The Pacific Division All-Stars are your 2020 champions.
David Pastrnak, captain of the runner-up squad, earned the All-Star MVP honours after posting six points through two games.
It was an eventful night for the game’s best, but it was a particularly notable tournament for the young stars dotted throughout Canadian NHL clubs, who seemed to take over the evening.
Calgary Flames winger Matthew Tkachuk was a driving force for his Pacific squad, and despite all the fireworks coming out of the Battle of Alberta of late, it was he and Edmonton Oilers rival Leon Draisaitl leading the way for the side early on, each posting four points in the Pacific’s semifinal win and two points in the final.
The pair even combined on a wonderfully awkward goal early on, celebrating by skating off the ice in silence. And while Connor McDavid was mostly held at bay, the Oilers pivot still managed to pile up three assists in Game 1 and add another point in the final.
Ottawa Senators star Anthony Duclair had himself a night too, posting four points in his opening game to announce his presence on the All-Star stage, while Winnipeg’s Mark Scheifele, Montreal’s Shea Weber and Toronto’s Frederik Andersen all came up with a few marquee moments.
Though four Blues were in the house for the tourney, it was the other pair of hometown boys that took over St. Louis on Day 2 of All-Star Weekend, with local legend Keith’s sons turning the 3-on-3 final in to a Battle of the Tkachuks.
Outside of the Tkachuk brothers, it might’ve been the Vancouver Canucks who saw a couple of their own make the biggest splashes. It was centreman Elias Pettersson who paved the way for the Pacific’s win in the final, posting two goals to push his side over the top. Though it was his teammate, Quinn Hughes, who earned the biggest prize of all.
Amassing four points in his first game of the night, adding two more in the final, and generally looking like an all-world talent throughout the evening, the rookie Hughes managed to elicit the following scouting report from The Great One:
"That young lad's a defenceman?!" – @WayneGretzky
Quinn Hughes with arguably the play of the night so far. @Canucks | #NHLAllStar pic.twitter.com/U7rNTwaqMg
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 26, 2020
Re-live all the rest of best moments from the night with our All-Star Game Blog below:
[relatedlinks]