The 2024 NHL All-Star Festivities are in full swing, with Thursday bringing us an All-Star Draft and PWHL Showcase, and Friday bringing us an electric Skills Competition where Connor McDavid skated away with a million-dollar bonus in his pocket. But now it’s time to play the game! Or rather, games. Let’s dive into what the league has in store for us this afternoon!
2024 NHL All-Star Game
| Time/Date | February 3rd, 3:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | Broadcast: Sportsnet, TVA Sports (French) Stream: Sportsnet+ (How to watch the NHL in Canada?) |
| Favourite To Win | Team Matthews & Team McDavid (+260) |
The All-Star Game is, in fact, three separate games – two opening-round games, and a final between the winners. It’ll be a 3-on-3 format, with shorter lengths (two 10-minute halves, instead of three 20-minute periods). The total result will be about the same length as one full game. If the games are tied after regulation, they’ll go straight to a shootout.
2024 NHL All-Star Game Schedule
The games are scheduled as follows:
- 3:00 p.m. EST – Team MacKinnon vs. Team McDavid
- 4:00 p.m. EST – Team Hughes vs. Team Matthews
- 5:00 p.m. EST – Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner
Team Matthews to win 2024 NHL All-Star Game
The Rosters
| Team Matthews (+260) | Team McDavid (+260) | Team MacKinnon (+275) | Team Hughes (+275) |
|---|---|---|---|
| C – Auston Matthews (TOR) | C – Connor McDavid (EDM) | C – Nathan MacKinnon (COL) | C – Quinn Hughes (VAN) |
| A – Morgan Rielly (TOR) | A – Leon Draisaitl (EDM) | A – Cale Makar (COL) | A – Elias Pettersson (VAN) |
| William Nylander (TOR) | David Pastrnak (BOS) | Sidney Crosby (PIT) | Nikita Kucherov (TB) |
| Mitch Marner (TOR) | Rasmus Dahlin (BUF) | Kirill Kaprizov (MIN) | Kyle Connor (WPG) |
| Clayton Keller (ARI) | Robert Thomas (STL) | Sebastian Aho (CAR) | Brady Tkachuk (OTT) |
| Mathew Barzal (NYI) | Sam Reinhart (FLA) | Tom Wilson (WSH) | Jesper Bratt (NJ) |
| Filip Forsberg (NSH) | Tomas Hertl (SJ) | Jeremy Swayman (BOS) | Brock Boeser (VAN) |
| Alex Debrincat (DET) | Boone Jenner (CBJ) | Elias Lindholm (VAN) | J.T. Miller (VAN) |
| Vincent Trochek (NYR) | Nick Suzuki (MTL) | Oliver Bjorkstrand (SEA) | Frank Vatrano (ANA) |
| G – Jake Oettinger (DAL) | G – Connor Hellebuyck (WPG) | G – Alexandar Georgiev (COL) | G – Thatcher Demko (VAN) |
| G – Igor Shesterkin (NYR) | G – Sergei Bobrovsky (FLA) | G – Jeremy Swayman (BOS) | G – Cam Talbot (LA) |
The four teams were picked through a draft on Thursday night, with captains and alternate captains already sorted out. Each team has a celebrity co-captain as well – Justin Bieber representing Team Matthews, Will Arnett representing Team McDavid, Tate McRae representing Team MacKinnon and Michael Buble representing Team Hughes. Team Hughes also has Jack Hughes co-captaining, but not participating due to injury. Not surprisingly, some massaging of the picks occurred to make sure certain unions happened – the Leafs and Coyotes on Team Matthews, Sidney Crosby and Alexandar Georgiev on the MacKinnon/Makar squad, and the Devils and Canucks (minus newcomer Elias Lindholm, who stuck with Flames fan McRae) on Team Hughes.
Unlike previous years that had the draft format, there was no last pick. The final round of Trocheck, Hertl, Bjorkstrand, and Vatrano were instead randomized, with each picking an envelope that pointed them towards their new team.
Team Hughes to win 2024 NHL All-Star Game
Who Will Win The 2024 NHL All-Star Game?
Trying to pick a winner out of this is pretty difficult. Each team is loaded with eight great forwards, a great defenceman, and two great goalies. They won’t be practicing with each other, they’re playing a different format of game than they’re used to, and, perhaps the elephant in the room, we don’t know how seriously any particular player will be taking the quest for victory.
No, this isn’t Ichiro at the MLB All-Star Game, furiously trying to pump up his AL friends so they can secure home-field advantage in the World Series. The closest thing to an incentive is a $1 million charitable donation made on behalf of the winning team.
Friend of the site Dom Luszczyszyn has made an effort to project the results of the event should the players play to their potential, giving weight to their overall ability and their impact at 3-on-3, and has Team Hughes as having the best odds of victory – which goes counter to the posted odds from bet365, which seems to be favouriting the narrative of a Matthews vs. McDavid final.
Personally, I see Team MacKinnon as the frontrunner if this is taken seriously. Firstly, MacKinnon and Makar are some of the league’s deadliest 3-on-3 threats. Second, it’s a rare occasion for MacKinnon and Sidney Crosby to show the Cole Harbour connection on a big stage. Lastly, we’ve seen MacKinnon bring the open-ice magic to Scotiabank Arena in the past.
Whatever the case, we’re sure to see a great showcase of some of the league’s best talent!
