play against. Finally, round 3 is an Obstacle Course where points are doubled.
Many argue the NHL does a great job hosting this event and catering to the fans. For example, Ryan Freisleben (11) states that, “I really enjoyed watching this game, every time it is on my dad and I watch it together, it is always one of the highlights of my year.” However, some changes could still be made, such as including players who are more active in the hockey scene. Some fans were also disappointed to see rookie, Conner Bedard miss out on the game due to injury, but despite this, the game was entertaining and fun for many hockey fans to watch.
The selected captains did an excellent job of keeping things entertaining, even opting to skate on the ice and warm up with the players. The game was fun to watch overall!
