NHL Skills Competition

57th NHL All-Star Game: Skills Competition

By Robert Holt

Another year has passed and another successful NHL skills competition has ended. For those of you unfamiliar to the event, it takes some of the most talented players in the league and pits them against each other in various competitions to display their world class skills.

Fastest skater, accuracy, hardest shot, fan favorite breakaway challenge and finally the brand new elimination shootout round out the list of events. Below is a short description of each event and the winners:

Fastest Skater: Each player must skate around the entire length of the ice, behind both nets and the player who crosses the red-line the fastest, wins.

Winner: Andrew Cogliano, Edmonton Oilers

Accuracy: Each player has eight shots to hit the four targets set up in each corner of the net. Player who hits the most targets out of the least amount of shots(example: 4/4) wins. In case of a tie the two (or more) players will go head to head to see who can hit the most targets on four shots:

Winner: Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins (4/4) Tie breaker: (3/4)

Side note: Only four players in NHL history have hit all four targets on four consecutive shots. The list includes Mark Messier, Tomas Kaberle, Ray Bourque(who completed the task twice) and Jeremy Roneick. This year two players added to the list are the winner Malkin and runner-up Danny Heatley.

Hardest Shot: Each player will have two shots on goal, the player with the hardest shot to hit the net wins:

Winner: Zedeno Chara, Boston Bruins

Side note: This year Zedeno Chara broke the NHL record with a blistering 105.4 mph shot. He broke the previous record held by Al Iafrate in 1993 when he clocked in at 105.2 mph.

Fan Favorite Breakaway Challenge:  Each player has two minutes to take as many shots as possible on the goalie, however the catch is the players are not voted on by how many goals they score, but how creative they are.  

Winner: Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals

Side Note:  Ovechkin won the competition with over 40% of the fan vote.  On his winning shot he donned a hat with a Canadian Flag in it and a pair of sunglasses put on him by fellow Russian and rival Evegni Malkin.  He then proceeded to use two sticks and skate down the ice until he tossed away the right handed stick and scored using the left. (Ovechkin is a right-handed shot.)

Elimination Shootout:  Forty-two players start and shoot on four goalies, each player who does not score is eliminated and those who do score, move on.  

Winner: Shane Doan, Phoenix Coyotes 

That rounds out the list of winners.  The night had lots of laughs, display of immense talent and fun all-around.  Tune in tomorrow at 6pm(eastern time) on Versus for the 57th NHL All-Star Game.  Also be sure to check back here for my thoughts on the event.

Check out my blog at bobbyholt.wordpress.com