A perennial problem for pro sports is how to handle its All-Star weekend. Leagues have moved away from having a game altogether in recent years because of how lackluster and uninteresting they have been — but the NHL is looking to solve that. Instead of running a traditional East vs. West format in 2027, hockey is opting for a small, international round-robin tournament showcasing players from the biggest hockey nations in the globe.
The 2027 All-Star game will take place on Long Island, New York next year, and for the first time will be a series of five minute, 3v3 games culminating in a 10 minute final.
The NHL’s “Rest of the World” team will buck international hockey trends by allowing Russian players to compete, despite there being broader sanctions in other national competitions. Immediately, it seems as though that team could be dominant (assuming they can gel) by blending players from Russia, Czechia, Denmark, and Switzerland — as well as having the ability to throw in players from outside traditional hockey powerhouses like Leon Draisaitl from Germany.
Teams will be chosen by fan vote. A total of 11 players will represent each nation(s), with nine skaters and two goaltenders. A pool of 30 potential players will be presented to fans, with the teams being voted on from there. If we look at the past Winter Olympic rosters these would be some of the expected starting lineups for the All-Star game.
USA
Jack Eichel, Matthew Tkachuk, Quinn Hughes — Connor Hellebuyck
Canada
Connor McDavid, Nathan McKinnon, Cale Makar — Jordan Binnington
Sweden
Mika Zibanejad, William Nylander, Rasmus Dahlin — Filip Gustavsson
Finland
Sebastian Aho, Mikko Rantanen, Miro Heiskanen — Juuse Saros
Rest of the World
Nikita Kucherov, David Pastranak, Mikhail Sergachev — Andrei Vasilevskiy
Another change that was announced to the All-Star weekend is how the skills competitions will be handled moving forward. Instead of opening them up to the entire NFL, now the pool will be limited to players 25-years-old and younger. It’s a move to showcase the up-and-coming talent in hockey, more than veterans who have established themselves as elite.
These changes are honestly brilliant, and could breathe live back into a stagnant, stale, All-Star format.
