SUNRISE — Hockey’s brightest stars are coming to South Florida for NHL All-Star Weekend.
With events all over Broward County from Feb. 1 to Feb. 4, there will be ample opportunities to get up close and personal with the league’s biggest names.
All events will lead up to the All-Star Game on Saturday, where teams made up of players from all four of the league’s divisions will take the ice in a 3-on-3 tournament.
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Here are a few things to look forward to:
NHL All-Star Beach Festival
The NHL is turning Fort Lauderdale Beach into a hockey haven for this free event that will be running all week.
There will be tons of appearances from current and former NHL stars and fans will get to see all of the league’s trophies on display, including the Stanley Cup. Fans will also have plenty of games to try out at the NHL All-Star Skill Zone to test their hockey skills.
On Thursday, fans will get to see the taping of the “Splash Shot,” an event for the next day’s Skills Competition. At 2 pm, several All-Stars will shoot at targets from the beach with losers going into a dunk tank. It is a first come, first served event, so be sure to get to the beach early that day.
Two Representatives from the Florida Panthers
The host Florida Panthers will have two players representing them at this year’s All-Star weekend: Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk.
Tkachuk shined in his first season in Sunrise, heading into the All-Star break with the sixth-most points (66) and the seventh-most assists (41) in the NHL. He has, at times, been the sole driver of a Panthers team that has struggled with injuries all season and currently sits just outside of the playoff bubble.
Barkov was a late addition as an injury replacement for reigning MVP Auston Matthews. Barkov has had injury struggles this season, missing 10 of Florida’s 52 games, but has had a strong season nonetheless. He has 14 goals and 47 points in 41 games.
The Panthers’ two All-Stars are coming into the week on fire. They each have five goals and 12 assists for 17 points in 11 games since Jan. 10.
NHL All-Star Skills Competition
The NHL’s biggest stars will take the ice on Friday for the NHL All-Star Skills competition that has traditionally been home to some of the league’s most iconic moments.
On top of the aforementioned Splash Shot competition and the Pitch ‘n Puck competition that will take place at an off-site golf course, the NHL will hold five events for the All-Stars to compete in at the FLA Live Arena.
The Breakaway Challenge, in particular, has generated many memorable moments where players have been able to show off their personalities as well as their skills with the puck.
The Tendy Tandem competition is a new addition to the skills challenge that pits the goaltenders from each division against each other. Goalies will first try to fire shots into the opposing team’s net, then the other goalie from that division will face a select number of shots based on how many points the shooting goalie earned.
NHL All-Star Game
The NHL’s All-Star Game gives fans a chance to see the league’s best players in a wide-open 3-on-3 setting on Saturday at 3 p.m.
Edmonton’s Connor McDavid, who leads the league with an astonishing 92 points in 52 games, headlines a roster of 44 players who will take the ice in the tournament between the league’s four divisions.
This year’s All-Star Game features just five defensemen – and zero on the Atlantic Division squad – so play will be fast-paced and wide-open and will likely feature an array of goals. Matthew Tkachuk will get the chance to play on the same team as his younger brother, Brady, for the first time as members of the Atlantic squad.