NHL moves up All-Star skills competition, game in 2019

Atlantic Division's Nikita Kucherov, center, of the Tampa Bay Lightning, smiles as he is congratulated by Steven Stamkos, left, of the Tampa Bay Lightning, and Erik Karlsson, right, of the Ottawa Senators, after scoring a hat trick during the NHL hockey All-Star game with the Metropolitan Division Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018 in Tampa, Fla. (Chris O'Meara/AP)

NEW YORK — The NHL is moving up its All-Star skills competition and game next season.

After years of holding the skills competition on Saturday night and the All-Star Game on Sunday, the NHL is moving each event up a day for the 2019 weekend hosted by the San Jose Sharks. The skills competition will take place on Friday, Jan. 25 and the game on Saturday, Jan. 26 at SAP Center.

The league announced the change Monday.

It’s uncertain if the All-Star Game will still take the form of a 3-on-3 tournament as it has the past two years. The 3-on-3 tournament was negotiated beginning in 2017 for five-day bye weeks for each team.

San Jose is hosting NHL All-Star Weekend for the first time since 1997.

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