The 2024 NHL All Star Weekend is just under one month away, and is shaping up to be an exciting one.  The annual event highlights the top players across the National Hockey League as the participants and fans around the league round up to watch their favorite players compete amongst each other.  This year, the All Star games are being held in Toronto, Canada where hockey is played and watched almost religiously. 

The selection process of the NHL All Star Weekend is unique from any other league as each team gets at least one representative for the games.  These are the initial 32 All-Stars who are carefully selected by the NHL, but it doesn’t stop there.  A fan vote, that can be found at NHL.com, allows fans to select 8 skaters and 4 goaltenders that they believe to receive the honor of being an All-Star.  “I think it’s a great system that allows a combination of qualification and fan representation.”  said sophomore Jonah Nadboy as he gave his opinion on the All-Star selection process.

The Skills Competition portion of the weekend takes place on Friday, Jan 2 and will look drastically different than it has in years past.  The new version of the event features 12 skaters that will participate in 8 events, rather than every All-Star competing in 1 event like they’ve done in the past. “I like this setup better so it is more competitive and the players don’t have to stand around waiting for their events.” said sophomore Billy Edelstein. At the conclusion of the Skills Competition, the player who accumulates the most points over the course of the night will be awarded with the grand prize of $1,000,000.  

On Saturday, Jan 3, the All-Star players will be divided into 4 teams as they compete in a 3-on-3 tournament.  While the teams have not been revealed due to the ongoing fan vote for the final 12 participants, we do know the 32 initial All-Stars for each team who were revealed on Thursday, Jan 4.  Some notable names from local teams are winger Mat Barzal who will be representing the New York Islanders, goaltender Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers, and center Jack Hughes for the New Jersey Devils.  “I can’t wait to watch these superstars play together on All-Star Weekend. As an Islanders fan, I hope Mat Barzal gets to team up with superstar Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers as they are two of the most talented players in the entire NHL.”  said sophomore Everett Katz. 

The 2024 All-Star Weekend serves as an amazing mid-season showcase of all the talent the NHL has to offer.  It also gives the hard working players a much needed break to relax, recover, and spend time with their families before they begin the back half of the season, similar to the vacations we get as high school students. 

Whether you’re a hardcore fan of the NHL or a casual enjoyer, the 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend is an amazing event that can be entertaining for anyone, not just hockey fans.  It is a perfect combination of talent, fun, spectacle, and a love for the sport of hockey.