2023 National Hockey League All-Star Game-The Daily Ledger

The 2023 National Hockey League All-Star Game was held on February 4, 2023, at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Florida, the home of the Florida Panthers. For the seventh consecutive All-Star Game, a three-on-three format was used, with teams representing each of the league's four divisions competing in a single-elimination tournament. This was the 67th edition of the game.

History

The NHL originally awarded Sunrise, Florida, the 2021 All-Star Game on January 24, 2020. The city previously hosted the NHL All-Star Game in 2003.

2023 National Hockey League All-Star Game

On October 22, 2020, the NHL announced that the All-Star Game had been postponed for the 2020–21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic and "uncertainty as to when we will be able to welcome our fans back to our games," as fan participation and accompanying events are considered "integral to the[ir] success". The NHL stated that the event could be held in Florida "in the near future" (but not yet naming them the 2022 hosts).

2023 National Hockey League All-Star Game

On June 28, 2021, the league instead announced that the 2022 All-Star Game would take place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, home of the Vegas Golden Knights. On February 4, 2022, the league confirmed that Florida would host the 2023 game.

2023 National Hockey League All-Star Game

Skills Competition

The NHL All-Star Skills Competition was held on February 3. The Accuracy Shooting, Breakaway Challenge, Fastest Skater, and Hardest Shot events returned for another year.

The winners of these four regular skills events were: Fastest Skater: Andrei Svechnikov, Carolina Hurricanes (13.699 seconds) Hardest Shot: Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks (103.2 mph) Breakaway Challenge: Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins), Alexander Ovechkin (Washington Capitals), and Sergei Ovechkin (40) Accuracy Shooting: Brock Nelson, New York Islanders (12.419 seconds)

Replacing the Save Streak event was a new goaltender competition called Tendy Tandem, featuring both goalies from each division. The event split the goalies from each division, with one shooting across the ice to score a goal on net, and the other (depending on the points earned by the other goalie) then facing 1, 2, or 3 players in a breakaway shootout, which included members of the Canadian and American women's national hockey teams; during the event, Team Canada's Sarah Nurse scored a goal against New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin. The event was ultimately won by the Central Division tandem of Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg Jets) and Juuse Saros (Nashville Predators), who finished with 13 points.

The Skills Competition also feature two events specific to Florida locations: Splash Shot event took place on a Fort Lauderdale beach and featured players hitting pucks at targets. If all the targets were hit, then the player could attempt to hit a puck at a dunk tank, trying to dunk an opponent. The winners of the challenge were Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen of the Colorado Avalanche, knocking down all the targets in 18.7 seconds. Pitch 'n Puck took place at Plantation Perserve Golf Course & Club in Plantation, Florida. The event had players on a par-4 golf hole, attempting to sink a puck in the hole. The event was won by Nick Suzuki of the Montreal Canadiens, who finished with a birdie.

Rosters

For the 2023 game, the player selection process was performed in two stages. On January 5, the league's Department of Hockey Operations selected 32 players, one for each team. The remaining 12 players were decided by fan vote, which ran from January 5 to January 17, with fans voting in three players (two skaters and one goalie) for each division.

On January 11, the head coaches were announced, chosen from the team in each division with the highest points percentage through January 11: Rod Brind'Amour of the Carolina Hurricanes (Metropolitan), Jim Montgomery of the Boston Bruins (Atlantic), Peter DeBoer of the Dallas Stars (Central), and Bruce Cassidy of the Vegas Golden Knights (Pacific).