League’s best gather for All-Star Weekend
It’s traditionally regarded as the halfway mark in the regular season, although, mathematically, we reached that point earlier this month. More importantly, the NHL’s All-Star Weekend is a oncea-year showcase of the league’s top players, and for the 2022-23 season, the star-studded event will be held at FLA Live Arena, home of the Florida Panthers, in Sunrise, Fla.
Kicking off the 2023 NHL All-Star Weekend, the All-Star Skills competition is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 3 and will be broadcast live on Sportsnet. Talent and skill are on full display, as players vie for such titles as fastest skater, hardest shot and top shot blocker.
Always flashy, the skills competition is loads of fun, but the big draw is the best-on-best, 3-on-3 tournament itself. The 2023 Honda NHL All-Star Game airs Saturday, Feb. 4, on CBC, Sportsnet and ABC.
Earlier this month, the league unveiled NHL Hockey Operations’ initial selection of 32 (28 skaters and four goaltenders) all-star participants — that’s one player selected from every team. The format has drawn criticism since its adoption in 2016, since some of the league’s best players risk getting passed over in favour of team representation, which the league insists helps to grow the game.
Still, the final all-star selection was a two-step process, with the NHL leaving it to fans to fill the remaining 12 spots – and not just the captains and Last Men In, like last season — through an online vote that ended Jan. 17, and for the first time, a Twitter vote that ran Jan. 12-14.
The 2023 all-star selections include Florida Panthers forward (and former Calgary Flames player) Matthew Tkachuk, whose brother, Ottawa Senators player Brady Tkachuk, is joining him on the Atlantic Division team. Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin is appearing in his eighth all-star game, while firsttime selections include Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark.
Be sure to catch all the action when the 2023 Honda NHL All-Star Game airs Saturday, Feb. 4, on CBC, Sportsnet and ABC.