Tonight's NHL Young Stars & Skills Competition - Offshore Sport Betting

Chronicle Sports · #1 (**permalink**) January 23rd, 2007, 18:15

YoungStars take center stage
Shawn P. Roarke | NHL.com Senior Writer Jan 23, 2007, 2:52 PM EST

DALLAS -- It's not going to be much fun for the defensemen and the goalies. But hey, they can always jump up into the play, too.

Tonight's YoungStars Game, featuring some of the NHL's most exciting superstars of the future, is guaranteed to be packed with offense, skating, chances and plenty of goals. If history is any indication when it comes to one of the most electrifying events of the All-Star celebration, players are going to be getting their dangle on tonight.

"There sure will be a lot of skating around," Chicago defenseman Brent Seabrook said at the YoungStars brunch Tuesday morning. "It will be fun. It'll be relaxed. Guys are going to dangle and it'll be a lot of fun. I also love watching the Skills Competition, that's a lot of fun."

The format is 4-on-4 throughout with three 10-minute periods. The accent will be on the offensive side of the puck with players free to show off their dazzling moves and dekes. It's their chance to show their stuff on their own stage and the junior varsity game should be just as exciting as Wednesday's NHL All-Star Game.

The highlights of this year's YoungStars game will be having Calder hopefuls Evgeni Malkin and Anze Kopitar going head-to-head for the first time on an international stage of this magnitude. Future All-Stars like Jordan Staal and Alexander Radulov will get to show people what they can do and future Norris candidates like Shea Weber and Ryan Whitney will be afforded an opportunity to show just how good they are coming off the blue line.

Radulov is one of the flashier players in the league and has gotten attention for his youthful, boisterous goal celebrations. He has as much chance as any YoungStar to light it up tonight and is one of the players' picks to put on the most exciting show.

Malkin arrived here on a plane with Mario Lemieux and he's as pumped about playing tonight as anyone. Even in the close quarters of regular-season battles, he's made defensemen look silly with his long reach and puck handling skills, and his ridiculous goal against Martin Brodeur earlier in the season stands as the goal of the year. So imagine what he's got up his sleeve tonight for the free-flowing YoungStars match.

"I am extremely excited to be among all these stars," Malkin said Tuesday morning at the Renaissance Hotel. "Right now I don't know what I'll do, but I will think of something later."

The old line is that you might pay for the whole seat, but you'll only wind up using the edge of it. The same holds true for the YoungStars game, which is essentially the opening act before the fan favorite, the Skills Competition.

With an accent on the next generation of NHL superstars one of the prime storylines of this All-Star break, it's clear there are plenty of wonderful talents coming of age right now in the league. With so many highly touted kids suiting up for tonight's game, the future of the NHL and a whole new group of stars will be further evidence proving that the league is most certainly in good hands. The torch is passing.

For all of the YoungStars and about half of the NHL All Stars, this is their first ASG experience.

"It's unbelievable being here this weekend with all the big guys, Joe Thornton and guys like that," Seabrook said. "All those guys, it's amazing to me just to be around here and to be in the same event with those guys. These are all guys I grew up watching. It's really, really cool for me."

And tonight, it will be even cooler for fans tuning in for the YoungStars and the skills competition.

Dodge Nitro/NHL SuperSkills
Format, scoring and rules

Past SuperSkills Results

Events will be staged as follows:

1) Puck Control Relay
2) Fastest Skater
3) Round 1 – Shootout
4) Hardest Shot
5) Round 2 – Shootout
6) Accuracy Shooting
7) In the Zone
8) Round 3 – Shootout
9) One-on-one Shootout

Competition Rules and Regulations

Decision Process
• The referee shall make all necessary rulings regarding the skills competition events.

Participants
• Players must compete in at least one event.

Tie Situation
• If there is a tie between squads after all events, the winning squad shall be determined by a shootout as per regular-season rules.

Goaltenders' Competition
• The goaltender with the fewest total goals-against from both the In the Zone and Shootout events wins the goaltenders’ competition.

Scoring
• One goal is awarded to the winning squad of each team event.
• One goal is awarded to the individual winners of Puck Control Relay, Fastest Skater, Hardest Shot and Accuracy Shooting

Fastest Skater, Hardest Shot and Accuracy Shooting
• Three goals are awarded to the winner of the One-on-one Shootout.

EVENT 1 – PUCK CONTROL RELAY

Participants
• Race One involves three players (two forwards, one defenseman) per squad participating in a relay.
• The second player participating in Race One must be a defenseman.
• Race Two is a one-on-one match race involving a player from each squad.

Procedure
• At the whistle, a player from each squad skates in a straight line from the starting line to the goal line at the far end of the rink.
• Once there, he picks up a puck and maneuvers it around pylons along a prescribed course and toward the starting line. When the player in control of the puck makes contact with the starting line with one skate, the next player on his squad proceeds through the same exercise. The first squad to have all three of its members successfully complete the drill wins.
• The second player participating in Race One must skate backwards to the center line and then continue forward.
• Race Two is conducted according to the same guidelines, but as a one-on-one match race.

Rules
• All players begin with both skates behind the starting line.
• A squad will be disqualified for incorrect running of the course.
• A player must be in control of the puck upon finishing the course and before the next player on his team may proceed, or that respective squad faces disqualification.
• If, at any time, a player loses control of the puck, the player must regain control and return to the point where control was lost before continuing through the balance of the course.
• Each squad is allowed one false start at the beginning of a race.
• A second false start will disqualify the offending player’s squad.
• If a relay partner (2nd or 3rd skater) commits a false start, that player’s squad is disqualified.
• If there is a false start by relay partners on both squads the race will be re-run.

Puck Control Relay (Team Event)

2004 Western Conference
2003 Western Conference
2002 World All-Stars
2001 North America All-Stars
2000 World All-Stars
1999 North America All-Stars
1998 World All-Stars
1997 Western Conference
1996 Western Conference
1994 Eastern Conference
1993 Wales Conference
1992 Campbell Conference
1991 Campbell Conference
1990 Campbell Conference

Puck Control Relay (Individual Event)

2004 Rick Nash
2003 Martin St. Louis
2002 Paul Kariya
2001 Paul Kariya
2000 Paul Kariya
1999 Paul Kariya
1998 Teemu Selanne
1997 Geoff Sanderson
1996 Pierre Turgeon
1994 Russ Courtnall

EVENT 2 – FASTEST SKATER

Participants
• Three players per squad.

Procedure / Rules
• The contest consists of six single-player timed races.
• Starting from a standing position three feet from the center red line, the player skates one complete revolution around the rink finishing at the center red line on the side of the ice surface where he began.
• Players must complete the course. If they do not, their squad is disqualified from the event and shall concede a goal to the opposing squad.
• Winners are determined by electric eyes that record time in thousandths of a second. The clock is automatically started and stopped by the motion of the player. In case of a clock malfunction, the official time will be recorded by the referee’s stopwatch.

Scoring
• One goal is awarded to the squad with the best average time.
• One goal is awarded to the squad represented by the player with the best time.

Tie Situation
• In the event of a tie, each squad will receive one goal.

Fastest Skater (Individual Event)

2004 Scott Niedermayer 13.783 seconds
2003 Marian Gaborik 13.713 seconds
2002 Sami Kapanen 14.039 seconds
2001 Bill Guerin 13.690 seconds
2000 Sami Kapanen 13.649 seconds
1999 Peter Bondra 14.640 seconds
1998 Scott Niedermayer 13.560 seconds
1997 Peter Bondra 13.610 seconds
1996 Mike Gartner 13.386 seconds
1994 Sergei Fedorov 13.525 seconds
1993 Mike Gartner 13.510 seconds
1992 Sergei Fedorov 14.363 seconds

EVENTS 3, 5, 8 AND 9 – SHOOTOUT

NOTE: Shootout event replaces Breakaway Relay beginning in 2007.

Participants
• 12 skaters and 3 goalies from each squad participate in the first three rounds (4 skaters and 1 goalie from each squad per round)
• 1 skater and 1 goalie from each squad participate in the one-on-one Shootout

Procedure / Rules
• 3 rounds of team competition
• 1 round of individual competition

Rounds 1, 2 and 3
• each of the first three rounds consists of 4 skaters and 1 goalie per squad
• 1 shot per player as per NHL shootout rules
• alternating players shoot on the opposing goalies

One-on-one Shootout
• final round consists of 1 skater and 1 goalie per squad
• skater is chosen by the coach prior to the start of the event
• goalie is the goalie that participates in the third round of the team competition
• Shooters alternate, each player taking three shots
• If there is a tie following the initial three shots, sudden death rules will apply

Scoring
• All goals scored count towards the total score for each squad
• Individual winner of the one-on-one Shootout earns three goals for his squad

Goaltenders
• Goaltenders’ goals-against records in this event are combined with the In the Zone event to determine the winner of the Goaltenders Competition.
• Note that from 1991 to 2004, the Breakaway Relay event accounted for 50% of the result in the Goaltenders Competition.
• Goals scored in final round of the Shootout do not count in the Goaltenders Competition.

EVENT 4 – HARDEST SHOT

Participants
• Four players per squad.

Procedure / Rules
• A single puck is positioned on the ice 30 feet from the center of the goal. A player, starting no further than the nearest blue line, may skate towards the puck and shoot it from its positioned spot into the goal. The highest recorded shot (in mph) of two attempts will be scored.
• Shots must be on goal to be calculated and all shots are recorded by radar in miles per hour.
• If a puck enters the goal uncalculated due to a malfunction of the radar equipment, the shooter will be allowed an additional attempt.

Scoring
• The squad with the best average score in mph, determined by using each participant’s highest recorded shot, will receive one goal.
• The player with the highest recorded shot in mph will be deemed the individual winner and his squad will receive one goal.

Tie Situation
• In the event of a tie, the player with the highest mph average will be declared the winner and have one goal awarded to his squad.
• If there is a tie in the average score of the squads, each team will be awarded one goal.

Hardest Shot (Individual Event)

2004 Adrian Aucoin 102.2 mph
2003 Al MacInnis 98.9 mph
2002 Sergei Fedorov 101.5 mph
2001 Fredrik Modin 102.1 mph
2000 Al MacInnis 100.1 mph
1999 Al MacInnis 98.5 mph
1998 Al MacInnis 100.4 mph
1997 Al MacInnis 98.9 mph
1996 Dave Manson 98.0 mph
1994 Al Iafrate 102.7 mph
1993 Al Iafrate 105.2 mph
1992 Al MacInnis 93.0 mph
1991 Al MacInnis 94.0 mph
1990 Al Iafrate 96.0 mph

EVENT 6 – ACCURACY SHOOTING

Participants
• Four players per squad.

Procedure / Rules
• Four destructible styrofoam targets 15 inches in diameter are attached to the goal posts, one target in each corner.
• Two players, one on each side of the goal, alternately pass four pucks each to a shooter positioned 25 feet out from the goal line.
• The shooter has a maximum of eighteen seconds to shoot up to eight pucks in an attempt to hit each of the four targets.
• Any contact of a target by a puck that is shot is scored as a hit.
• Multiple hits on the same target do not increase the shooter’s score. Passes that are not received by the shooter qualify as attempts.

Scoring
• One goal to individual winner’s squad
• One goal to squad with most targets hit in fewest shots.

Tie Situation
• In the event of a tie between squads, each squad will receive one goal.
• In the event of a tie between individual shooters, each squad will receive one goal.

Accuracy Shooting (Individual Event)

2004 Jeremy Roenick 4 hits, 4 shots
2003 Jeremy Roenick 4 hits, 6 shots
2002 Jarome Iginla 4 hits, 6 shots
Markus Naslund
2001 Ray Bourque 4 hits, 6 shots
2000 Ray Bourque 4 hits, 5 shots
Viktor Kozlov
1999 Ray Bourque 4 hits, 6 shots
Jeremy Roenick
Keith Tkachuk
1998 Ray Bourque 4 hits, 6 shots
Peter Forsberg
Brendan Shanahan
1997 Ray Bourque 4 hits, 7 shots
1996 Mark Messier 4 hits, 4 shots
1994 Brendan Shanahan 4 hits, 5 shots
1993 Ray Bourque 4 hits, 4 shots
1992 Ray Bourque 4 hits, 4 shots
1991 Mark Messier 4 hits, 6 shots
1990 Ray Bourque 4 hits, 7 shots

EVENT 7 – IN THE ZONE

Participants
• Nine players per squad.
• Three players per round.
• Goaltenders from opposite squad

Procedure / Rules
• Three players will be placed in pre-determined positions in the offensive zone (see attached diagram).
• Each trio of players will have six pucks to shoot against the goalie (two originating from each of the three players per heat).
• The referee will place the puck in position before starting each shot attempt with a whistle.
• The players must make two passes before each attempted shot.
• The players will have five seconds from the official’s whistle with which to make their two passes and attempt their shot.
• Any type of shot may be taken, but players may not shoot on the rebound.
• Any of the three players may take the shot on the goalie.
• After the first pass, the player at the blueline can move in as far as the hashmarks; the other players must remain within their
respective faceoff circles.
• After each shot, the referee will clear the puck out of the slot area.
• The next puck will go into play on the referee’s whistle.
• The referee will blow the play dead after each attempted shot or missed pass (a missed pass constitutes an attempted shot).

Scoring
• The team that scores the most points in the three rounds earns a point for their team.
• Goals scored against each goaltender will count towards his record in the Goaltenders Competition.

Tie Situation
• In the event of a tie, both teams will receive a point

In The Zone (Team Event)

2004 Eastern Conference 6 goals, 4 goals against

ALL-STAR SKILLS COMPETITION RESULTS, 1990– 2004

BREAKAWAY RELAY
(accounted for 50% of overall goaltending competition, 1991-2004)
GA – goals against
NOTE: Breakaway Relay is replaced by Shootout Event beginning in 2007.

Goaltenders Breakaway Relay Results
2004 Martin Brodeur................1 GA, 6 shots
Roberto Luongo
2003 Patrick Roy ......................1 GA, 6 shots
2002 Dominik Hasek................1 GA, 6 shots
Patrick Roy
2001 Sean Burke......................1 GA, 6 shots
Evgeni Nabokov
2000 Tommy. Salo....................1 GA, 6 shots
1999 Dominik Hasek................1 GA, 6 shots
Arturs Irbe
1998 Dominik Hasek................0 GA, 6 shots
1997 Dominik Hasek................1 GA, 6 shots
Guy Hebert
1996 Dominik Hasek................0 GA, 6 shots
1994 Curtis Joseph ..................0 GA
1993 Jon Casey........................2 GA
Mike Vernon
Ed Belfour
1992 Mike Richter....................1 GA
Don Beaupre
1991 Mike Vernon ...................1 GA

Team Breakaway Relay Results
2004 Eastern.............................6 goals
2003 Western ...........................7 goals
2002 World ..............................7 goals
2001 World ..............................7 goals
2000 World ..............................8 goals
1999 World .............................9 goals
1998 World .............................6 goals
North America
1997 Eastern ...........................6 goals
1996 Eastern ...........................8 goals
1994 Western ...........................9 goals
1993 Campbell .......................11 goals

GOALTENDERS COMPETITION
(Fewest goals against in In the Zone and Shootout/Breakaway Relay Events)

2004 Roberto Luongo 1 GA, 12 shots
2003 Patrick Roy 1 GA, 9 shots
2002 Dominik Hasek 1 GA, 9 shots
Patrick Roy
2001 *Sean Burke 4 GA, 13 shots
2000 Mike Richter 2 GA, 16 shots
1999 Arturs Irbe 2 GA, 16 shots
1998 Dominik Hasek 3 GA, 16 shots
1997 John Vanbiesbrouck 2 GA, 16 shots
1996 Dominik Hasek 4 GA, 16 shots
1994 John Vanbiesbrouck 4 GA, 16 shots
Patrick Roy
1993 **Jon Casey 5 GA, 30 shots
1992 Mike Richter 2 GA, 25 shots
1991 Patrick Roy 2 GA, 25 shots
1990 Kirk McLean 4 GA, 27 shots

* Burke won in a penalty shot tie-breaker with Evgeni Nabokov, both goaltenders posted two goals-against in the Breakaway
Relay and the Pass and Score events.

** Casey won in a penalty shot tie-breaker with Mike Vernon and Ed Belfour, each of whom also had 5 goals against in the
Breakaway Relay and Rapid Fire competitions.

SUPERSKILLS CONFERENCE WINNERS

2004 Eastern Conference
2003 Western Conference
2002 World All-Stars
2001 North America All-Stars
2000 World All-Stars
1999 World All-Stars
1998 World All-Stars
1997 Eastern Conference
1996 Western Conference (on 2nd tie-breaking penalty shot)
1994 Western Conference
1993 Campbell Conference
1992 Wales Conference (on 5th tie-breaking penalty shot)
1991 Wales Conference
1990 Campbell Conference