The event wasn’t supposed to take place as the planned World Cup of Hockey that was set to replace it was postponed last month. The Toronto Maple Leafs’ home venue hasn’t hosted an NHL All- Star Game since 2000.
DALLAS — On the most recent edition of ‘32 Thoughts’ on Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday, Sportsnet insider Elliott’s Friedman discussed Toronto’s possible interest in hosting the 2024 NHL All-Star Game.
“I do wonder about Toronto,” Friedman said. “I do think they’re a potential bidder here.”
Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek listed a couple of reasons why Toronto makes sense.
1) Toronto was supposed to be one of the anchor cities for the World Cup of Hockey that was originally planned to resume in February of 2024, following an eight-year hiatus. Last month, the NHL and NHLPA put out a joint statement delaying the event for at least one more year.
"Unfortunately, in the current environment it is not feasible to hold the World Cup of Hockey at that time,” the statement said. “We continue to plan for the next World Cup of Hockey, hopefully in February of 2025."
Previous World Cup of Hockey events were held before the NHL regular season began in September. With the planned move to February, the NHL All-Star Game would be removed from the NHL calendar in the same way as it has been when the NHL has participated in the Winter Olympics.
Given the “hopefully” tone surrounding any chance of a 2025 World Cup of Hockey, it sounds like the “current environment”, specifically Russia being permitted to participate given the ongoing war in Ukraine, is the biggest hurdle to seeing any tournament in 2025.
2) The rotation of a city from the north
The NHL hasn’t held an NHL All-Star Game in a Canadian city since 2012 when the Ottawa Senators hosted the event. The 2023 edition of the event will be in South Florida. In 2022, it was in Las Vegas. Six of the last seven All-Star Games have been held in sunny destinations, which the players appear to prefer.
“There is a feeling around the NHL that after going south; it might be time to get into some snowy climes,” Marek said.
Now and then there appears to be a push for other cities from the north to host one of the NHL’s premiere events.
It’s not unlike how the NFL decides their Super Bowl hosts in February. Most of those are held in warmer destinations with the odd exception thrown into the rotation.
The chances for Toronto
Following the NHL’s traditional calendar of announcing NHL All-Star hosts, an official announcement on a 2024 host would likely come during the 2023 NHL All-Star Game, but behind closed doors that decision to the winning part is likely to be made at the end of December. If there is still uncertainty about a 2025 World Cup of Hockey at that point, it certainly bolsters Toronto’s chances of hosting the event.
Toronto last hosted the event in 2000.