The National Hockey League Skills Competition will kick off on Friday evening as the precursor to their All-Stars Game that will take place on Saturday evening. The winning division of the Skills Competition will be allowed to pick which division they want to face in the first semifinals for the NHL All-Star Game.
The Skills Competition will have a new look this season as it will be Las Vegas themed with many different events taking place. Players will compete in seven different events to determine the games for the All-Star showcase and who the most skilled player in the league is.
The two newest events added will be called the NHL Fountain Face-Off which will take place in the Bellagio Fountain, and the Las Vegas NHL 21 in 22 which will take place on Las Vegas Boulevard.
The Fountain Face-Off will see players travel out onto the rink via boat and try to hit 5 targets in the least amount of time. While the NHL 21 in 22 competition is a spin on the famous game of blackjack where players will try to add up to 21 in the least number of shots.
NHL 21 in 22
A total of five players will compete in this competition and it will last up to six rounds. The object of this round is to shoot at blackjack cards to add up to 21 in the least amount of shots. The first player to win two rounds will win the competition. The competitors in this competition include Nazem Kadri (Colorado), Auston Mathews (Toronto), Joe Pavelski (Dallas), Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay), and Brady Tkachuk (Ottawa). The Atlantic Division has the upper hand in this one as they have three players featured. My pick for the winner of this competition is Stamkos, as the two time defending Stanley Cup champion is one of the best shots in the National Hockey League. I look for him to give the Atlantic Division a huge win.
Tony’s NHL All-Star Skills Pick: Steven Stamkos
The Fountain Face Off
Eight players will face off in this brand new event. The event will consist of a qualifying round and a head to head final. The players involved in this contest include Johnathon Huberdeau (Florida), Claude Giroux (Anaheim), Jordan Eberle (Seattle), Roman Josi (Nashville), Nick Suzuki (Montreal), Zach Wereznski (Columbus), Mark Stone (Vegas), and former women’s hockey standout Jocelyne Davidson. My pick for the winner of this event is Johnathon Huberdeau of the Florida Panthers.
Eight players will be getting their feet wet in the @Discover NHL Fountain Face-Off! ⛲️
Who’s taking this one home?
Don’t miss the #NHLAllStar Skills Competition on @espn and @sportsnet on Feb. 4th at 7:30p ET! pic.twitter.com/ESBajzJk83
— NHL (@NHL) February 3, 2022
Tony’s NHL All-Star Skills Pick: Johnathon Huberdeau
Verizon NHL Fastest Skater
The Fastest Skater event will feature eight players. The players will make one full trip around the rink, and the player with the fastest time is the winner. The players that will take part in this event are as follows: Chris Kreider (New York), Adrian Kempe (Los Angeles), Kyle Connor (Winnipeg), Evgeny Kuznetsov (Washington), Jordan Kyrou (St. Louis), Dylan Larkin (Detroit), Cale Maker (Colorado), and Connor McDavid (Edmonton). My winner for this event is Connor McDavid as he is one of the most elusive skaters in the entire National Hockey League.
Tony’s NHL All-Star Skills Pick: Connor McDavid
Dunkin NHL Save Streak
Eight Goalies will be involved in this event. The goalie who produces the most saves in a row will be the winner of this event. Involved in this event will be Jack Campbell (Toronto), Andrei Vasilevsiky (Tampa Bay), Frederik Andersen (Carolina), Tristan Jary (Pittsburgh), Cam Talbot (Minnesota), Juuse Saros (Nashville), Thatcher Demko (Vancouver), and John Gibson (Anaheim). My winner for this event is Vasilevsiky as I believe he is the best goalie in the National Hockey League.
Tony’s NHL All-Star Skills Pick: Andrei Vasilevsiky
EA NHL Hardest Shot
The player who has the hardest shot will be the winner of this event. Four players will take part in this event. Adam Pelech (New York), Timo Meier (San Jose), Victor Hedman (Tampa Bay), and Tom Wilson (Washington). As for my pick of the winner for this event, I have the Capitals Tom Wilson taking home the win.
Which player will bring the heat for the @EASPORTSNHL Hardest Shot? 🔥
Catch the #NHLAllStar Skills Competition on @espn and @Sportsnet on Feb. 4th at 7:30p ET! pic.twitter.com/OoSKn3I8PE
— NHL (@NHL) February 3, 2022
Tony’s NHL All-Star Skills Pick: Tom Wilson
Adidas NHL Breakaway Challenge
The Breakaway Challenge will feature at least four players and two goalies, and the skater with the highest score will be the winner. The object of the game is to score the highest amount in two shots. The goalies that will be guarding the net in this one will be Manon Rheaume and Wyatt Russell. The shooters in the event will be Kirill Kaprizov (Minnesota), Trevor Zegras (Anaheim), Jack Hughes (New Jersey), Alex DiBrincat (Chicago), and Alex Pietrangelo (Vegas). My winning pick is Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils.
Tony’s NHL All-Star Skills Pick: Jack Hughes
Honda NHL Accuracy Shooting
Four players will compete to determine who has the most accurate shot in the game. They will have to hit four targets in the fastest amount of time to pick up the win. The shooters that are competing in this event are as follows: Leon Draisaitl (Edmonton), Clayton Keller (Arizona), Rasmus Dahlin (Buffalo), Sebastian Aho (Carolina), Jake Guentzel (Pittsburgh), Troy Terry (Anaheim), Johnny Gaudreau (Calgary), Patrice Bergeron (Boston), and Johnathon Marchessault (Vegas). This is by far the most star studded event of the evening. In the end I have Jake Guentzel coming out as the winner.
The Captain has his assignment. 🎯
Bergy will take part in the Accuracy Shooting event on Friday night during the #NHLAllStar Skills Competition. pic.twitter.com/BEyLsuQUVD
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) February 4, 2022
Tony’s NHL All-Star Skills Pick: Jake Guentzel
After all picks from each All-Star Skills event have been added up, the final tally is:
Metropolitan Division – 3
Pacific Division – 1
Central Division – 0
Atlantic Division – 3
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