Commentary on 2015 NHL All Star Skills Competition

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Everyone enjoys the NHL All Star Skills Competition, often more than the All Star Game itself. It’s a time when fans get to observe the best hockey players performing their individual skills in the open. No checking opponents are stopping them from doing what they do best. (Although, it would be fun if there were a checking competition.)

Fastest Skater Competition

Maybe the lack of hair on Toronto Maple Leafs forward Phil Kessel’s head streamlines him. Mandatory Credit: Russell LaBounty-USA TODAY Sports

Pairs of players started at center ice, skated down to one end, around markers, up the entire length of the ice, around more markers and back to start.

Results: Team Foligno swept the series with the following winners:

• Phil Kessel over Tyler Seguin
• Jonathan Drouin over Mike Hoffman
• Jiri Sekac over Aaron Eckblad (who was wearing a helmet with a camera)
• Zemgus Girgensons (camera) over Vladimir Tarasenko

Comments: I didn’t realize Kessel was so fast — he’s not very aerodynamic! Oh, and at one point the players were going 25 miles per hour!

Breakaway Challenge

Team Foligno goaltender Brian Elliott (1) of the St. Louis Blues is blindfolded during the breakaway challenge in the 2015 NHL All Star Game skills competition at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russell LaBounty-USA TODAY Sports

This is a relatively new addition in that creativity and flair are valued over actually scoring. One year, Patrick Kane put on Superman gear. This is meant to be a fan favorite — fans vote via Twitter for their favorite shooter.

Team Foligno’s shooters were the following:

• Alex Ovechkin (best shot– baseball style with a goalie paddle)
• Claude Giroux (puck up the sleeve)
• Ryan Johansen (More on him below)

Team Toews’ shooters were the following:

• Vladimir Tarasenko (More below)
• Jakub Vorcek (through the legs shot)
• Johnny Goudreau (no shot shot)

Tarasenko was the most creative for Toews’ crew. The first time he took a selfie, the second his goalie was wearing a blindfold and the third the goalie had a target in his glove.

That was always going to be tough to beat, but Johansen came out tugging on the heart strings. First, he removed his Blue Jackets jersey to reveal the hometown Buckeyes jersey. Next, he came out with a little kid to shoot, and finally he was flanked with $70 million worth of hockey player as his flying V.

Results: Johansen, of course.

Comments: Claude Giroux has mad stick skills. Oh, and Johnny Hockey wanted to set his stick on fire.

That’s about $70 million worth of hockey talent right there.. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Accuracy Shooting

Jan 24, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Team Toews center John Tavares (91) of the New York Islanders competes in the accuracy shooting event in the 2015 NHL All Star Game skills competition at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

In this competition, the net is set up with four targets, one in each corner. The object is to hit all four targets — it’s a given that this level of players will hit all four — the fastest.

Results: Team Foligno won the event with three out of the four shooters winning:

• Foligno himself over Patrice Bergeron
• Radim Vrbata over John Tavares
• Patrick Kane over Jonathan Toews

The only point for Team Toews came with Ryan Getzlaf winning over Bobby Ryan.

Comments: I thought Ryan had a more accurate shot. However, it was pretty special to see him look to the sky in exasperation every time he missed. I wasn’t surprised to see how accurate Kane was over Toews — he’s not “Showtime” for being a poor shooter.

Also, I remember very clearly when Ray Bourque used to hit four targets in just four shots.

 Skills Challenge Relay

Jan 24, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Team Foligno defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk (22) of the St. Louis Blues competes in the skills challenge relay in the 2015 NHL All Star Game skills competition at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Ok, this one’s a little involved. Each team puts up 14 skaters and one goalie. The relay includes five challenges — one-timers, passing, puck control, stick handling and goalie goal. Just like with a regular relay, each leg needs to be completed before moving on to the next.

Except for the goalie goals, you get the feeling these relay challenges could be parts of actual practices.

Team Foligno:
Relay 1

• Drew Doughty, (one-timer RH)
• Ryan Johansen, (one-timer RH)
• Steven Stamkos, (one-timer RH)
• Brent Burns, (one-time passer)
• Anze Kopitar, (mini net passer)
• Kevin Shattenkirk, (puck control)
• Patrick Kane, (stick handling)
• Carey Price, (goalie goals)

Team Toews:
Relay 1

• Shea Weber, (one-timer RH)
• Justin Faulk, (one-timer RH)
• Tyler Seguin, (one-timer RH)
• Ryan Getzlaf, (one-time passer)
• John Tavares, (mini net passer)
• Johnny Gaudreau, (puck control)
• Mike Hoffman, (stick handling)
• Jaroslav Halak, (goalie goals)

Team Foligno:
Relay 2

• Zemgus Girgensons, (one-timer LH)
• Duncan Keith, (one-timer LH)
• Nick Foligno, (one-timer LH)
• Jiri Sekac, (one-time passer)
• Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, (mini net passer)
• Drew Doughty, (puck control)
• Oliver Ekman-Larsson, (stick handling)
• Marc-Andre Fleury, (goalie goals)

Team Toews
Relay 2

• Mark Giordano, (one-timer LH)
• Ryan Suter, (one-timer LH)
• Jakub Voracek, (one-timer LH)
• Patrice Bergeron, (one-time passer)
• Tyler Johnson, (mini net passer)
• Vladimir Tarasenko, (puck control)
• Filip Forsberg, (stick handling)
• Roberto Luongo, (goalie goals)

Results: Each team won a heat.

Comments: Anze Kopitar has been trained well by the LA Kings, who are known for their tape-to-tape passes. He was tight with his saucer passing.

Patrick Kane’s puck-handling is pretty impressive — no question. Carey Price’s stick handling is pretty nice to watch though. And Vladimir Tarasenko has one tight skating style.

Hardest Shot

Jan 24, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Team Toews defenseman Shea Weber (6) of the Nashville Predators during the hardest shot competition in the 2015 NHL All Star Game skills competition at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russell LaBounty-USA TODAY Sports

A lot of players have a bomb of the shot. This is where they get to prove it. A radar gun measures the speed of their slap shot. The puck has to hit the net, though — and one didn’t. Shea Weber took two shots, like everyone else, but only his second hit the net.

Team Foligno continued their domination (Best speed in brackets, mph):

• Alex Overchkin (101.4) over Brent Seabrook (98.6)
• Brent Burns (97.6) over Aaron Ekblad (95.3)
• Steve Stamkos (98.8) over Justin Faulk (95.0)

The lone Team Toews winner won the whole competition with his hardest shot — Shea Weber (108.5) over Dustin Byfuglien (97.3).

Results: Team Foligno won the competition, but Shea Weber won with the hardest shot. The only shot that’s ever been recorded as faster was Zdeno Chara‘s from a few years back — 108.8.

Comments:The slowest puck from any of these shooters was 93.3 miles per hour. Holy cow, that’s fast! Imagine a puck going over 100 mph!