The mid-season classic returns on February 3rd for the skills competition and February 4th for the NHL All-Star game. It’s a game where defense is not allowed, odd-man rushes are a must, and scoring goals is more frequent than regular season scoring.
While some are not fans of this style of hockey, others welcome it because of the different feel it brings.
What to get excited about at the 2023 NHL All-Star Game.
The 2023 NHL All-Star Game is from Sunrise, Florida this season, home of the Florida Panthers. The Panthers will be represented by forward Matthew Tkachuk at the event.
Although this season, details are still not mentioned about the skills competition, there will still be plenty to keep an eye on. As fans await the details on the skills events and the participants, I’ll look to see what is different at this year’s game and three reasons to be excited.
First-time All-Stars in the game
This season, there will be 11 first-time All-Stars in the game this season. The first-timers are not just rookies this year, but also players who have played well just to be snubbed in years past.
The players participating in their first All-Star games in goal include Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark, New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin, and Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Logan Thompson.
Seattle Kraken forward Matty Beniers, Los Angeles Kings forward Kevin Fiala, Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson, Carolina Hurricanes forward Andrei Svechnikov, Philadelphia Flyers forward Kevin Hayes, New York Islanders forward Brock Nelson, and Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson are also first-timers.
Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey is the only first-time defenseman.
Live Alligators?
Yes, you saw this correctly. Live alligators may be making their All-Star debuts as well, being part of the festivities, according to Steve Mayer, the NHL’s Chief Content Officer, in a recent interview.
Although he was not clear as to what they will be doing, it “does involve an outside event and it may involve shooting pucks into an alligator’s mouth.”
I am not sure how this will work, but it is different, weird, and something that has not been done before. Of course, this will be discussed among the NHL faithful, so it has to be exciting.
The NHL jerseys will have a “vice”
One of the most intriguing, and discussed, parts of the All-Star game is the jerseys. This year will be no different. The jerseys this year, only seen through a leaked photo, could actually be fun to look at because they have a Miami Vice feel to them.
While not yet announced by the NHL, these jerseys are to represent Florida with an NHL All-Star feel. They are also a throwback to the days when the conference name was in the middle front of the jersey. This look has that but also has neon colors around the jersey.
The main colors are blue and pink for the Pacific Division, black and pink for the Metropolitan Division, white and blue for the Central Division, and black and white for the Atlantic Division.