Would you prefer a few days lying on the beach in the Caribbean or rubbing elbows with the NHL's elite players in a relaxed setting? The latter is a no-brainer for first-time all-stars Auston Matthews, Bo Horvat and Vincent Trocheck.
"It's a huge honour," Matthews, who leads the Toronto Maple Leafs and all rookies in goals with 23, told NHL.com of being named to this Sunday's game in Los Angeles. "It's a huge honour to be in the same sentence as a lot of those players I've grown up watching for quite some time."
Last summer, the 19-year-old became the first American since Patrick Kane in 2007 to be drafted first overall, and he's looking forward to meeting the Chicago Blackhawks winger and other top NHLers this weekend in Los Angeles.
So, too, is a "super-excited" Trocheck, who had 18 goals and 33 points in his first 49 games this season with the Florida Panthers.
"It will be a lot of fun to share this with my family," the 23-year-old centre told the Miami Herald. "I get to go to L.A. … and play with guys who are in a world of their own."
Horvat, 21, will be the Vancouver Canucks' youngest all-star since Trevor Linden in 1991 and told reporters recently that a trip to the all-star game "would definitely be on my bucket list."
Schedule of events
Friday
As part of its centennial celebrations, the NHL will announce the final 67 of the top 100 greatest players, starting at 8 p.m. ET. Rapper Snoop Dogg will take part in the tribute, along with actors Jon Hamm and Michael J. Fox and singers John Legend and John Ondrasik.
Saturday
The all-star celebrity shootout will start at 5:15 p.m. ET, featuring the 100 greatest NHL players honourees and celebrities from movies, television and music, including Oscar winners Cuba Gooding Jr. and Tim Robbins. Hall of Famers Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux will be head coaches, with singer-songwriter Robin Thicke, actresses Alyssa Milano and Retta, along with Hall of Famer Pat LaFontaine serving as assistants.
The all-star skills competition (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 7 p.m. ET) will highlight the day at Staples Center. Events include fastest skater, breakaway challenge, accuracy shooting, challenge relay, hardest shot and shootout.
Rapper Snoop Dogg will perform a set on the ice during player introductions.
Sunday
The 62nd NHL All-Star Game (CBC, CBCSports.ca, 3:30 p.m. ET) will bring the finale to the weekend. Pop superstars Carly Rae Jepsen, Nick Jonas and Fifth Harmony join the lineup of performers. Jepsen will sing the Canadian national anthem and Fifth Harmony the U.S. anthem followed by Jonas' live performance in the second intermission.
Format
The NHL is keeping the format introduced at last year's all-star game in Nashville, featuring a 3-on-3 tournament between teams from the four divisions competing for a winner-take-all $1 million US prize.
Each team will have 11 players: six forwards, three defencemen and two goalies.
The Atlantic and Metropolitan squads will meet to determine the Eastern Conference representative in the final. In the West, the Central and Pacific teams will face off.
Each game will be played in two 10-minute halves, with the winners meeting Sunday evening.
"Having division versus division was an amazing and very bold change to the all-star game, which I think created a lot more excitement," said NHL forward-turned analyst Jeremy Roenick, who played in nine all-star games. "It gave the guys a lot more opportunity to want to compete in a game where a lot of players would usually take time off."
Tale of the tape
- Average age: Atlantic Division (26 years, 7 months), Central (27.1), Metropolitan (26.7) and Pacific (27.6)
- Average height: Atlantic (6-foot), Central (6-foot-1), Metropolitan (6-foot) and Pacific (6-foot-1)
- Average weight: Atlantic (201.3 pounds), Central (203), Metropolitan (206) and Pacific (200)
By the numbers
4: Most goals, one game — Wayne Gretzky (1983), Mario Lemieux (1990), Vincent Damphousse (1991), Mike Gartner (1993), Dany Heatley (2003), John Tavares (2015)
5: Most assists, one game — Mats Naslund (1988)
6: Most points, one game — Mario Lemieux (1988), Jakub Voracek (2015)
13: Most goals, career — Lemieux (10 games), Gretzky (18 games)
25: Most points, career — Gretzky (13 goals, 12 assists in 18 games)
12 seconds: Fastest goal scored from start of game or period — Rick Nash (2008)
18 years, 8 months, 14 days: Youngest player — Jeff Skinner (2011)
51 years, 10 months, 5 days: Oldest player — Gordie Howe (1980)
Rosters
Atlantic: Forwards – Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay), Brad Marchand (Boston), Auston Matthews (Toronto), Frans Nielsen (Detroit), Kyle Okposo (Buffalo), Vincent Trocheck (Florida); Defence – Victor Hedman (Tampa), Erik Karlsson (Ottawa), Shea Weber (Montreal); Goalies - Carey Price* (Montreal) and Tuukka Rask (Boston).
Central: Forwards – Patrick Kane (Chicago), Patrik Laine (Winnipeg), Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado), Tyler Seguin (Dallas), Vladimir Tarasenko (St. Louis), Jonathan Toews (Chicago); Defence – Duncan Keith (Chicago), P.K. Subban* (Nashville), Ryan Suter (Minnesota); Goalies - Corey Crawford (Chicago) and Devan Dubnyk (Minnesota).
Metropolitan: Forwards – Cam Atkinson (Columbus), Sidney Crosby* (Pittsburgh), Taylor Hall (New Jersey), Alex Ovechkin (Washington), Wayne Simmonds (Philadelphia), John Tavares (NY Islanders); Defence – Justin Faulk (Carolina), Seth Jones (Columbus), Ryan McDonagh (NY Rangers); Goalies – Sergei Bobrovsky (Columbus) and Braden Holtby (Washington).
Pacific: Forwards – Jeff Carter (Los Angeles), Johnny Gaudreau (Calgary), Bo Horvat (Vancouver), Ryan Kesler (Anaheim), Connor McDavid* (Edmonton), Joe Pavelski (San Jose); Defence – Brent Burns (San Jose), Drew Doughty (L.A.), Cam Fowler (Anaheim); Goalies – Martin Jones (San Jose) and Mike Smith (Arizona).
*Fan-elected captain
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A fan's guide to 62nd NHL All-Star Game in Los Angeles
