Connor McDavid triumphs in the $1 million NHL All-Star skills competition.

TORONTO –The $1 million NHL All-Star skills competition was won by Edmonton Oilers player Connor McDavid on Friday night. This season, the league helped modify the challenge. McDavid’s return to basics helped the NHL restructure the skills competition. Twelve stars made up the player field in an attempt to increase competition for a $1 million reward. The NHL also abandoned its pretaped competitions and trick-shot judging in an attempt to return the focus to hockey skill alone.

“There was clearly a competitive atmosphere. Huffing and puffing, that’s how McDavid, the Golden Skate Trophy winner, put it. “I think we did a good job putting on a show; guys worked really hard to make it that way.” The fans will ultimately decide, and I hope they had fun.”

Leon Draisaitl, McDavid’s teammate on the Oilers and All-Star Game, expressed that he wasn’t “in the slightest” shocked that the player had won. “Every day, he’s the definition of competitiveness,” Draisaitl remarked. Every participant took part in four of the initial six events, gaining points based on their placings. Following those competitions, the top eight players moved on to the one-on-one goalie challenge, and the top six to the last obstacle course challenge.

With a time of 13.408 seconds, McDavid won fastest skater for the fourth time in his career to start the tournament. That was slightly faster than Matthew Barzal of the New York Islanders (13.519 seconds), who beat McDavid in the competition during the 2020 All-Star Weekend in St. Louis. Barzal replaced injured New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes.

With a giggle, Barzal remarked, “I wouldn’t really call it a rivalry.” “I was just unable to surpass him in any of the skating activities. He sets the standard for skating and stickhandling. I’m really impressed with his skating and game. Simply put, it’s poetry in motion.”

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and Chicago Blackhawks rookie phenom Connor Bedard, who was playing his first game since fracturing his jaw on January 5, were the special guests at the one-time event. Bedard was chosen to take part prior to the injury.

“You feel sorry for him,” McDavid remarked. “He probably wishes he could attend some of the activities. It was wonderful to see him back on the ice, looking fit and almost fully recovered.” David Pastrnak of Boston seemed to have won the competition, but a review of one of his shots altered the score. Rather, Nathan MacKinnon of Colorado prevailed with 23 points.

In the passing challenge, there was also considerable disagreement since it seemed like Elias Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks didn’t complete his pass before the bell. However, it was determined that he had the puck moving, therefore it was counted, giving him a victory over Colorado’s Cale Makar (23), scoring 25 points. Makar defeated Vancouver’s J.T. Miller (102.34) to win hardest shot (102.56 mph).

After winning his third event in the shooting accuracy competition with a time of 9.158 seconds, McDavid won his second event in the stickhandling challenge in 25.755 seconds. In addition to Toronto Maple Leafs icons Steve Thomas and Doug Wilson, guest passers at that event included Sarah Nurse and Blayre Turnbull of the Professional Women’s Hockey League.

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