NHL announces major changes to All Star Game in Toronto

For more than a few years, the NHL's all star game has been on a bit of a decline. Players seem less interested than ever to play through a small break in the season, and that sentiment is felt by the fans watching. It ends with the All-star game essentially being background television, instead of a large scale public event to market the sport of hockey.

So now, the NHL has decided to bring back an incredibly popular event from the all-star games several years ago. This year, the all-star teams will be decided by a draft, where team captains will choose their team from the pool of selected players.


With the help of a celebrity co-captain, the players selecting their teams will be electric to watch - it essentially becomes all-star players ranking other NHLers in real time, creating drama, suspense, and surprise.


Memorably when the NHL All-star game included a draft, Phil Kessel was the last player to be selected. Although it was tough on Kessel, it created a great moment for NHL fans. Hopefully, the return of this year's draft will create similar moments of comedy and further grow the game.

Notably, Leafs' executive Brendan Shanahan was instrumental in bringing back the players' draft. Originally credited with creating the all-star draft in the first place, it seems Shanahan pushed for its return when his Leafs were hosting the game for the first time since 2000.

https://www.nhl.com/news/shanahan-mayer-recall-1st-all-star-game-player-draft