McKenna’s Musings: Some ideas on how to improve NHL All-Star Weekend

The 2022 NHL All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas had some fun,  unique moments. But it could have been even better. Here are a few ideas to spruce up the 2023 All-Star event taking place in South Florida.

Super-serve the fans in attendance!

I understand that television ratings are insanely important to the NHL’s stakeholders. ESPN especially. But don’t forget about the people who paid to be in the building.

Take the Skills Competition for example. The cadence was far too slow. It felt like ages between events. It’s one thing for fans to have enough time to grab a beer and a hot dog. It’s a whole different story when they’re sitting on their hands for fifteen minutes waiting for the next event to happen.

It would be easier to understand if the game took place in a mundane location devoid of entertainment. But in Vegas? There should have been circus acts taking place between events. Clowns entertaining the crowd. Music cranking throughout T-Mobile. 

The skills competition was entertaining on the ice. And on the Las Vegas Strip. And in the fountains of Bellagio. But I have two daughters under the age of eight and they would have been bored out of their minds in person.

I love that the NHL incorporated Vegas in unique ways. But the league could have done so much more to keep the paying customer entertained. Especially during COVID when fans are kept at a distance from the players.

Get rid of the lines on the ice!

I’m not calling for total chaos – keep the referees and linesmen on the ice. You never know what might happen late in a game when there’s a million dollars on the line and one of the All-Star teams trails by a goal or two. I mean Pete Rose pretty much ruined catcher Ray Fosse’s career in the 1970 MLB All-Star game. We don’t need that in hockey.

But I can’t for the life of me understand why NHL players were on the ice in Vegas playing 3 on 3 hockey and having to worry about staying onside. How could the NHL possibly think calling a goal back in an All-Star game could be a good thing? 

It’s not. And it was embarrassing to see several plays reviewed for offsides. It sucked the life out of the arena and produced a collective groan from the audience. Eyes rolled. A half dozen friends texted me with incredulous comments. And a lot of profanity.

There was simply no reason to play the All-Star game with offsides rules in place. Open up the ice. Let the best players in the world do what they please. Want to send a teammate down the ice for a hail mary? Go for it! Imagine the battle between a goalie and a shooter with that much time. Crazy things would happen.

I’d love to see how teams would respond to the freedom of open ice. Would teams spread out? Attack in waves? Stay tight and defend? I don’t know. And that’s the fun of it. It’s never been done before. Teams would be learning on the fly and it would let the coaches be more involved.

I’ve previously floated this idea for overtime during the NHL’s regular season. Games already end in a shootout. Teams play 3 on 3. I don’t see how the NHL would be trampling on tradition by getting rid of the blue and red lines during overtime.

If NASCAR can build an asphalt racetrack inside LA Memorial Coliseum, the NHL can handle sanctioned pond hockey.

Let the DJ work the entire game!

The NHL did a smart thing in hiring Zedd to perform at the All-Star game. The DJ/producer/songwriter is wildly popular and his songs are certified bangers.

So why was he only allowed to spin records during player introductions? Could the NHL not have been more short-sighted as to the impact Zedd could have had on the overall energy of the All-Star game?

I think he should have been stationed between the benches for the entire game. Set up the turntables and get the arena rocking!

I know some fans will bristle at the suggestion of music being played during an NHL game. And I completely agree that it shouldn’t happen during the regular season. But at an All-Star game? In Vegas? Make it a party! If there was ever a time for it, Saturday night was it.

I won’t pretend to be a big club goer, but I have a major appreciation as to how DJs like Zedd are able to feed off a crowd and bring it to life. There are times to crank the music. But there are also moments that require nuance. And Zedd did an amazing job of bridging that gap during player introductions.

But the NHL whiffed. Was it the cost? I don’t know Zedd’s rate. It can’t be cheap. But I think it would have been incredible to have him controlling the arena’s vibe for an entire afternoon.