Oilers star McDavid dominates Skills Competition
TORONTO >> As if Connor McDavid needed another claim to the “best player in the world” throne.
The 27-year-old Edmonton Oilers superstar forward dominated the revamped National Hockey League All-Star Game Skills Competition, winning four of the six events he competed in en route to a $1 million, winner-take-all prize.
“I thought it was a fun event, I hope the fans had fun,” McDavid said in his in-arena, post-victory interview.
“I think everybody wanted to go back to the basics and show off the skills we use on a nightly basis. I thought you saw some speed, good passing, some good shooting. I thought it was fun.”
A seven-time All-Star and three-time recipient of the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s MVP, McDavid is still clearly in his prime, winning the Fastenal NHL Fastest Skater, Upper Deck NHL Stick Handling, Cheetos NHL Accuracy Shooting and Pepsi NHL Obstacle Course competitions.
McDavid won what was a retooled, elimination-style event as part of a field of 12 players that included Cale Makar, Mathew Barzal, Elias Pettersson, Auston Matthews, J.T. Miller, Nathan MacKinnon, William Nylander, David Pastrnak, Leon Draisaitl, Quinn Hughes and Nikita Kucherov.
He won the fastest skater competition with a time of 13.408 seconds, took the stickhandling challenge with a 25.755 second time, went a perfect 4-for-4 in accuracy shooting in just 9.158 seconds and then won in the final round with a 40.606 second time in the obstacle course, edging out Makar, who won the hardest shot with a 102.56 miles per hour blast, for the overall win.
Colorado Avalanche goalie Alexandar Georgiev made nine saves on McDavid in the One on One breakaway challenge to take home the $100,000 prize as the top netminder at the event. Igor Shesterkin, who was challenged by his fellow New York counterpart Barzal, stopped seven shots on 11 attempts.
With the shorter field under the new format, neither New Jersey Devils forward Jesper Bratt nor Rangers forward Vincent Trocheck were able to participate.