NHL All-Star weekend returns in 2022 and since we're going to Las Vegas for it, why don't we get a little nuts?
On Friday, beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT on Sportsnet, the NHL Skills Competition will this year include some outdoor events in a way that only Vegas could. We're talking blackjack and elaborate hotel water fountains, folks.
Inside, you'll see the usual skills staples, from the hardest shot competition to fastest skater and accuracy shooting. And, of course, since we're in Las Vegas, you can expect a number of special guests along the way.
Here is a closer look at each event and who will be participating:
VERIZON NHL FASTEST SKATER
A classic skills event returns with eight participants timed in a full lap around the rink. Each player gets to choose which direction they want to skate and can position themselves a maximum of three feet behind the start line located on the penalty box side of the centre line. They start skating on the referee's whistle and the clock begins when they cross the start line.
The skater with the fastest time will win the event and if there is a tie for first, those players will skate again to decide the winner.
Recent winners and times:
Mathew Barzal, 2020: 13.175
Connor McDavid, 2019: 13.378
Connor McDavid, 2018: 13.454
Connor McDavid, 2017: 13.310
Dylan Larkin, 2016: 13.172 (all-time record lap)
2022 Participants:
• Kyle Connor, Winnipeg Jets
• Adrian Kempe, Los Angeles Kings
• Chris Kreider, NY Rangers
• Evgeny Kuznetsov, Washington Capitals
• Jordan Kyrou, St. Louis Blues
• Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings
• Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
• Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
DUNKIN NHL SAVE STREAK
A goalie competition, the save streak pits one division's shooters against another's netminder, with the winner decided by who saves the most consecutive shootout attempts. Each goalie will face all players from the division they are going up against.
The divisional captain will be the final shooter, but a goalie's turn can only end when a goal has been scored against and not on a save. If the captain of the shooting team is stopped on his first attempt, the order of shooters will go back to the top again until the goalie allows a goal.
If there is a tie at the end of the competition, the winner will be determined by which goalie made the most total saves on their turn. If there is still a tie, those goalies will go head-to-head for a sudden death round of "Goalie Goals."
All-time winners and save streak:
Marc-Andre Fleury, 2018: 14
Henrik Lundqvist, 2019: 12
Jordan Binnington, 2020: 10
2022 Participants:
• Jack Campbell, Toronto Maple Leafs
• Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning
• Frederik Andersen, Carolina Hurricanes
• Tristan Jarry, Pittsburgh Penguins
• Cam Talbot, Minnesota Wild
• Juuse Saros, Nashville Predators
• Thatcher Demko, Vancouver Canucks
• John Gibson, Anaheim Ducks
DISCOVER NHL FOUNTAIN FACE-OFF
This is a new event in the skills competition that's reminiscent of the NHL Shooting Stars event we saw inside St. Louis's Enterprise Center two years ago. But this one is distinctly Vegas.
An outdoor event on the water in the Bellagio fountains, eight players will travel by boat out on to a floating "rink." The goal? Shoot at five targets: one net, two end-zone face-off circles and two neutral-zone face-off dots. Shot pucks must remain in the circles, dots or net to count, and if it bounces into the pool it does not count as a hit target. Players shoot until they hit all targets, or until they use all pucks at their disposal.
And, as the NHL describes, the "fountain spray and the breeze off The Strip will add to the challenge" of this event.
The eight participating players will meet in a qualifying round first (15 pucks each) and the two players with the fastest times or best combination of time and number of targets hit will meet each other in the head-to-head final. There, they will both get 20 pucks to hit their targets and decide the winner.
In case of a tie in the head-to-head matchup, the player who shot the fewest pucks will be the winner. If both players took the same amount of shots, the players will compete again.
As a bonus, three-time Olympic medallist Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson will take part in the event.
2022 Participants:
• Jordan Eberle, Seattle Kraken
• Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers
• Jonathan Huberdeau, Florida Panthers
• Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson, Team USA
• Roman Josi, Nashville Predators
• Mark Stone, Vegas Golden Knights
• Nick Suzuki, Montreal Canadiens
• Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets
EA SPORTS NHL HARDEST SHOT
Another classic event with a simple goal: shoot the puck as hard as you can.
Each competing player will have two attempts to shoot a puck placed 30 feet from the goal line. The players can skate up to the puck to gain momentum, but can start no farther than the nearest blue line.
For a shot speed to count, it must hit the net. Players will be allowed an additional attempt if their stick breaks on the attempt, or if their shot hits the net but isn't calculated by the radar equipment.
It's simple: fastest shot wins. If there is a tie for the lead, those players will shoot again to determine the winner. All shot speeds are recorded in miles per hour.
Recent winners and shot speeds:
Shea Weber, 2015: 108.5
Shea Weber, 2016: 108.1
Shea Weber, 2017: 102.8
Alex Ovechkin, 2018: 102.8
John Carlson, 2019: 102.8
Shea Weber, 2020: 106.5
All-time record:
Zdeno Chara, 2012: 108.8
2022 Participants:
• Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning
• Timo Meier, San Jose Sharks
• Tom Wilson, Washington Capitals
• Adam Pelech, NY Islanders
ADIDAS NHL BREAKAWAY CHALLENGE
A shooter's competition, this offers an opportunity to get creative, the NHL's answer to the NBA's Slam Dunk Competition.
NHL penalty shot rules do not apply to this event as the participants try to wow the crowd – and the judges – with their best shootout move. Anything is possible and, since the formal rules don't apply, even behind the net is an area of ice that could be used.
Each shooter will have two attempts and will be given a score from 1-10 from the six celebrity judges. Highest score wins and, if there is a tie after the first two shots, those players will go again until a winner is chosen.
On top of the NHL All-Star participants below, special guests will take part in this event, as Manon Rhéaume and Wyatt Russell will tend the nets. Anaheim Ducks' Trevor Zegras, who wasn't named an All-Star, will also compete.
This event has been part of six prior skills competitions, last appearing in 2016.
All-time winners:
Alex Ovechkin, 2008
Alex Ovechkin, 2009
Alex Ovechkin, 2011
Patrick Kane, 2012
Ryan Johansen, 2015
P.K. Subban, 2016
2022 Participants:
• Alex DeBrincat, Chicago Blackhawks
• Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils
• Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota Wild
• Alex Pietrangelo, Vegas Golden Knights
• Trevor Zegras, Anaheim Ducks
LAS VEGAS NHL 21 IN '22
Only in Vegas.
Five All-Star participants will compete against each other in an accuracy-shooting-style game of 21 on The Las Vegas Strip. Essentially, a full deck of 52 playing cards will be hung on a rack 35 feet in front of the shooting area and, one by one, players will shoot to build a hand that equals 21 or as close to it without going over. After each player takes their first shot, they will then follow with their second. Hit cards are taken out of play.
There will be a maximum of six "hands" played, and the shooter who wins two rounds first will be crowned "Puck Shark." If there is a tie for the best hand in any round, each tied player gets one more shot, with the higher card winning.
Watch closely because there is also the possibility for some "wild cards" to be added.
2022 Participants:
• Nazem Kadri, Colorado Avalanche
• Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs
• Joe Pavelski, Dallas Stars
• Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning
• Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators
HONDA NHL ACCURACY SHOOTING
Another classic skills event returns, with two players from each division competing to see who can hit four targets in the fastest time (this has been a timed event since 2011). Each player will receive passes from two others beside the net in an alternate sequence, with the shooter positioned 25 feet from the goal line.
And, importantly, we're returning to our roots with this year's event, as the exploding styrofoam targets return.
Recent winners and times:
Patrick Kane, 2015: 13.529 (4/4)
John Tavares, 2016: 12.294 (4/5)
Sidney Crosby, 2017: 10.73 (4/5)
Brock Boeser, 2018: 11.136 (4/4)
David Pastrnak, 2019: 11.309 (4/4)
*Jaccob Slavin, 2020: 9.505 (5/8)
*fifth target was added to middle of the net
2022 Participants:
• Sebastian Aho, Carolina Hurricanes
• Patrice Bergeron, Boston Bruins
• Rasmus Dahlin, Buffalo Sabres
• Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers
• Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames
• Jake Guentzel, Pittsburgh Penguins
• Clayton Keller, Arizona Coyotes
• Troy Terry, Anaheim Ducks
• Jonathan Marchessault, Vegas Golden Knights
