COLUMBUS, Ohio – National Hockey League All-Stars showcased not only their physical skills in the Skills Competition, but also a heart-felted appreciation for the spectators. It’s a rare scene in professional sports these days, the positive way these players interact with their fan base.
Team Foligno (Columbus Blue Jackets Nick Foligno) would dominate Team Toews (Chicago Blackhawk Jonathon Toews) and the scoreboard (24-16) in the skills competition but if humor and personality were part of the scoring the numbers would have been much closer. The night was designed to engage and give the fans a night to remember for a lifetime. 
The evening started with a red carpet walk for the players and coaches, setting an upbeat tone for fans lucky enough to have a glimpse or grab an autograph from their favorite player. Even the vibe between players was one of mutual respect and a genuine sense they were having a good time. All-Stars Columbus Blue Jackets Nick Foligno (Team Captain) and Columbus Blue Jackets Ryan Johansen arrived last, revving up the local crowd with their highly anticipated appearance.
Johansen continued to ‘up’ the crowd experience when he pulled his jersey in the Breakaway Challenge to reveal he was wearing underneath a No. 5 Braxton Miller Ohio State Quarterback jersey.
On his second attempt he pulled Cole Vogt, the 7-year-old son of Blue Jackets trainer Mike Vogt, scoring on goalie Cory Crawford of the Chicago Blackhawks.
The sentiment went from heart-warming to comical when Philadelphia Flyers Jacob Voracek mimicked Johansen’s play by pulling Calgary Flames 5-foot-9, 150-pound Johnny Gaudreau onto the ice to score against St. Louis Blues goaltender Brian Elliot.
Twitter users determined the Breakaway winner with their votes. Local favorite Ryan Johansen easily skated away with the win.
Nashville Predator’s Shea Weber brought fans to their feet with another memorable moment, his 108.5 mph shot that would win the AMP NHL Hardest Shot competition. It was a mere 0.3 less than the record held by Boston Bruins Zdeno Chara (108.8) from the 2012 Skills Competition.
With a time of 13.103 seconds Tampa Bay Lightning Jonathan Drouin won the Bridgestone NHL Fastest Skater competition.
In a quick six tries Chicago Blackhawks Patrick Kane hit the four targets in only 13.529 seconds to win the NHL Accuracy Shooting competition.
Team Foligno sealed their victory with wins in the Discover NHL Shootout Competion and the Gatorade NHL Skills Challenge Relay.
Photos by JohnRothwell@prohockeynews.com
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