NHL All-Star Skills competition bringing Vegas-inspired flair this year
With the NHL All-Star weekend less than a week away, fans finally have some clarity over the festivities that await them when events get going on Friday.
On Monday, the NHL released the details of the events to be held for the upcoming 2022 NHL All-Star Skills competitions, adding a unique Vegas-twist to the usual variety of activities.
The league will be introducing two new events this year: the Discover Fountain Face-Off and the Las Vegas NHL 21 in ‘22.
The Fountain Face-Off event will take place on the Fountains of Bellagio in front of the Bellagio Hotel on the Vegas strip, where eight participants will be required to shoot pucks into five targets as quickly as possible.
The NHL 21 in ‘22 event will look to implement Sin City’s reputation for gambling into the skills competition, as five players will be tasked with trying to achieve a hand of 21 without going bust, by shooting pucks at a rack of oversized playing cards.
The festivities will also include five returning events: Fastest Skater, Save Streak, Hardest Shot, Breakaway Challenge, and Accuracy Shooting.
The @NHL announced the details of the 2022 NHL #AllStar Skills presented by DraftKings Sportsbook, highlighted by two new events – the @Discover NHL Fountain Face-Off at the Fountains of Bellagio & the Las Vegas NHL 21 in ’22 on the Boulevard.
Details: https://t.co/1qbuunp5DW pic.twitter.com/FkGfbXZsPg— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) January 31, 2022
The winner of each event will be presented with $30,000, courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
The NHL is also introducing four special guests to join in on the fun. Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras will participate in the NHL Breakaway Challenge, attempting to score on fellow guests Manon Rheaume - the first ever woman to play in a NHL game - and actor Wyatt Russell. Three-time Olympic medalist and Team USA forward Jocelyn Lamoureux-Davidson will compete in the Fountain Face-Off challenge and work as one of the passers in the NHL Accuracy Shooting event.
All Star Weekend in Vegas officially starts off on Friday, Feb. 4, with the skills tournament. The All-Star Game follows on Saturday.
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