The National Hockey League (NHL) was scheduled to hold its traditional Friday night skill contest in Sunrise on the sidelines of the All-Star Game, and over the years several players have delighted spectators, their teammates and local media.
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Since 1990, the circuit has offered various competitions as part of its all-star game, which in the eyes of many fans is more worth watching than the classic itself. It has allowed some hockey players to develop a solid reputation in a certain area of the game or even to consolidate.
Here are players who have bestowed their letters of nobility on this competition since its inception.
-Raymond Bourque
The former Boston Bruins defenseman has always been known for the accuracy of his shots, and he was unmatched in the competition for most accurate shot. From 1990 to 2011, participants had to hit four targets placed at each end of the web, and Raymond Bourque was among those requiring the fewest attempts to complete the mission. He has also taken first place eight times, alone or tied. In 1992 and 1993 at the Philadelphia Spectrum and Montreal Forum, respectively, the Quebecer was tenacious due to four successful strikes without a miss.
In 2011, a decade after Bourque’s retirement, execution time became a judging criterion and Daniel Sedin achieved perfection with four successful shots on as many occasions, all in 7.3 seconds. Last year Sebastian Aho did the same, but in 10.937s.
-Zdeno Chara
The fight of the strongest marksman is one of the most awaited by the crowd, as well as by some of its regulars. Among them was the 1.90 meter tall giant Zdeno Chara, who was unbeatable from 2007 to 2012 thanks to throws over 100 miles per hour. In the sixth year of that impressive streak, the then-Boston Bruins defenseman fired a 108.8 mph shot to take the honor.
– Shea Weber
The former Montreal Canadiens defenseman needn’t blush at the exploits of competition brand owner Chara. In 2015, whoever played for the Nashville Predators threw the puck at a speed of 108.5 miles per hour. The following year his personal best was 108.1 mph, which was still enough to win. Shea Weber has four wins at this event, including those from 2017 and 2020 when he wore the Habs colors.
– Mike Gartner
During the competition, the speed of the best skaters on the circuit is regularly evaluated. From 1990 to 2008, contestants had to do a full lap on the ice, and here veteran forward Mike Gartner was a pioneer. If he had at least 30 career goals in the NHL in 17 campaigns, it was mainly thanks to his speed.
In the first competition, which he won a total of three times, his average speed of 45.1 km/h made sure that he had the last laugh. Subsequently, it was the Chrono that proved it all and Gartner excelled in 1993 and 1996 with times of just over 13 seconds. However, he was 36 at his last win, which didn’t stop him from finishing the campaign with 35 goals in a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey.
-Alexander Ovechkin
The Washington Capitals captain hasn’t become a fixture in the NHL skill competition just because of his talent. Many fans still remember the costumes he wore during the breakaway sessions. In 2009, he showed up at Bell Center wearing a hat, sunglasses and a small Canadian flag to show off his skills in climbing the net.
Most importantly, as the winner of the strongest shooter event of 2018, Alexander Ovechkin was the undisputed champion of the breakaway, which he won three times between 2008 and 2011. Good news for the public: this year he had to team up with his great metropolitan section rival Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins in this competition.