How is the 2024 NHL All-Star Game format different from earlier? New competition layout and skill competition explored

The NHL has changed the format for both the All-Star Game and skills competition in hopes of bringing more excitement to the weekend festivities.

After complaints about last year's skills competition and All-Star Game, the NHL made some major changes.

The first change is to the skills competition, as 12 all-stars will compete for points in eight different events, and whoever has the most points after eight events will get $1 million. The events are the fastest skater, hardest shot, stickhandling, one-timers, passing challenge, accuracy shooting, shootout and obstacle course.

The 12 all-stars will pick to compete in four of the first six events, with the top eight advancing to the seventh event of the shootout.

The shootout has the most intrigue as the eight players will line up, along with the eight goalies. The players will get to select the goalie they want to shoot against.

“The seventh event is so cool,” Mayer said. “Eight players will line up on one blue line, eight goalies will line up on the other, and the players -- one by one, from eighth place to first place -- will pick the goalie he wants to go up against.”

Then, the top six point-getters will advance to the final event, which is the obstacle course.

It's a major change from last year, and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the league wanted to do something different.

“We wanted to do something that the players would have fun with and want to participate in,” Bettman said on ESPN’s “SportsCenter” on Tuesday... "We’ll crown an All-Star All-Star as the Skills champion, and that should be a lot of fun.”

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How is this year's NHL All-Star Game different?

The NHL is also changing the format for the All-Star Game.

For the fourth time ever, and first since 2015, the NHL will have a fantasy draft to select the All-Star teams. In years past, the All-Star game was divided into Eastern vs. Western Conference and then got changed to the four divisions competing against one another.

Finally, the NHL All-Star weekend will also feature a 3-on-3 game with PWHL players to showcase the new women's pro league. That game will take place on Thursday, Feb. 1, to kick off All-Star weekend.