Anyway, back to the event.  Tonight, the 2009 NHL All-Star SuperSkills Challenge is taking place.  I will be updating this post as video becomes available. 

Fastest Skater – It’s pretty self-explanatory.  This challenge will attempt to find the fastest skater (they go around the rink once).  Here are the participants and results:

• Zach Parise (NJ Devils) – 14.59 seconds
• Jeff Carter (Philadelphia Flyers) – 14.43
• Brian Campbell (Chicago Blackhawks) – 14.50
• Jay Bouwmeester (Florida Panthers) – ??
• Mason Raymond (Vancouver Canucks) – ??
• Andrew Cogliano (Edmonton Oilers) – 14.31

Cogliano wins!!!  Watch the video:

Breakaway Challenge – in this event, the players try to show off some skill while being inventive.  They asked an unknown goaltender to be between the pipes during the challenge (they supposedly asked him to just let the players score but it looks like he didn’t follow that request, ha ha).

Patrick Kane (Chicago Blackhawks) started the event and was followed by Ryann Getzlaf (Anaheim Ducks) and Martin St. Louis (Tampa Bay Lightning).

Steve Stamkos (Tampa Bay Lightning) was the first to show a little a little speed but Alexander Ovechkin was the most interesting.  At the end of his turn, he put on a touristy hat and sunglasses, had Evgeni Malkin give him something to drink and then he tried to score using two sticks.  Too funny!

Accuracy Challenge:  The players compete to see who can shoot the most targets in a short amount of time.

• Jonathan Toews
• Ilya Kovalchuk
• Mike Modano
• Jarome Iginla
• Evgeni Malkin
• Dany Heatley
• Marc Savard
• Tomas Kaberle

Passers:

• Keith Tkachuk
• Joe Thornton
• Patrick Marleau
• Scott Niedermayer

Hardest Shot Featuring:  Again, this is self-explanatory.  The players compete to see who has the hardest shot. 

• Mark Streit
• Shea Weber
• Mike Komisarek
• Vincent Lecavalier
• Sheldon Souray
• Zdeno Chara

image used with permission

Post from: Hockey Beat

I cast my vote several weeks ago and I’m urging you to do the same, if you haven’t already.  Fans are voting to select the lineups for the 2009 NHL All-Star Game in Montreal January 25, 2008.  Here are the results as of December 3, 2008.

In the East

Top 3 Forwards: Alexei Kovalev, Saku Koivu and Alex Tanguay (all Montreal) but Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, are starting to catch up.

Top 3 Defensemen: Andrei Markov, Mike Komisarek (both Montreal) and Sergei Gonchar (Pittsburgh).

Goaltender: Carey Price (Montreal).  His votes are almost double his closest competition, Pittsburgh’s Marc-Andre Fleury.

In the West

Top 3 Forwards: Marian Hossa, Pavel Datsyuk (both Detroit) and Jarome Iginla (Calgary Flames) with Henrik Zetterberg (Detroit) nipping on Iginla’s heels. 

Top 3 Defensemen: Nick Lidstrom (Detroit), Dion Phaneuf (Calgary) and Brian Rafalski (Detroit).

Goaltender:  Roberto Luongo (Vancouver) has a commanding lead over Chris Osgood (Detroit).

See any trends?  The Eastern Conference is dominated by the Montreal Canadiens and the Pittsburgh Penguins while the Western Conference is all about the Detroit Red Wings and Calgary Flames (with the exception of Luongo who plays for the Vancouver Canucks).

I don’t know about you but I find that really interesting.  Anyway, you still have time.  Head over to Vote.NHL.com and make your choices!

image: NHL.com

Post from: Hockey Beat