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Fans will see an international showdown featuring five teams
Long Island is getting a front-row seat to hockey history.
When the game’s biggest stars hit the ice at UBS Arena in Elmont on Feb. 5 and Feb. 6, they’ll be competing in a completely new NHL All-Star tournament.
Fans will see an international showdown featuring five teams — the United States, Canada, Sweden, Finland and a “World” squad made up of players from countries outside the other four participating nations.
“Given the success of last years incredible 4 Nations Face-Off, then with the thrilling Olympic tournament, we wanted to incorporate some form of national representation into All-Star Weekend,” Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement.
Each team will play four five-minute round-robin games, played 3-on-3. There will be no overtime and no shootouts during the preliminary round. Teams will earn two points for a win, one point for a tie and zero points for a loss. After 10 total round-robin games, the top two teams in the standings will advance to a winner-take-all championship game lasting 10 minutes. The victorious team will split a $2 million prize.
“We think the format we created will be fun, it will be entertaining, it will be great for the players and the fans,” Bettman added.
Fans will also play a major role in deciding who takes the ice.
The NHL and NHLPA will pick 30 players from each of the five teams for a fan vote that opens in December. Fans will select eight players per team, while the league and players’ association will jointly choose the final three roster spots — one forward, one defenseman and one goaltender.
The Skills Competition is changing too. The event will feature 10 rising stars aged 25 and under competing in events like Fastest Skater, Hardest Shot and Accuracy Shooting before a final obstacle-course showdown for a $1 million prize.
“We also wanted to shine a spotlight on the amazing young players who are energizing the game,” said Bettman.
The weekend marks the first NHL All-Star festivities in the area since the Islanders hosted the event back in 1983.
Top: Fans wait to get in the new UBS Arena for the first New York Islanders NHL hockey game against the Calgary Flames on Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
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