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.[1] 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.
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).[3][4]
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.[5] On February 4, 2022, the league confirmed that Florida would host the 2023 game.[1]
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.[6]
The winners of these four regular skills events were:[7]
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;[6] 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.[7]
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.[6] The winners of the challenge were Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen of the Colorado Avalanche, knocking down all the targets in 18.7 seconds.[7]
Pitch 'n Puck took place at Plantation Preserve Golf Course & Club in Plantation, Florida. The event had players on a par-4 golf hole, attempting to sink a puck in the hole.[6] 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.[8][9]
↑ Horvat was originally voted into the All-Star Game as a member of the Vancouver Canucks, before being traded to the New York Islanders on January 30, 2023.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000051-QINU`"' The league announced that Horvat would represent the Islanders at All-Star events, but still play for the Pacific Division.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000052-QINU`"'
Bracket
Semifinals
Final
Pacific Division
4
Central Division
6
Central Division
5
Metropolitan Division
6
Atlantic Division
7
Atlantic Division
10
Game summaries
Each game was played in abbreviated format, consisting of two 10-minute periods of 3-on-3 play.
The All-Star uniforms were unveiled on January 19. For the first time since 2009, conference logos are featured on the jersey crests, with each player's respective team logo on the left shoulder and the All-Star Game logo on the right.[14] The jerseys are part of the league's "Reverse Retro" program, based on the same design as those used from 1994 to 1997; however, they were recolored in black, teal, and pink, reflecting the South Florida setting of the game. Like the remainder of the Reverse Retro jerseys in 2022–23, the NHL logo at the collar was colored orange instead of silver.[15]
In the semifinals, the Pacific and Metropolitan teams wore white over teal against their opponents, the Central and Atlantic teams, respectively, who wore black over white. In the final, the Atlantic team stayed in their black jerseys while the Central team switched to white.
Festivities and entertainment
The Truly Hard Seltzer NHL All-Star Beach Festival, featured various fan activities during All-Star Weekend, held between February 2 and February 4 at the Fort Lauderdale Beach Park.[16]
The NHL announced on January 20 that American pop punk rock band Fall Out Boy would perform at the All-Star Game. The performance took place during the second intermission.[17]
The All-Star Game and Skills Competition were broadcast in the United States by ABC and ESPN, respectively. Both events were also streamed in the U.S. on ESPN+. In Canada, both the All-Star Game and Skills Competition were broadcast in English on Sportsnet and on TVA Sports in French. The All-Star Game was also streamed in Canada on Sportsnet Now. After a one-year hiatus due to the 2022 Winter Olympics, CBC rejoined Sportsnet in simulcasting both events.
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