This happens to be the 2015-16 NHL All-Star weekends with the games being played with the Skills competition taking place on Saturday the 30th of January 2016 at 7 PM ET and the All Star Game played on Sunday the 31st of January 2016 at 5 PM ET and played at Nashville, Tennessee and seen on the NBC Sports Network.
The All-Star game last season from Columbus, Ohio was a game that had some 29 goals scored, and that was an NHL record. That game with all its goals triggered a lot of controversy about the game not having true competition.
Thus in previewing this 2016 All-Star game we are looking at 5 reasons why this game played in the Music center of the World has much more entertainment value for the spectators and fans. So if you Bet on NHL hockey at SBG continue reading.
1st we start with the new 3 on 3 format that was developed to revert this event into a competitive event once more, and thanks to the NHL and it’s Association of Players the event has been change to a 3 on 3 format for 2016.
From each 4 divisions there will have been 11 players selected and they constitute a divisional team, and those teams will compete for a $1 million prize, winner takes all.
In the 1st 20 minutes of the game the Central Division is playing the Pacific Division, while the Metro All-Stars will play the Atlantic Division. Then the conference that win the skills competition has the choice of whether to play in the 1st or 2nd game of the semifinals on Saturday. The division winners of the semifinals will then play a Championship game with duration of 20 minutes. It is not known if this format and the compensation offered will incite the players to play the games as if they were playing for the championship, but it should at least bring more excitement to the event. Since the NHL supports the 3 on 3 format if should create some fast and exciting entertainment value.
The 2nd reason is watching the Pacific Division and its captain J. Scott the strong 6 foot 8 inch player who was chosen via fans voting which was crazy as he was an unlikely selection. It will be interesting to see how he is accepted by the Hockey fans. Scott is a 4th line forward for the Coyotes of Arizona who played mostly on the bench and has 11 points in some 284 NHL regular games to date.
With the fans constantly voting for Scott he truly displayed dignity and a bit of humor as he claimed he had teammates that deserved the selection more so than him. But when he was actually selected he decided that he would play as explained by teammate familiar with the case. What complicated the issue was he was traded and the Canadiens the team that got him in the trade, and then sent him to the minor leagues thus his All-Star selection was in question.
The NHL reviewed the case and in the end decided to leave him on the team as the Coyotes representative in these 2015 NHL All-Star events. Interesting is that this 3 on 3 format is not designed for big men, so fans wonder whether he will shine or be viewed as out of place in this event.
The 3rd reason is that the 2016 NHL All-Star event is being held and Nashville the Music City, as fans have said that a parade for the Stanley Cup would be worth viewing, especially in the Music City. Yes, Nashville happens to be a top city for NHL players, the sports media as well as the fans.
The Nashville Predators arena is in the downtown area, on the same street as some of the top music Bars and Bar B Q Restaurants, like the Tootsies Orchid Lounge where country music stars like H. Williams Jr., P. Cline, L. Lynn, W. Nelson and other talented stars played and or created their tunes. Also, Tootsies is a place that most NHL players like to visit, when their in Nashville, Tennessee and there are a lot of stories floating around about players that have gone on stage and taken the microphone in hand.
That plus the music stars are present at the Predators Arena and games as the like of B. Mandrell has had season tickets ever since the franchise began, an star V. Gill owns 1st row season tickets, and he’s the man that will sing the American anthem prior to this year’s All-Star game. That plus Nashville knows how to part and that could make this 2016 All-Star event something to remember.
Then 4th is the Skill contest which fans are confused about, but when the players line up to attempt the competition for the hardest shot it will get the fan attention for sure. That’s because the league is in love with the radar gun for determining the speed of shots, which presently the champ is S. Weber, Predators captain.
In Columbus last season S. Weber took the title with a 108.6 MPH shot to win. That shot was a bit short of the league record held by Z. Chara of the Bruins of Boston of 108.9 MPH. Regardless the speeds on those shots are actually hard to imagine for fans and many NHL players.
Then finally there is what they have titled the stacked deck like that of the team of the Central Division. True this is an All-Star game and that would normally indicate that all teams have a bundle of talent. But somehow the Central team seems stacked as they have Toews and Kane of the Blackhawks, Segun and Benn of the Stars, Tarasenko of the Blues and Duchene of the Avalanche as Benn, Segun and Kane produce more 3 points than any other players in the NFL while their 6 Forwards-Central have accumulate 148 goals combined.
The Central team also on defense has the best 2 players in Byfuglien and Weber with addition offensive power form Josi of the Predators. There Goalies are also outstanding with Rinne of the Predators and Dubnyk of the Wild.
With all that said and done it appears that the Central Division team truly has a stacked deck and should be the team to take the Title in this 2016 NHL All-Star event in Music City!