Both players will compete in four different skills assignments out of six in an attempt to get past the opening round.
Twelve different NHL All-Stars are set to compete for $1 million on Friday when they participate in a revamped skills competition at Scotiabank Arena. The NHL revealed the opening-round assignments on Wednesday.
Auston Matthews will participate in the one-timers, passing challenge, hardest shot, and stick-handling competitions.
William Nylander is set to participate in the fastest skater, passing challenge, stick-handling and accuracy shooting.
The complete list of events and rules for the competition are listed below
Of interest here is that in the first round, there isn't an equal participation. There are only five skaters in the fastest skater competition, guaranteeing each participant will get at least one point. Skaters were given a chance to switch after seeing the distribution of participants and nobody elected to switch.
The skills competition will be broadcast and streamed at 7 p.m. ET on Friday on Sportsnet in Canada and ESPN in the United States.
1) NHL Fastest Skater
William Nylander, TOR
Quinn Hughes, VAN
Cale Makar, COL
Mathew Barzal, NYI
Connor McDavid, EDM
2) One Timers
Elias Pettersson, VAN
Nathan MacKinnon, COL
Leon Draisaitl, EDM
Nikita Kucherov, TBL
J.T. Miller, VAN
Auston Matthews, TOR
Mathew Barzal, NYI
David Pastrnak, BOS
3) NHL Passing Challenge
Nathan MacKinnon, COL
William Nylander, TOR
Cale Makar, COL
Mathew Barzal, NYI
J.T. Miller, VAN
Nikita Kucherov, TBL
Quinn Hughes, VAN
Connor McDavid, EDM
Elias Pettersson, VAN
Auston Matthews, TOR
Leon Draisaitl, EDM
4) NHL Hardest Shot
Auston Matthews, TOR
Cale Makar, COL
David Pastrnak, BOS
J.T. Miller, VAN
Elias Pettersson, VAN
5) NHL Stick Handling
Quinn Hughes, VAN
Connor McDavid, EDM
Elias Pettersson, VAN
Nikita Kucherov, TBL
Leon Draisaitl, EDM
Nathan MacKinnon, COL
David Pastrnak, BOS
Mathew Barzal, NYI
William Nylander, TOR
6) NHL Accuracy Shooting
Nikita Kucherov, TBL
Cale Makar, COL
Connor McDavid, EDM
Quinn Hughes, VAN
J.T. Miller, VAN
David Pastrnak, BOS
Nathan MacKinnon, COL
William Nylander, TOR
Leon Draisaitl, EDM
Auston Matthews, TOR
7) NHL One-on-One
Skaters: top eight point-earners from events 1-6 will participate, and choose the goalie they shoot against
Jeremy Swayman, BOS
Alexandar Georgiev, COL
Jake Oettinger, DAL
Sergei Bobrovsky, FLA
Cam Talbot, LAK
Igor Shesterkin, NYR
Thatcher Demko, VAN
Connor Hellebuyck, WPG
* Goalie with the most saves will earn $100,000 (USD)
8) NHL Obstacle Course
Skaters: top six point-earners from events 1-7 will participate
Points doubled for Pepsi NHL Obstacle Course
The NHL All-Star with the most points accumulated after the eight events will be crowned the winner of the 2024 NHL All-Star Skills presented by DraftKings Sportsbook and will earn $1 million.
Descriptions of each event, as well as tie-breaking procedures, are listed below:
EVENT 1 - NHL FASTEST SKATER
Participants
A minimum of four players
Winner
Player with the fastest time
Procedure / Rules
The course is one full rink lap.
Each player has one attempt to establish their time.
Skater may choose direction of their lap.
Skater is positioned a maximum of three feet behind the start line located on the penalty box side of the centre line.
Skater starts on the referee’s whistle.
The timing device starts when the skater crosses the start line.
In case of a clock malfunction, the official time will be recorded from the official’s stopwatch.
EVENT 2 - NHL ONE TIMERS
Participants
A minimum of four players & one passer
Winner
Player with the most points
Procedure / Rules
Passer to make passes from a predetermined position.
Player to shoot 3 one timers from each of the 3 designated shot positions.
Player will receive a maximum of 5 passes at each position to make their maximum 3 attempts.
Points are awarded based on the placement of the puck in the net.
Clock starts on official’s whistle.
Maximum time allowed is one minute to take all nine shots.
If a player breaks his stick the one-minute clock will be stopped, a new stick will be provided, and the shot will be replayed.
Four points earned if the shot goes in the upper slot, three points if shot goes in either of the side triangular slots, two points if the shot goes in the net, but not either of the 3 designated slots, one point if the shot hits one of the bars in the net and no points if the shot misses the net, ricochets off the net frame or hits the lower barrier.
EVENT 3 - NHL PASSING CHALLENGE
Participants
A minimum of four players
Winner
Player with the most points
Procedure / Rules
Player begins at either end of the rink behind the net.
Player has 45 seconds to complete 11 passes.
Targets will be placed in clusters on both sides of the rink.
Each of the 3 targets in a cluster will have different point values (1, 2, or 3).
Player will follow a set course and attempt passes at each of the 5 clusters.
Each successful pass earns the point value associated with the target hit.
The first 5 passes will be made from a path running from crease to crease and the player must remain within the path when making their pass. Officials to indicate to a player if they are moving offside.
A successful pass made by a player outside the path will not receive the point value of the target hit.
Passes 6 - 11 are from the face off dot opposite to a cluster of targets at each end of the rink.
Players may not pass a puck after the 45 second clock has expired, but a puck in motion will be counted.
The accumulated points will stand for any player who “times out”.
Clock starts on official’s whistle.
EVENT 4 - NHL HARDEST SHOT
Participants
A minimum of four players
Winner
Player who records the fastest speed
Procedure / Rules
Two attempts for each player.
A single puck is positioned on the ice 30 feet from the center of the goal. A player, starting no further than the nearest blue line, may skate towards the puck and shoot it from its positioned spot into the goal.
Shots must be on goal to be calculated and all shots are recorded by the NHL puck tracking system.
If a puck enters the goal uncalculated due to a malfunction of the data capture, the shooter will be allowed an additional attempt.
If a player breaks their stick, they will be given another attempt.
EVENT 5 - NHL STICK HANDLING
Participants
A minimum of four players
Winner
Player with the fastest time
Procedure / Rules
Player to complete the following;
- Toe Drag - Player to carry the puck on the outside of the barrier and execute the toe drag around the 2nd barrier in front of the net and take a shot on goal
- Cone Course - Player with a puck, skates forwards and backwards around a series of 4 cones.
- Stickhandling - Player controls the puck through a series of twenty pucks.
Clock starts on official’s whistle.
Player must maintain possession of puck at all times while completing the course or the player will be instructed to go back to the puck or cone that was missed to complete the skill.
Each skill must be completed before moving on to the next skill. Official whistles/signals completion of each skill.
Event ends when puck enters the goal net.
EVENT 6 - NHL ACCURACY SHOOTING
Participants
A minimum of four players & four passers
Winner
Player with the fastest time
Procedure / Rules
Four destructible styrofoam targets 15 inches in diameter are attached to the goal posts, one target in each corner.
Two players, one on each side of the net, alternately pass pucks to a shooter positioned 25 feet out from the goal line.
Clock starts on official’s whistle.
Shooters compete at both ends of the rink, alternating attempts.
Any contact of a target by a puck that is shot is scored as a hit.
Clock stops when player has successfully hit all four targets.
EVENT 7 - NHL ONE-ON-ONE
Participants
The top 8 players following events 1 - 6
Eight goalies
The 8th place player selects the goalie match up first, followed by the 7th place player and so on until all eight goalies are assigned
The player/goalie match up cannot be from the same team.
Winner
The player with the most points
The goalie with the most saves*
Procedure / Rules
Pucks will be placed at 6 designated positions.
Player has 1:00 to take shots on goal.
Player cannot take a shot until they cross the hashmarks.
No rebounds.
Play is dead once the puck crosses the goal line into the net or outside the goal posts.
If a player is in motion with their final puck, play continues until the shot is taken even if the one minute clock has expired.
The first 5 pucks will have a 1 point value and pucks 6 plus will have a 2 point value.
Clock starts on official’s whistle.
*Goalie Prize
The goalie with the most saves will win $100K (USD)
If goalies are tied for most saves, the goalie with the higher save percentage wins
If a goalie competes twice for any reason, their best round will be counted
EVENT 8 - NHL OBSTACLE COURSE
Participants
The top 6 players following event 7
Winner
Player with the fastest time
Procedure / Rules
On the officials whistle the player starts on the player bench side at the centre line with a puck and skates to the penalty box side of the zamboni end goal line.
As the player rounds the goal net, they will see 6 of the twelve bridges lit up with a green light and the player handles the puck under the lit bridges that are lit green.
Following the completion of the 6 bridges the player moves to passing accuracy where a pile of pucks are positioned.
Player to score in each of the 3 mini nets.
After completion of the mini nets, the player picks up a puck to complete the cone course.
Out of the cone course the player finishes the event by hitting the target in the net. If the player misses on their first attempt, additional pucks will be available.
Time ends when the player successfully hits the target.
Competition Rules and Regulations
Decision Process
The officials shall make all necessary rulings regarding the Skills events.
Prior to the event the NHL in conjunction with the 12 competing players will determine which players are participating in which event and order of participation. Number of players in each event is subject to change.
The 12 players must participate in 4 of the first 6 events.
After event 6, 4 players will be eliminated and following the seventh event, 2 additional players will be eliminated.
Points
For events 1 - 7, points are awarded as follows;
1st - 5 pts, 2nd - 4 pts, 3rd - 3 pts, 4th - 2 pts,
5th - 1 pt, 6th +, 0 pts
For event eight, points are awarded as follows;
1st - 10 pts, 2nd - 8 pts, 3rd - 6 pts, 4th - 4 pts,
5th - 2 pts, 6th - 0 pts
Tie Situations
If at the completion of an event there is a tie for any position the players will split the points available.
i.e. a tie for 2nd would earn each player 3.5 pts.
If at the completion of the NHL All-Star Skills competition there is a tie for first place, the player with the higher ranking in the 8th event (Obstacle Course) will win the overall competition.
If players are tied after Six Events
The player with the most 1st, 2nd, 3rd place etc rankings is ranked higher.
If the players are still tied, then we compare rankings in the events the tied players participated head-to-head.
If still tied and not for 8th position, a coin flip will determine order for event 7.
If still tied and for 8th position players flip a coin to determine shooing order for “Closest to the Goal”. Closest to the goal is measured from the centre of the goal line.
If more than 2 players are tied for 8th position, players will draw cards to determine shooting order for “Closest to the Goal”.
If players are tied after Seven Events
· If the players are tied, rankings are compared in the 7th event.
· If they are still tied, the player with the most 1st, 2nd, 3rd place, etc. rankings is ranked higher.
· If the players are still tied, then we compare rankings in all the events the tied players participated head-to-head.
· If still tied and not for 6th position, we flip a coin to determine order for event 8.
· If still tied and for 6th position players flip a coin to determine shooing order for “Closest to the Goal”. Closest to the goal is measured from the centre of the goal line.
· If more than 2 players are tied for 6th position, players will draw cards to determine shooting order for “Closest to the Goal”.
If goalies are tied following the One-on-one event
· If two goalies are tied for most saves, the goalie with the higher save percentage will win
· If two goalies remain tied, prize is split
If players are tied for 1st place after Eight Events
· Player with the higher ranking in the Obstacle Course is the winner
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