Changes to the 2023-24 NHL All-Star Skills Competition format.
In this year's NHL All-Star Skills Competition, only 12 skaters will take part. Rather than mixing in a bunch of or all of the all-star representatives, this year will feature just 12 players, viewed to be some of the league's best and brightest amongst different areas of the game. It's a change of pace from previous years, but these 12 players will bring good competition.
It's not just a showcase of abilities anymore, either. There will be $1 million on the line. Each player taking part will earn points along the way throughout each event, depending on the order in which they finish. The player with the most points at the end will win the $1 million prize. First place will be worth five points, and second place will be worth four points, continuing.
In the NHL dot com news break about the reimagined NHL All-Star Skills Competition, they mentioned how this new setup is meant to bring a new look to the competition. In prior years, venues like Las Vegas, Nev., and Sunrise, Fla. took events outside to stir the pot on the competition. This year, it's 12 players on the ice in eight events.
Here are the first six events, which each player will compete in at least four of...
- NHL Fastest Skate
- NHL Hardest Shot
- NHL Stick Handling
- NHL One-Timers
- NHL Passing Challenge
- NHL Accuracy Shooting
After that, the top eight players will advance to the seventh event, which is the NHL Shoot Out. It's similar to the shootout challenges of the past, except it will be eight players and eight goalies. A player will be called and then get to choose which goalie he wants to face, adding some strategy to the event.
The standings could see some separation, and in an effort to keep things competitive until the end, the creators got busy. The top six point-getters after the shootout will advance to the final event, the NHL Obstacle Course. They will include all the skills competed in and are worth double the points, which could vault players up the standings.
It's certainly a new twist on the NHL All-Star Skills competition, which has captivated fans over the years in different renditions. This year's competition has a prize and could change how players compete during the challenge.