Photo Credit: Mark Humphrey/Associated Press
The NHL All Star Weekend is quickly approaching. The competition allows NHL players to focus on the love of the game, as it has no effect on standings. The players and fans can come together in the name of hockey and witness the skill of top-notch players in the league. Not only that, but the fans voted in any player they wanted from the league to be captain for each divisional team.
The fans definitely voted in some memorable players to captain each team including the Florida Panthers’ Jaromir Jagr, Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin, Chicago Blackhawks’ Patrick Kane, and former Arizona Coyote John Scott. Since the selection of the All Star Game captains, John Scott has been traded to the Montreal Canadiens and assigned to their AHL affiliate, the St. John’s IceCaps. After deliberation, the NHL recently decided to let John Scott take his place as captain of the Pacific division regardless of the changes caused by the trade.
This year, however, the format is a bit different. Instead of a two-team battle of the best format, the 2016 NHL All Star Weekend is set to be a 3-on-3, four-team tournament of players representing each division. The 3-on-3 format represents the NHL’s desire for more goal-scoring in the league and will help showcase the talent and athleticism of all the players involved.. It mirrors the new overtime format that was implemented this season.
The length of the games is also different. The first two semifinal games will only be 20 minutes, with teams changing sides at the halfway point. No overtime is offered and if teams are tied at the end of the 20 minutes the winner will be decided by a shootout.
Additionally, each divisional team will have a special celebrity coach alongside an NHL head coach. These celebrities are country music artists as an homage to the weekend taking place in Nashville, the country music capital. The artists include Chris Young, Dierks Bentley, Charles Kelley, and Vince Kill. The NHL coaches that will appear alongside them are the LA Kings’ Darryl Sutter, Washington Capitals’ Barry Trots, Florida Panthers’ Gerard Gallant, and Dallas Stars’ Lindy Ruff.
These changes by the NHL for the 2016 All Star Weekend can breathe new life and excitement into the game and NHL players, who are also playing to win a hefty cash bonus. That doesn’t mean the players who aren’t involved in this weekend’s events get the short end of the stick. Those players who are not selected to play get the opportunity for a nice break to spend time with their families and get ready to play their best again. This is especially important as we come to a point in the season that determines which teams will make it into playoffs.
Fans can watch the 2016 NHL All Star Weekend on Jan. 30-31 on NBCSN, SN, and TVA Sports.
