Connor McDavid helped revise NHL all-star skills competition — then won it

TORONTO - The gimmicks began at the All-Star Game in Las Vegas two years ago, when the NHL took advantage of the Las Vegas Strip to stage several skills events outside the confines of T-Mobile Arena - including one that featured all-stars shooting pucks at various targets in the Bellagio’s fountain.

The pretaped events took some of the energy out of the in-arena skills competition, which the NHL introduced as part of its all-star festivities in 1990, but the setting on the Strip was impressive enough to compensate for some of the lost energy. But when the NHL tried the gimmicky events again in Sunrise, Fla., last year, with activities that ranged from shooting pucks that dropped other players into dunk tanks to a crossover competition involving using hockey sticks on a golf course, it quickly became clear it had gone too far.

“I think the previous skills competitions were going a little gimmicky,” Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid said Thursday, “a little out there.”

The NHL turned to McDavid, a player widely considered one of the best in the league, for help in bringing the skills competition back to its roots.

“A lot of this came after input from Connor and others,” Steve Mayer, the NHL’s chief content officer, said this week. “We really took that into account. He was awesome, and he was the first line of acceptance. Once we heard that he liked what we were talking about and other players and the NHLPA, we knew we might have something here. We kept on proceeding and proceeding to the place where we are now.”

Historically, all 32 all-stars have participated in the skills competition, but the new version, with McDavid’s input, cut the roster significantly. Twelve players competed in eight events to earn a $1 million prize, and the events themselves demonstrated a return to the core skills required in hockey. With no more dunk tanks or golf courses, each participant selected four of the first six events - fastest skater, one-timer shooting, passing, hardest shot, stick handling and shooting accuracy - to compete in earning points for the finish.

After the first six events, four players were cut, and the remaining eight proceeded to a one-on-one challenge against a goaltender of their choice. And after the one-on-one challenge, the night ended with the top six completing an obstacle course - for double points - to determine the victor.

“I’m excited that it’s going to be normal skills that we would use on the ice,” McDavid said. “I think that’s definitely what we want, to come here and show off our skills and put on a good show for the fans.”

The conversations with McDavid began almost immediately after the 2023 All-Star Game. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman had the first conversation with him, and Mayer met with McDavid and other players during the past year. McDavid downplayed his role in creating the new competition, pointing out that other players also contributed, but as one of the most prominent players in the league, McDavid’s opinion carried significant weight.

With a more simplified, hockey-based set of events and a straightforward scoring system, the NHL’s hope was that the skills event would be more engaging and have more energy than in years past.

“I think sometimes we heard comments that, you know, we weren’t sure what was going on,” Mayer said. “Last year, if you remember, we started an event and then brought people back for the finals. I think what we’ve done is simplified things. The events are short. They’re disposable. They’re easy to follow. The scoring, easy to follow. I do think it’s a true test of the total player.”

Though he knew he might end up on the wrong end of a one-on-one highlight, Dallas Stars goalie Jake Oettinger was still excited to see how the new competition went.

“As a hockey fan, I can’t wait to just sit back and watch these guys,” he said. “I think it’s going to be probably a format that they’re going to use down the road. I think it’s just a great way to get those guys to push themselves.”

The night began with the clock not operating properly on Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander’s lap in the fastest skater contest, but the atmosphere quickly picked up. Fastest skater is a trademark event of the All-Star Game, and it’s an easy entry point to the night; it requires no explanation. The energy dipped slightly during the ensuing events, most of which required a few repetitions for the crowd to grasp, but keeping all of the action on the ice - instead of some of it on the video board - palpably helped.

McDavid won the fastest skater for the fourth time, and he was in first place with 15 points through six events. Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche and Mat Barzal of the New York Islanders were tied with 11, while Elias Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks had eight.

Avalanche goalie Alexandar Georgiev won a $100,000 prize by making the most saves - nine, against McDavid of all people - in the one-on-one challenge. The twist - the skaters picked the goaltender they wanted to shoot against - added a layer of gamesmanship to the event; Nylander went first, picked Los Angeles Kings netminder Cam Talbot and won the event with nine points, while Georgiev, who was the last goalie remaining, won the big prize.

“It’s really fun challenge,” Georgiev said. “I love going against Connor. He’s incredible.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, at the end of a night McDavid helped create, the Oilers center skated up to the obstacle course, the final event, needing to beat Makar’s time of 43.435 seconds to win. McDavid won going away in a blistering 40.606, earning the $1 million prize. He doesn’t have a plan for the money, but he knows his Edmonton teammates might have an eye on claiming a share.

“I thought it was entertaining,” McDavid said. “I know from a competitive side, it definitely got competitive out there. I was huffing and puffing. Guys were working hard, trying to put on a good show. I feel like we did that. I think we can feel good about it. Ultimately, it’s up to the fans, and hopefully they enjoyed it.”