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Viva Las Vegas.
The eyes of the NHL world turn to the Sin City this weekend, as the league’s bests meet up for some All-Star festivities.
Funny enough, the NHL All-Star game isn’t the only marquee exhibition happening in Vegas this weekend, as the NFL’s Pro Bowl is Sunday at Allegiant Stadium, home of the Raiders.
On the ice though, it’ll be the NHL’s first All-Star weekend since 2020 in St. Louis, and it’s sure to be a good time.
The Hurricanes are well represented, with two participants in the game and one behind the bench. Rod Brind’Amour will coach the Metropolitan Division squad, which will feature both Sebastian Aho and Frederik Andersen in their second career All-Star appearance.
Aho was an All-Star Game winner back in his lone appearance in 2019 in San Jose, with the Metro team beating the Atlantic 7-4 in game one and the Central 10-5 in the final. Aho had one goal in each game with an assist in the final. As for the Skills Competition, Aho finished second to Leon Draisaitl in the Premier Passer event.
Andersen’s All-Star appearance came in 2020, and his stats are meaningless because it’s an All-Star Game and he’s a goalie. He finished third in the Save Streak event during the Skills Competition.
Both Andersen and Aho will compete in the 2022 Skills Competition Friday night, with Andersen in the Save Streak event and Aho participating in the Accuracy Shooting. Good things happened the last time a Hurricane did the Accuracy Shooting.
Things start Friday night with the Skills Competition, with coverage starting on ESPN at 7:30. Then Saturday will be the All-Star Game, which will get going at 3:00 on ABC.
Here’s a little run down of the Skills Competition events and participants, as well as the four All-Star Game rosters.
NHL All-Star Skills Competition (Friday 7:30, ESPN)
The Fountain Face-Off
One of two new events for 2022, the Fountain Face-Off will be a spectacle.
Players will board boats to take them to a platform in the Fountains of Bellagio, where they’ll shoot at targets. Awesome.
Jordan Eberle (SEA), Claude Giroux (PHI), Jonathan Huberdeau (FLA), Roman Josi (NSH), Mark Stone (VGK), Nick Suzuki (MTL), Zach Werenski (CBJ), Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson
21 in ‘22
The other new event, participants will shoot pucks at giant hanging cards to try to get blackjack.
Couldn’t have a Vegas All-Star Game without some cards.
Nazem Kadri (COL), Auston Matthews (TOR), Joe Pavelski (DAL), Steven Stamkos (TBL), Brady Tkachuk (OTT)
Fastest Skater
Connor McDavid is going to win this one.
Kyle Connor (WPG), Adrian Kempe (LAK), Chris Kreider (NYR), Evgeny Kuznetsov (WSH), Jordan Kyrou (STL), Dylan Larkin (DET), Cale Makar (COL), Connor McDavid (EDM)
Save Streak
One of two events featuring a member of the Hurricanes, Frederik Andersen posted a streak of seven in his appearance in 2020.
Frederik Andersen (CAR), Jack Campbell (TOR), Thatcher Demko (VAN), John Gibson (ANA), Tristan Jarry (PIT), Juuse Saros (NSH), Cam Talbot (MIN), Andrei Vasilevskiy (TBL)
Hardest Shot
This event has only had four winners (Zdeno Chara, Shea Weber, Alex Ovechkin, John Carlson) since 2006, with none of them in the field this year.
Victor Hedman (TBL), Timo Meier (SJS), Adam Pelech (NYI), Tom Wilson (WSH)
Breakaway Challenge
The dunk contest of the NHL All-Star festivities, the Breakaway Challenge is back for the first time since 2016.
Trevor Zegras isn’t an All-Star but was invited to this event, which is wonderful. Some other non-NHLers will also be involved, with former Olympic goalie Manon Rheaume and actor Wyatt Russell (of Falcon and the Winter Solider fame) participating.
Alex DeBrincat (CHI), Jack Hughes (NJD), Kirill Kaprizov (MIN), Alex Pietrangelo (VGK), Trevor Zegras (ANA), Manon Rheaume, Wyatt Russell
Accuracy Shooting
Sebastian Aho will look to win Carolina’s second straight title in this event, following in the footsteps of Jaccob Slavin.
Sebastian Aho (CAR), Patrice Bergeron (BOS), Rasmus Dahlin (BUF), Leon Draisaitl (EDM), Johnny Gaudreau (CGY), Jake Guentzel (PIT), Clayton Keller (ARI), Jonathan Marchessault (VGK), Troy Terry (ANA)
NHL All-Star Game (Saturday 3:00, ABC)
The All-Star Game will take place Saturday, with the 3-on-3 tournament style action the format.
The Metropolitan will face the Atlantic and the Central will face the Pacific, with the winners meeting in the final.
Here are the four rosters:
Metropolitan Division
Forwards: Sebastian Aho (CAR), Claude Giroux (PHI), Jake Guentzel (PIT), Jack Hughes (NJD), Evgeny Kuznetsov (WSH), Chris Kreider (NYR), Tom Wilson (WSH)
Defensemen: Adam Pelech (NYI), Zach Werenski (CBJ)
Goalies: Frederik Andersen (CAR), Tristan Jarry (PIT)
Coach: Rod Brind’Amour (CAR)
Scratches: Adam Fox (NYR), Alex Ovechkin (WSH)
Atlantic Division
Forwards: Patrice Bergeron (BOS), Jonathan Huberdeau (FLA), Dylan Larkin (DET), Auston Matthews (TOR), Steven Stamkos (TBL), Nick Suzuki (MTL), Brady Tkachuk (OTT)
Defensemen: Rasmus Dahlin (BUF), Victor Hedman (TBL)
Goalies: Jack Campbell (TOR), Andrei Vasilevskiy (TBL)
Coach: Andrew Brunette (FLA)
Scratches: Drake Batherson (OTT)
Central Division
Forwards: Kyle Connor (WPG), Alex DeBrincat (CHI), Nazem Kadri (COL), Kirill Kaprizov (MIN), Clayton Keller (ARI), Jordan Kyrou (STL), Joe Pavelski (DAL)
Defensemen: Roman Josi (NSH), Cale Makar (COL)
Goalies: Juuse Saros (NSH), Cam Talbot (MIN)
Coach: Jared Bednar (COL)
Scratches: Nathan MacKinnon (COL)
Pacific Division
Forwards: Leon Draisaitl (EDM), Jordan Eberle (SEA), Johnny Gaudreau (CGY), Adrian Kempe (LAK), Jonathan Marchessault (VGK), Connor McDavid (EDM), Timo Meier (SJS), Mark Stone (VGK), Troy Terry (ANA)
Defensmen: Alex Pietrangelo (VGK)
Goalies: John Gibson (ANA), Thatcher Demko (VAN)
Coach: Peter DeBoer (VGK)