Fri Dec 19, 2008 3:42 pm EST
Pass or Fail: Big changes to NHL all-star competitions
Earlier this week, TSN's Darren Dreger broke the news of changes coming to the upcoming NHL All Star Skills Competition next month in Montreal.
Gone, reportedly, are the East vs. West formats of both the Youngstars Game and Skills Competition itself. In their place will be something out of the National Basketball Association's book in regards to the youth on display earlier in the night: Rookies v. Sophomores, and the chance to see the likes of Derick Brassard, Kris Versteeg, Steven Stamkos, Drew Doughty, Alex Goligoski and Steve Mason against Milan Lucic, Sergei Kostitsyn, David Krecji, Tobias Enstrom and Kris Letang.
The Skills Competition will now be an individual event with winners of each skill being awarded a crystal trophy. Players will no longer be forced to participate in a certain events for their conference.
Fans will also get to see two shootouts. The first being a single-elimination event against NHL goalies and the second will see the return of the "trick shot" competition, which won't feature NHL goaltenders but possibly those from the Canadian University ranks. Hopefully this year's "trick shot" contest will feature players other than Alexander Ovechkin (who is already confirmed for the event) who perform, you know, actual trick shots instead of most of what we saw in Atlanta last year. No word yet if "celebrities" will be judging the event again and if so, you can bet I'll be holding out hope that Dave Coulier makes an appearance.
The Skills Competition was a nice addition to all-star weekend, but over the last few years things seem to be less exciting as they used to be. Remember Ray Bourque going perfect two years in row in the accuracy shootout? Mike Gartner flying around the rink, winning the Fastest Skater competition three times, including in 1997 when he was 37 years old? Who can forget Al MacInnis and his wood owning the Hardest Shot event seven times?
Has there been one of those types of moments recently? Paul Kariya winning the puck relay event four consecutive years in a row doing anything for you? Shawn Horcoff winning the horribly changed Fastest Skater last year bringing back memories?
Today's pass or fail gauges your feelings on what NHL All-Star Weekend has evolved into:
1. Pass or Fail: The new changes to NHL All-Star Weekend will spice things up.
2. Pass or Fail: You still look forward to NHL All-Star Weekend.
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Greg Wyshynski
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48 Comments
1 - 25 of 48
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1. Pass, the NHL's skill contest is my favorite All Star side event for any sport.
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Personally, I love the Winter Classic. I wish they'd just do that instead of the All-Star game. Or maybe an outdoor All-Star game?
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2. Fail. Fan voting has made the rosters a joke, and the game itself is hardly worth watching. However I do agree that the skills competition is the best of any sport.
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2: Pass. It's still a pretty good time. I hope the game itself ends at like 17-15 with the goalies having nightmares for a week after.
heh-heh - you said "wood"
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2. Pass - skills competition only. All-star games are never any fun unless you make it count for something.
Having said that, this year should be amazing since the all-star weekend is in Montreal and the fans will be crazy. Anyone check the e-bay prices on tickets recently? lol.
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Pass on individualized events and the individual trophies being awarded. Really look forward to the skills competition more than the game itself.
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Oh, and pass, anything to mix things up, it's gotten a tad stale.
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That's not really a coincedence either.
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but does that mean setoguchi will be in the sophmore competition
since it is only his 2nd year playing in the nhl
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Fail- I don't get it, the AHL Skills Competition was good last year. Guy threw his glove at the goalie trying to distract him. The NHL had Ovechkin try to bounce of a trampoline, flip over an "ice dancer" and then score with the butt end of his stick. And the NHL skill competition wasn't good.
As for the actual game, is it still on Versus on a weeknight? Cause then I still don't care.
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Rookies vs Sophomores equally bad as NA VS World idea.
I do like the idea of more penalty shots but who knows if I will watch it. Probably will b/c no other hockey will be on and I will make a drinking game out of it with my wife and her friends. Hopefully they will do something fro goalies instead of making them mobile shooter tutors. They should be at be able to participate in the shoot out. Hows that for a ratings grabbing gimmick.
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2. Pass - that thing needs more energy for the people sitting in the stands, and some new events. Maybe:
- Their own version of a long-distance contest. Empty net, start shooting at center ice and keep backing up to the end boards. Miss and you're out, last one standing wins. You could even trick it up by making them bank it off the boards or something.
- Let the goalies take penalty shots against each other. Or do something like they used to do in the MLS skills contest - set the nets up about 50 feet apart and let the two goalies try to score on one another.
- A contest where defensemen stand at the point and try to keep pucks shot out of a machine from getting past them into the neutral zone.
- Hardest hitter - rig up one of those dummies like Buster from MythBusters and see who can apply the most PSI of force with a legal check. There's no way Chara doesn't win this.
- And this will never happen but how about a fighting competition in full uniform? Every enforcer in the league would sign up for that and the fans would love it.
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make it mean something winner gets home ice advantage in the fin nals like in baseballs then it would be worth watching
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The trick shot was LAME last year! Prior to the trick shot attempt, the players should submit their trick shot to the judges (like Olympic diving). This way they wont choke and just take a slap shot. They definitely need better judges than last year (wasn't one a rapper or something?). Celebrities who appreciate hockey like... 1) D.B. Sweeney 2) Dave Coulier 3) Bon Jovi (we've all seen national lampoons: pucked, right?) . Or I'm sure Don Cherry could put in his American Idol type critique of the trick shots.
1 - 25 of 48