* Connor McDavid placed first in four of the six events he competed in to accumulate the most points, outlast 11 elite All-Stars, and claim the $1 million prize at 2024 NHL All-Star Skills presented by DraftKings Sportsbook.
* A pair of international announcements on Friday included plans for NHL players to participate in the 2026 and 2030 Olympic Winter Games and a new international event, the 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off, a tournament slated for next February featuring NHL Players from Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States.
* Saturday’s conclusion to NHL All-Star Weekend will be headlined by the 2024 Honda (U.S.) / Rogers (Canada) NHL All-Star Game, continuing the 3-on-3 format used in each of the last seven All-Star Games. The opening contest will see Team MacKinnon face Team McDavid, followed by Team Hughes versus Team Matthews.
McDAVID WINS FOUR EVENTS, $1 MILLION PRIZE IN REVAMPED ALL-STAR SKILLS
Connor McDavid took first place in four of the six events he competed in, including closing the show by placing first in the Pepsi NHL Obstacle Course – where points were doubled – to become the first winner of the new-look 2024 NHL All-Star Skills presented by DraftKings Sportsbook. The victory came under a revamped format that saw 12 elite NHL All-Stars accumulate points across multiple events, with elimination rounds, to determine a $1 million winner.
* McDavid wowed a sellout crowd of 18,819 at Scotiabank Arena, approximately 40 kilometres (25 miles) from where he was born in Richmond Hill, Ont. He was the only player to win multiple events throughout the eight-part competition.
* McDavid opened the night by becoming a four-time winner of the Fastest Skater event with a time of 13.408 seconds. He previously won the event in 2017 (13.02 seconds), 2018 (13.454 seconds) and in 2019 (13.378 seconds).
* In addition to Fastest Skater and the Obstacle Course, McDavid placed first in the Cheetos NHL Accuracy Shooting event with a time of 9.158 seconds, edging Maple Leafs forward and the NHL’s leading goal scorer, Auston Matthews (9.341 seconds). It marked the second consecutive year McDavid clocked a sub-10 second time in the event (9.497 seconds in 2023). He took the top spot in the Upper Deck NHL Stick Handling event with a time of 25.755 seconds.
* Nathan MacKinnon (Tim Hortons NHL One Timers), Elias Pettersson (Scotiabank NHL Passing Challenge), Cale Makar (Rogers NHL Hardest Shot) and William Nylander (Honda / Hyundai NHL One-on-One) were the other event winners.
* Click here for #NHLStats: Live Updates from the 2024 NHL All-Star Skills presented by DraftKings Sportsbook including the overall leaderboard (see scorecard below) and an event-by-event breakdown.
OTHER ALL-STARS SHINED AT SKILLS
Many other All-Stars had moments to remember at Friday’s first-of-its-kind event:
* Connor Bedard, who was named an All-Star but could not play due to injury, and Sidney Crosby – two No. 1 overall Draft picks selected 18 years apart – both participated in the Tim Hortons NHL One Timers event by passing to the competitors.
* Alexandar Georgiev stopped eventual winner Connor McDavid nine times in the Honda / Hyundai NHL One-on-One event to take top goaltender honors and claim a $100,000 prize. Maple Leafs forward William Nylander earned nine points to win the event in front of the home crowd – the only Maple Leafs player to take home first place in an event on the night.
* Cale Makar, who would have won the $1 million prize had McDavid finished in third or worse in the Obstacle Course, won the Rogers NHL Hardest Shot event after registering a shot speed of 102.56 mph. He became the first player in Avalanche/Nordiques history to win the Hardest Shot competition at NHL All-Star.
INTERNATIONAL ANNOUNCEMENTS ALSO A FRIDAY HIGHLIGHT
Prior to 2024 NHL All-Star Skills presented by DraftKings Sportsbook, the NHL, NHLPA and IIHF announced plans for NHL Players to participate in the 2026 and 2030 Olympic Winter Games.
* The NHL and NHLPA then announced a new international event, the 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off, which will feature tournament play between NHL Players from Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States. It will take place in February 2025 in two North American cities – one in Canada and one in the United States. NHL All-Star Weekend will not be held in the 2024-25 season.
QUICK CLICKS
* #NHLStats Pack: 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend (updated Feb. 1)
* Auston Matthews surprises Make-A-Wish kids with birthday cake
* Vincent Trocheck’s son scores ‘Michigan’ goal at All-Star skate
* Sean Monahan traded to Jets by Canadiens
* Video: Off-ice scenes around NHL All-Star Weekend
* CadCooks wins EA SPORTS NHL 24 All-Star Open
ALL-STAR GAME TAKES CENTER STAGE ON SATURDAY
The brightest stars from around the League, including eight of the top 10 scorers this season, will hit the ice for the 2024 Honda (U.S.) / Rogers (Canada) NHL All-Star Game on Saturday which will once again see the 3-on-3 tournament format, the same used in each of the past seven All-Star Games. Team MacKinnon will face Team McDavid in the opening match, followed by Team Hughes versus Team Matthews, with the two winners meeting in the final. Click here for full rosters.
* The first game will pit Team MacKinnon, which includes captain Nathan MacKinnon, assistant captain Cale Makar and Sidney Crosby against a Team McDavid group featuring captain Connor McDavid, assistant captain Leon Draisaitl and David Pastrnak.
* Two of the most productive players in the 3-on-3 All-Star format will go head-to-head in this contest: Crosby is the all-time leader in career goals (8; tied) and points (15; tied) under the current All-Star format. McDavid, meanwhile, ranks first in assists (11) and third in points (14).
* Sharks forward Tomas Hertl, who is representing Team McDavid, is the only player to score four goals in a single game under the current 3-on-3 format. Team McDavid members Draisaitl and Pastrnak have also recorded hat tricks under this format.
* The second contest will pit Team Hughes, which is loaded with five Canucks, against Team Matthews, which features four players from the hometown Maple Leafs. Vancouver is the first team with six players participating in the All-Star Game (recently acquired Elias Lindholm is playing for Team Hughes) since the Avalanche in 1998.
* The Canucks and Maple Leafs have faced each other twice so far in 2023-24, splitting the season series. In the first matchup on Nov. 11, William Nylander scored in a 5-2 victory to extend his point streak to 15 games, a run he would push to 17 contests. In the second meeting on Jan. 20, Quinn Hughes (0-3—3), J.T. Miller (1-1—2) and Elias Pettersson (1-1—2) all posted multiple points in a 5-4 win.
