One day before the game, the 2019 NHL All-Star Skills Competition will be held at the SAP Center on Jan. 25 (9 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, SN, TVAS). On Wednesday, the Montreal Canadiens fired Claude Julien and Kirk Muller as head coach and associate coach, respectively. The move was expected after the Habs missed the playoffs last season for the second straight year.
The skills competition consists of three rounds: a shooting round, a speed round and a challenge round. In the shooting round, players take turns attempting to score by throwing knives into a net that has been placed in the ice. The player who scores the most goals wins. In the speed round, players race down the ice against the clock to shoot as many balls into a goal as they can within 90 seconds. The challenge round features one final chance for players to prove they are all-stars with a unique variation on one of the other rounds.
Last year, Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks won the inaugural skills competition. He beat out Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals, Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks, John Tavares of the New York Islanders and Matt Duchene of the Colorado Avalanche in the voting conducted online and via text message.
This year's event will feature four teams of two players each competing in separate rounds. The teams will consist of current NHL All-Stars from both sides of the border.
The hockey-crazy city of Calgary is certainly one-of-a-kind, with its cowboy-esque culture paired with its enthusiasm for their Flames. Calgary has hosted major events in the past, including the 1988 Winter Olympics and the NHL All-Star Game in 1980.
The league has confirmed that the next All-Star Game will be hosted by the Columbus Blue Jackets, but what other cities may potentially host an All-Star Game in the future? Is it possible that an All-Star Game will be held at your team's home stadium soon?
During the All-Star Break, the NHL confirmed that the Florida Panthers will host the 2021 game at the BB Center. For the first time since 2003, Sunrise will host the NHL All-Star Game in 2021. The 2015 NHL Entry Draft was again held at the BB Center.
The NHL All-Star Skills Competition, which showcases the varied abilities of both all-stars, precedes the All-Star Game. Beginning in 2007, the All-Star weekend included the NHL YoungStars Game, an exhibition game involving only rookies and played under significantly modified rules.
The NHL All-Star Skills Competition, which showcases the varied abilities of both all-stars, precedes the All-Star Game. Beginning in 2007, the All-Star weekend included the NHL YoungStars Game, an exhibition game involving only rookies and played under significantly modified rules. The winner of the game receives the Harry Howell Memorial Cup as the rookie of the year.
An exhibition game has always been a part of the festivities of the mid-season classic. The first such match took place on January 24, 1948 when the Montreal Canadiens hosted the Chicago Black Hawks. The game was not intended to be played for real but rather to provide some entertainment for fans waiting outside Madison Square Garden for the main event - the deciding seventh game of the inaugural National Hockey League championship. The finale turned out to be a 3-2 victory for Montreal thanks in large part to the goal scoring prowess of Dickie Moore who scored two goals during the exhibition game.
The first true All-Star Game took place on February 2, 1949 when the New York Rangers hosted the Boston Bruins. The game was originally going to be played between the East and West divisions of the league but due to complaints from several teams that they were not given an adequate amount of time to prepare for the contest, the NHL changed its plan and decided to have an overall team instead.
The NHL All-Star Game, typically in late January or early February, represents the symbolic halfway point in the regular season, but not the mathematical halfway point, which is normally one or two weeks earlier in most seasons. It has been held in late January since 2007. Previously, it was held in mid-February from 1994 to 2005.
In addition to being a showcase for future Hall of Fame players, the All-Star Game also serves as a qualifier for the Stanley Cup playoffs. The team with the most points at the end of the regular season wins the game, but if they are tied after three periods, an overtime period will be played to determine a winner.
Since the 2002–03 season, each league's leading scorer at the conclusion of the regular season is named as a captain for their respective teams. If these two captains are still tied in votes, all remaining players vote on who should get the last spot. This system was used for the first time this year; in previous years, the last place player was determined by a variety of methods including fan voting and selection by coaches. The only other choice for the last spot is via a shootout.
Prior to the introduction of the 3-on-3 format in 2013–14, every year since 2000 had at least one All-Star game that was won by a margin of more than three goals.
The All-Star Game will begin at 8 p.m. ET. ET, with fans able to tune in beginning at 6:30 p.m. for a prelude that includes the Skills Challenge and the 3-Point Contest.
The NBA announced on July 24 that this year's All-Star Game will be held on February 17 instead of February 15 due to COVID-19 restrictions. The game will still be played in Phoenix but can only have a virtual audience due to the coronavirus pandemic preventing fans from traveling to Arizona.
The Virtual All-Star Game will be available to watch online on ESPN and the ESPN App. It will feature all the action from the game including the Skills Challenge and the 3-Point Contest with online commentary from Jeff Van Gundy and Mike Fratello.
This is the first time since 2009 that the All-Star Game has been canceled due to health concerns and the second time in three years. The last time was in 2016 when then-Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade withdrew from the All-Star Game due to personal reasons.
There are no plans currently to hold the All-Star Game in 2020, but it cannot be ruled out entirely if the virus continues to spread.
January 20th, 1996 On January 20, 1996, the 46th Annual NHL All-Star Game was held at the FleetCenter in Boston, Massachusetts. The game was part of the festivities for the Winter Olympics that were being held in nearby Vancouver, British Columbia.
The All-Stars defeated the Olympic Ice Hockey Team 4-3 in overtime. Montreal Canadiens goaltender Patrick Roy made 28 saves for the win.
This would be the last time until 2008 that the All-Star Game was not played during the Stanley Cup Finals. This year's game was played on February 15th in Ottawa due to the Winter Olympics being held in Beijing that year.
In 2009, the All-Star Game was moved to Columbus due to the Winter Olympics being held in Vancouver that year. In 2010, the game was played in Toronto due to the Winter Olympics being held in Vancouver that year. In 2011, the game was played in Montreal due to the Winter Olympics being held in London that year. In 2012, the game was played in New York City due to the Winter Olympics being held in Sochi Russia that year. In 2013, the game was played in Los Angeles due to the Winter Olympics being held in Sochi Russia that year.
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