The National Hockey League (NHL) has announced that the 2024 All-Star Weekend in Toronto will start on Thursday instead of Friday, making it a three-day event featuring a player draft, the return of the women’s hockey showcase, and a variety of other events.
‣ The 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend in Toronto will begin on Thursday instead of Friday, making it a three-day event. The expanded schedule will include a player draft and the return of the women’s hockey showcase.
‣ The player draft will allow players to select their own teams, marking the fourth time the NHL has implemented this system. The four All-Star captains will be selected based on their celebrity pairings.
‣ The NHL will also host a women’s hockey 3-on-3 showcase in partnership with the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). This follows previous participation of women in the NHL All-Star Weekend, with the aim to showcase the new league and its athletes.
The National Hockey League (NHL) has some exciting news. The 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend in Toronto will now kick off on Thursday, not Friday. This makes it a three-day event.
NHL All-Star Thursday will be packed with activities. You can expect a player draft and the return of the women’s hockey showcase.
The player draft isn’t new. It’s the fourth time (2011-2015) the NHL has given players the power to pick their own teams. NHL chief content officer Steve Mayer told ESPN, “We have also heard from our players and fans that, ‘Hey, wouldn’t it be interesting if we brought [the player draft] back?’ We think it just adds to the overall week of activities for All-Star.” He added, “If it works out, it’ll be here to stay.”
The four All-Star captains will be chosen based on their celebrity pairings. ESPN reported this interesting detail. The league aims to attract passionate fans and will tap into their existing NHL fandom or relationships.
Take comedian Tiffany Haddish for instance. She’s a known hockey fan and has teamed up with Blake Bolden, the Los Angeles Kings’ growth and inclusion specialist. The Maple Leafs will have a good selection of Canadian-born celebrities to choose from. This includes tennis star Bianca Andreescu, singers Justin Bieber and Shawn Mendes, and actors Jim Carrey, Keanu Reeves and Mike Meyers.
The league will announce the NHL players and celebrity captains in January. Don’t worry, fans will still get to vote for 12 players to join the fun.
After the player draft, there’s more. The league will honor the 1967 Maple Leafs as the NHL Alumni Man (or men) of the Year. This award is given annually to a former NHL player who has successfully transitioned to a post-career life.
The NHL is also partnering with the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) for a women’s hockey 3-on-3 showcase. The PWHL is set to start its first season in January 2024.
Women have been part of the NHL All-Star Weekend before. In 2019, PWHL Minnesota forward Kendall Coyne-Schofield was the first woman to participate in the NHL Skills Competition. Last year, Sarah Nurse impressed everyone by beating Igor Shesterkin with the “Forsburg” move at the 2023 NHL All-Star Skill Competition in South Florida.
Jayna Hefford, PWHL senior vice president of hockey operations, said in a press release Monday, “We can’t wait to showcase our new league and our incredible athletes on NHL All-Star Thursday.” She added, “We’re delighted to be collaborating with the NHL, and we appreciate the opportunity to grow the game through the All-Star platform.”
Toronto and its Original Six franchise, the Maple Leafs, will host the NHL All-Star event for the ninth time. The NHL All-Star Skills will happen on Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, followed by the NHL All-Star Game the next day.
Canadian audiences can tune into Sportsnet for the Thursday festivities. ESPN and ESPN+ will broadcast the event for U.S. fans.
