The self-titled ‘Entertainment Capital of the World’ knows how to put on a great show, and Las Vegas, and Las Vegas certainly didn’t disappoint hosting the NHL All-Star Weekend.
From the uniquely Vegas themed Skills Competition, featuring a mixture of traditional and unique challenges, to the thrilling action during games at the T-Mobile Arena, it’s fair to say this was a treat for players and fans alike.
Given there was just so much going on between Friday and Sunday, unless you were there in the fabled Sin City or glued to your screen for the whole event, it might have been hard to take everything in. But not to worry, here are some interesting takeaways from the 2022 Honda NHL® All-Star Weekend to pique your interest.
The Challenges
Quickest over the ice and making his All-Star debut, Jordan Kyrou claimed the title of Verizon NHL Fastest Skater, as the St. Louis Blues player blazed his trail in just 13.550 seconds. New to the event was the Discover NHL Fountain Face-off, hosted on the water of the Bellagio fountains, with Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets fastest hitting the targets. However, the biggest cheers were for Team USA star Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson, whenever she fired her shots with impressive accuracy and speed.
Another new challenge was the Las Vegas NHL 21 in ’22, aptly providing some casino flavor as players attempted to score 21 with their shooting abilities. Joe Pavelski of the Dallas Stars was the true card sharp, hitting the cards with precision to get his blackjack score. Jack Campbell of Toronto Maple Leafs and Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning took the goaltending honors, both registering the longest Dunkin NHL Save Streak with nine 9 each.
Smashing the puck at 103.2 mph, Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning was an unbeatable bolt of power, as he won the EA Sports NHL Hardest Shot, while there was a huge cheer from the home crowd for Alex Pietrangelo of the Vegas Golden Knights, as he won the Addidas NHL Breakaway Challenge. Sebastian Aho of the Carolina Hurricanes was focused and in great form, winning the Honda NHL Accuracy Shooting challenge.
The Show
Future venues may struggle to beat Las Vegas, after hosting a magnificent NHL All-Star Weekend packed with flair and flavor. Iconic locations throughout the city provided the backdrop, as players participated in the exciting NHL All-Star Skills Competition, while the T-Mobile Arena was rocking with all the entertainment on the ice.
When the festivities began around the games on Saturday, the stadium hub for hockey in Las Vegas truly dazzled the enthusiastic audience in attendance. Elvis and Frank Sinatra impersonators might be nothing new, yet seeing them perform on skates is a genuine novelty. Machine Gun Kelly made an impressive entrance for his performance, high above the ice before the final game, amidst what was a visual and aural spectacular during the whole day.
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The Results
Previous all-star games have used the conference-based semifinals format, although this time the matchups were randomly determined. Pick a card, any card, was the theme for Vegas Golden Knights forward Jonathan Marchessault, as he chose from three cards representing who the Pacific Division would face. His choice meant that Pacific would face Metropolitan, with Atlantic paired against Central.
While the home support undoubtedly favored Pacific, featuring three Golden Knights and coached by Peter DeBoer, they were soundly beaten 6-4 by Metropolitan in the first semifinal, as Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils scored twice. The second semifinal saw Central powerfully defeat Atlantic 8-5 in a game filled with goals, with Jordan Kyrou of the St. Louis Blues and Alex DeBrincat of the Chicago Blackhawks, both striking twice apiece.
The Athletic highlighted a great atmosphere at the T-Mobile Arena, as Metropolitan reigned supreme, defeating Central 5-3 in the final of the 3-on-3 tournament. Philadelphia Flyers forward Claude Giroux was Metropolitan captain and hero of the day, scoring twice to seal the deal for Metropolitan, claiming the Most Valuable Player award for his impressive display.
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