You know what the best thing about an NHL All-Star Game might be? There’s zero trace of a tired numbers-versus-eye test debate that can still pop up in every other sports situation. Everyone watching and participating knows the defining metric of an ASG comes is nothing more than vibes.
And the one we just witnessed in Toronto sure had the right feel.
This may be setting the bar low, but any time there are more moments of genuinely cracking up than cringing during all-star weekend, things are working. And from Michael Bublé demonstrating he’s a fun guy to Justin Bieber picking up on the mushroom theme with his Super Mario-style oversized coat to Boston Bruin David Pastrnak saying of the Maple Leaf-loaded Team Matthews that ultimately won the event, “Good for them. They needed some wins,” laughter and smiles were all over the so-called Centre of the Hockey Universe the past few days.
Perhaps the best part was the return of the All-Star Skills as a watchable event. My big takeaway from attending the ASG festivities last year in South Florida was that things had flipped; where once you’d far rather watch the skills competition than the actual game (or three-on-three games), the mini-tournament on Saturday had actually become at least slightly more compelling than the bloated skills competition that was piping in previously taped, trying-way-too-hard events from different locations like golf courses and beaches.
Thankfully, with the help of Connor McDavid, the league got the Friday-night fun back on track. And, not surpassingly, it was No. 97 who demonstrated he’s got the most skill.
That tracks, no?
So kudos to Connor, Toronto, the NHL and anyone else who made the 2024 All-Star Weekend a bit of breezy fun.
It was definitely a breath of fresh air.
Other All-Star Weekend Takeaways
• International hockey is back, and back with a vengeance. Get ready to wave your flags because based on what we learned Friday from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, we’re getting some version of a high-level international event in five of the next eight years between Olympic participation (2026 and 2030), the return of a full World Cup of Hockey (2028 and 2032) and a four-country event next February (Canada, U.S., Finland, Sweden) that will kickstart a return to worldwide play. There’s been such a void in the hockey universe without best-on-best tournaments since the 2016 World Cup. Think about it this way; Connor McDavid, barring injury, will headline Canada’s entry next year at this appetizer of an event being held in Montreal and Boston. He’ll be 28 years old and representing his country at a best-on-best (or four best, anyway) for the first time in his NHL career. He was, of course, at the 2016 World Cup, but skating for Team North America as opposed to the Red and White. There’s a world where McDavid, at this point in his career, could have been a veteran of the international scene. And when you think about what a huge part of Wayne Gretzky’s or Sidney Crosby’s legacy playing for Canada has been, it’s a shame to think he’ll be 10 years into his pro career before getting the same shots they did.
Thankfully, that’s about to change in a big way.
Everyone ready to make their mock rosters?
• There’s obviously some history of the best female players being part of the NHL all-star celebration, but it sure felt different this year with the PWHL in its inaugural season. From outdoor skates at Nathan Phillips Square to the three-on-three showcase in front of an announced crowd of 16,392 on Friday night at Scotiabank Arena, it just seemed as though the women and their new league were a huge part of the festivities and the broader hockey conversation. Just going off the top of my head here, but with the NHL All-Star Game now about to become a bit spotty with loads of international hockey slated for coming Februarys, perhaps there’s some way to blow out a women’s all-star weekend each year as the PWHL continues to gain traction and grow in coming years.
• Maybe I’m just wearing my Media Guy hat, but it’s been a fun wrinkle to basically get real-time reactions to big trade news at the ASG. Last year, it was Bo Horvat who suddenly became an Islander right before the event; this time out, it was Elias Lindholm going to Vancouver via Toronto for the ASG first and Sean Monahan being dealt Friday morning to Winnipeg that had tongues wagging in a place where the entire hockey world was already gathered. Jets coach Rick Bowness was representing his squad at all-star weekend and was immediately speaking about how “thrilled” he was to have a new 2C who would start his Winnipeg tenure between Cole Perfetti and Nik Ehlers.
All-Star Weekend Warrior
Lots of goals to choose from, but how about — on a weekend when international hockey became a huge talking point again — Oliver Bjorkstrand becoming the first Dane to ever bury in an ASG.
The Week Ahead
• There will be a difficult pivot on Monday afternoon in the hockey world as attentions shifts from the all-star weekend to London, Ont., where London Police will hold a news conference to shed more light on a case that sees five members of the 2018 Canadian world junior team charged in connection with an alleged sexual assault that occurred in the summer of 2018. This is the next step in a process that could play out over the next couple years even, triggering hard, necessary conversations each step of the way.
And, oh yeah, the Edmonton Oilers will resume their chase of history with a visit to Vegas on Tuesday. Edmonton is in search of its 17th consecutive victory, which would tie the 1992-93 Penguins for the longest such streak in league history. Will they be refreshed or rusty?
• The trade market started to shake loose just before the ASG, so with basically a month to go to the March 8 deadline, it’s fair to wonder if we’ll see more action this week. The Flames are approaching decision time on their other pending-UFAs in defencemen Chris Tanev and Noah Hanifin, while Anaheim’s Adam Henrique may not be the top centre available with Lindholm and Monahan having already found new homes.