By Rockin’ Reese
Tomorrow at 3pm ET (2 CT, 1 MT, 12 PT) on ABC & ESPN+, it’s the 2024 NHL All-Star Game from Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. There will be nearly 19,000 fans cheering on their favorite players (especially the all-stars representing the Toronto Maple Leafs). Some of the NHL’s best skaters will team up in a 4-team showdown to determine who will be the all-stars of the All-Star Game. There will be 2 games, with each game having two 10-minute periods. The winners of those game will skate against each other to crown the champions of the 2024 NHL All-Star Game.
Before I mention the teams, I want to acknowledge the skaters who were selected as an all-star, but were unable to skate, because of injury. Sadly, fans in Toronto won’t be able to see (Chicago Blackhawks center) Connor Bedard, (Vegas Golden Knights center/alternate captain) Jack Eichel, & (New Jersey Devils center/alternate captain) Jack Hughes. Replacing Bedard will be (Winnipeg Jets left winger) Kyle Connor. Replacing Eichel will be (New York Rangers center) Vincent Trocheck. Replacing Hughes will be his Devils teammate, (left winger) Jesper Bratt. Though he won’t be skating, Jack will remain co-captain of Team Hughes with his older brother, (Vancouver Canucks defenseman/captain) Quinn Hughes.
I should also acknowledge that because of Bedard’s & Eichel’s injuries, that neither the Blackhawks or the (defending Stanley Cup Champion) Golden Knights will be represented in this year’s NHL All-Star Game. Also, the Calgary Flames will not be represented, as they traded (center) Elias Lindholm to the Canucks on Wednesday.
The first game will feature a team captained by (Colorado Avalanche center/alternate captain) Nathan MacKinnon against a team captained by (Edmonton Oilers center/captain) Connor McDavid. The second game will feature Team Hughes against a team captained by (Maple Leafs center/alternate captain) Auston Matthews.
Team MacKinnon will have Nathan’s Avalanche teammates, (defenseman) Cale Makar & (goalie) Alexander Georgiev. Makar will be Team MacKinnon’s alternate captain. Also joining the team will be Lindholm, (Pittsburgh Penguins center/captain) Sidney Crosby, (Washington Capitals right winger/alternate captain) Tom Wilson, (Minnesota Wild left winger/alternate captain) Kirill Kaprizov, (Carolina Hurricanes center/alternate captain) Sebastian Aho, (Philadelphia Flyers right winger) Travis Konecny, (Seattle Kraken right winger) Oliver Bjorkstrand, & (Boston Bruins goalie) Jeremy Swayman.
Team McDavid will have Connor’s Oilers teammate, (center/alternate captain) Leon Draisaitl, who will be Team McDavid’s alternate captain. Also joining the team will be (Bruins right winger/alternate captain) David Pastrnak, (Montréal Canadiens center/captain) Nick Suzuki, (Buffalo Sabres defenseman/alternate captain) Rasmus Dahlin, (Columbus Blue Jackets center/captain) Boone Jenner, (St. Louis Blues center/alternate captain) Robert Thomas, (San Jose Sharks center/alternate captain) Tomáš Hertl, (Florida Panthers center) Sam Reinhart, (Panthers goalie) Sergei Bobrovsky, & (Jets goalie) Connor Hellebuyck.
Team Hughes will have Quinn’s Canucks teammates, (center/alternate captain) Elias Pettersson, (center/right winger & alternate captain) JT Miller, (right winger) Brock Boeser, & (goalie) Thatcher Demko. Petterson will be the alternate captain for Team Hughes. Rounding out the squad will be Bratt, Connor, (Tampa Bay Lightning right winger/alternate captain) Nikita Kucherov, (Ottawa Senators left winger/captain) Brady Tkachuk, (Anaheim Ducks right winger) Frank Vatrano, & (Los Angeles Kings goalie) Cam Talbot.
Team Matthews will have Auston’s Maple Leafs teammates, (defenseman/alternate captain) Morgan Rielly, (right winger/alternate captain) Mitch Marner, & (right winger) William Nylander. Rielly will be the alternate captain for Team Matthews. Rounding out the team will be Trocheck, (Arizona Coyotes left winger/center & alternate captain) Clayton Keller, (New York Islanders center) Mathew Barzal, (Detroit Red Wings left winger) Alex DeBrincat, (Nashville Predators left winger) Filip Forsberg, (Rangers goalie) Igor Shesterkin, & (Dallas Stars goalie) Jake Oettinger.
We know the players. We know the teams. Now, there are only 2 things left to find out. First, we will find out which team will be the last team standing. Second, we will find out which player will be the MVP of the 2024 NHL All-Star Game.
