Stephen Whyno, an Associated Press hockey writer, wrote the text.

TORONTO — TORONTO (AP) — In the aftermath of the 2023 NHL All-Star skills competition that was confusing, disjointed and went off poorly in the arena and on television, Gary Bettman asked Connor McDavid for his thoughts.

The commissioner who has been in office for a long time was curious about the opinions of the current MVP, the prominent player representing the league, the captain of Edmonton, and the widely recognized top hockey player in the world regarding the annual event. After having several discussions with McDavid and other top players, this year’s All-Star Weekend will bring back some previous customs in hopes of making it more enjoyable.

On Thursday night, the player draft was held with popular players such as McDavid, Auston Matthews, Nathan MacKinnon, and brothers Quinn and Jack Hughes choosing their teams for the All-Star 3-on-3 tournament on Saturday. The skills competition on Friday night will have a new layout, with only 12 players taking part and a focus on traditional events like hardest shot and fastest skater.

McDavid expressed his opinion that past All-Star competitions were too focused on gimmicks and unconventional elements. However, he is looking forward to this year’s competition which will showcase traditional skills used on the ice. Ultimately, the goal is to impress the fans and put on a great show.

Additionally, the person who wins will receive one million dollars.

“Battling for a million dollars, so I can’t complain,” said Vancouver’s Elias Pettersson, who was voted by fans to take part. “It should motivate everyone, I think. I guess everyone jokes about it, but I don’t think anyone would say no to it. I think it will be fun to see guys doing not only one thing. You get guys to do more than one thing, so I’m excited.”

McDavid, Matthews, MacKinnon, Nylander from Toronto, Draisaitl from Edmonton, Makar from Colorado, Pastrnak from Boston, Pettersson from Vancouver, Quinn Hughes and J.T. Miller, and Barzal from the New York Islanders will participate in four out of the first six events. These events include fastest skating, strongest shot, accuracy shooting, one-timers, passing, and stick-handling.

The objective of NHL’s chief content officer, Steve Mayer, is to determine the true abilities of a hockey player. This also aims to streamline the process and eliminate the complications experienced last year, where events were divided and difficult to track.

Mayer explained that there have been some remarks regarding confusion about the events. However, she believes that they have made things easier by simplifying them. The events are brief, temporary, and straightforward to comprehend.

That comes out of the feedback from McDavid and others. Mayer said McDavid giving his stamp of approval to some of the ideas was the “first line of acceptance” and paved the way for the show the NHL is putting on.

Not surprisingly, McDavid refused to take credit for the changes made to the skills competition, downplaying his involvement in the discussions. However, it is evident that he is passionate about the topic and has received positive feedback from friends about the upcoming results.

McDavid expressed his desire for the players to enjoy and find competitive aspects in the game.

The upcoming All-Star Weekend will showcase Canadian talent, featuring performances by Justin Bieber, Michael Bublé, and Tate McRae, as well as Will Arnett as a celebrity captain. Additionally, the event will include a 3-on-3 game with players from the recently formed Professional Women’s Hockey League to bring more attention to the sport on a prominent platform.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Source: wralsportsfan.com