NHL Skills Competition: Positives and Negatives

So what did you all think of the new skills competition format?

For me it was so-so.

The Positives

BREAKAWAY CHALLENGE

I think this event has a lot of upside. The players seemed very hesitant and we did not get that highlight type goal, although Ovechkin tried his best. I think now that the players know what to expect, we will see more creative attempts next year.

HARDEST SHOT

This is a classic event that has a lot of history and fun. It gets especially interesting when guys top the 100 MPH mark like both Chara and Lecalvalier did last night. This is a keeper.

ACCURACY SHOOTING

Another classic. It looks easy on TV, but it is a rare occasion for players to hit 4 of 4 targets, and these are the best players in the world. Again, lots of history here which makes it fun to compare current stars to those of years past.

YOUNG STARS GAME

I thought this event worked much better this year. Last year it was almost embarrassing how the young stars coasted through the game. This year with two 5 minute 3on3 periods, there were lots of offense and fans to cheer on the future stars of this game.

The Negatives

OBSTACLE COURSE

This was a new event and I personally thought it was horrible. I knew the intent but thought it was very difficult to follow what was happening. Of course the terrible job by Versus in terms of televising this event failed. The one aspect I would like to see return was the goalies shooting at the empty nets.

FASTEST SKATER

Another new event that did not work as well as the old version. A couple of things. One if they are going to make it a time trial then just do individual skaters. It was presented as a two man race, the first one across the finish line wins. That was not the case, as it was the best time. Secondly, after seeing this format versus the old format, I think it would add more to see the players turning and rounding the net.

ELIMINATION SHOOTOUT

Again a new event. To me this was to redundant and confusing to the fans. If your going to have the "Breakaway Challenge" then why have a similar event? Plus we get to see the shootout many times a year, this skills competition should feature events we normally do not get to see.

So while I applaud the NHL for shaking things up, I think there is plenty of improvement left to do here.

I would can the Elimination Shootout and try a new event. Or return to an event like the puck relay or 3 on goalies breakaway. I would also return to the previous "Fastest Skater" format and either find a better way to broadcast the "Obstacle Course" or again return to a previous event or try something else new. Finally I would certainly encourage the players to reach deep down into their bag of tricks for the "Breakaway Challenge"—the fans want creativity and something they have never seen before—not typical dekes and shots.

-LTL