NHL All-Star Game This Weekend – February 1

The final games before the 2023-24 NHL All-Star game were played last night. The All-Star break is officially here. The weekend’s festivities begin on Thursday at 6:00 p.m. ET when the captains begin picking their respective teams. The captains for the NHL All-Star game were selected earlier in January.

What many fans don’t know about the NHL All-Star game is the format. It’s much different than All-Star games played in the other major professional sports leagues. Until just recently, the NFL selected its Pro Bowl players who would then represent their respective conference in an AFC vs. NFC format. The MLB All-Star game still follows that format with players chosen to represent their league – American vs. National. The NBA will go back to the conference format this season after using a pickup game-style draft for the last several years. How does the NHL do it?

The NHL All-Star Game Format

The NHL All-Star game is unique among professional sports. Four teams of All-Stars are chosen by captains. Games are played in a 3-on-3 format, meaning each team has three skaters plus their goalie. The four teams play semifinals with the two winners playing each other for the All-Star game title. The winning team receives $1M to give to the charity of the team’s choice. 

This year’s NHL All-Star game captains are Auston Matthews, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and Quinn and Jack Hughes. Each team will also have a celebrity captain. Justin Bieber, a lifelong Toronto fan, will be the celebrity captain for Team Matthews. Michael Buble, who is part owner of a junior team in Vancouver, will represent Team Hughes. Quinn Hughes plays for the Canucks. Will Arnett (Team McDavid) and Canadian singer Tate McRae (Team MacKinnon) are the other celebrity captains. 

NHL All-Star Game Skills Contests

Along with the NHL All-Star game are the annual skills contests. The draft will take place today and the skills contests will begin on Friday, Feb. 2, beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET. This year, the NHL All-Star game Skills Contest will revamp its format. Twelve All-Stars will compete for points in eight events. The player with the most points wins and earns the top prize – $1 million!

Events in the NHL All-Star game skills competition include the Hardest Shot, Fastest Skater, Accuracy Shooting, One Timers, Stick Handling, and the Passing Challenge. All players will choose to compete in four of these six events in Round 1. The top eight point-scorers will advance to Round 2.

In Round 2, the eight will compete in a 1-on-1 with a goalie of their choice. After the shootout event, the top six in terms of points will advance to the final round. The NHL All-Star game Skills Contest will conclude with an Obstacle Course. The points are doubled in this round and, by the time it’s finished, a winner will be crowned.

Wins, Wins, and More Wins

I know what you’re thinking. Don’t these Sports Hub handicappers get tired of winning? Haha, no! Never! It’s just what they do. Yesterday was no exception. Our compadres at Knup Sports returned to the top-5 on the board yesterday. With $565 in winnings added to their bankroll, Knup Sports actually earned the top spot. Three more Sports Hub exclusive cappers were in the top-5 and eight finished in the top-10. You think they get tired of adding cash money to their bankrolls? 

Here’s a look at the top of yesterday’s leaderboard.

• Knup Sports for the win: Knup Sports put in 26 picks yesterday. They went 17-9 overall to earn that $565. That gives Knup a two-day total of 27-15 and $905 added to the bankroll. Over the last seven days, Knup Sports has earned $1195.
• Dan Jones: If you don’t remember Dan, you should. Yesterday, he went 3-0 and took home $300. That gives him a three-day total of $580 and $925 for the week. He’s got a college basketball pick for tonight in the system already. You should check it out.
• The 5-2 trio: Madjack Sports, Sean Kuchman, and Mike Hawk all went 5-2 yesterday. Madjack earned the most of the three, taking home $280. Sean earned $275, and Mike won $264.
• Sal still killing it: Sal Lombardi went 8-5 yesterday and won $260 to keep his hot streak going. Sal remains the overall 30-day leader with $3205 earned and a winning percentage of 59.5.

Purdue Avoids Upset, Seahawks Have a New Coach

No. 2-ranked Purdue avoided another upset at the hands of Northwestern last night, but the Boilermakers had to go to overtime to get the win. More on that in a moment. The Seattle Seahawks have ended their search for Pete Carroll’s replacement. The Seahawks are hiring one of the NFL’s top defensive coordinators as their new head coach.

These are just a few of the things trending in the sports world today.

• Purdue wins: The Boilermakers were a 14.5-point home favorite last night against Northwestern (15-6, 6-4). They were forced to go to overtime to get the 105-96 win over the Wildcats. Reigning national player of the year Zach Edey had 10 of his 30 points in overtime. Purdue shot 46 free throws in the game. Northwestern attempted just eight.

• Seahawks hire Macdonald: Mike Macdonald, former Baltimore defensive coordinator, will be the new head coach in Seattle. Macdonald’s defenses in Baltimore were routinely among the best in the NFL. Last season, the Ravens led the NFL in scoring defense, giving up just 16.5 points per game.
• Clark moves to No. 2: Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, the reigning women’s college basketball player of the year, moved into No. 2 on the all-time career scoring list last night. She scored 35 points – her fifth straight game with 30-plus – to lead Iowa to a 110-74 win over Northwestern. Clark has 3,424 points and has her eyes on becoming the sport’s all-time leading scorer. Washington’s Kelsey Plum is the career leader with 3,527 points.

Dozens of Picks Available for Tonight’s Schedule

Despite there being no hockey on tonight’s schedule, the Sports Hub picks database is alive and well with dozens of picks for tonight’s action already in the system. Sports Hub members have access to all of our winning picks. If you’re not a member, it’s easy to become one. 

With the NHL All-Star game happening this weekend, the NHL begins its break today. However, there is plenty of action in other sports, giving bettors choices tonight.

Here’s a look at today’s schedule.

1. NBA: There are five games on the NBA schedule tonight. The Lakers-Celtics rivalry continues in the first of two games on TNT tonight. The late game pits Philadelphia at Utah.

2. NCAAM: Only two ranked teams play tonight. No. 6 Wisconsin is at Nebraska. No. 11 Arizona hosts California.
3. Soccer: The Premier League and La Liga have matches today. Other than that, the rest of the international soccer schedule is made up of second-tier play. 
4. NCAAW: No. 1 South Carolina plays at Auburn in women’s college basketball. There is also a matchup of ranked opponents in the Big 12: No. 12 Texas vs. No. 13 Baylor.
5. Golf: The AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am begins today. Justin Rose won the event last year. Rory McIroy is the favorite at +750 to win this year’s event.
6. Tennis: Round 2 of the Open Sud de France continues today for the men. The WTA Tour continues with play in the Thailand Open and the Upper Austria Ladies Linz.

Be sure to check the Sports Hub picks database for winning picks for tonight’s action. Check all day long as our elite handicappers enter picks throughout the day. Don’t forget to keep it tuned to Sports Hub for content related to the NHL All-Star game. We provide great hockey content like our NHL roundup each and every day. Make it a great day and come back tomorrow for more!