When does the 2024 NHL All-Star break begin and end? Exploring league's scheduling for marquee event

The countdown for 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend in Toronto has begun, promising fans a captivating spectacle from Feb. 1-3.

The marquee event features an array of thrilling activities, including the Tim Hortons All-Star Player Draft (ESPN2, SN, TVAS), the NHL Alumni Association Man of the Year celebration and the Canadian Tire PWHL 3-on-3 Showcase, all taking place on Thursday, Feb. 1.

Fans can witness the exciting 2024 All-Star Skills presented by DraftKings Sportsbook on Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. ET (ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS), featuring a revamped format and 12 All-Stars vying for a $1 million winner-take-all prize. The skills competition includes fan-favorite events like the Fastenal NHL Fastest Skater and the Rogers NHL Hardest Shot.

The centerpiece of the weekend is the 2024 Honda (U.S.)/Rogers (Canada) NHL All-Star Game on Feb. 3 at 3 p.m. ET, broadcast on ABC, ESPN+, SN, CBC and TVAS. The contest will see player captains, assistant captains and celebrity captains selecting teams for a high-stakes showdown.

Global superstar Justin Bieber leads Team Matthews, with Auston Matthews as captain. At the same time, Team McDavid, under the guidance of Connor McDavid, has Leon Draisaitl as the assistant and celebrity captain Will Arnett.

Teams Hughes will have Jack Hughes and Quinn Hughes as captains and celebrity captain Michael Buble. Nathan MacKinnon will lead Team MacKinnon, with songwriter and dancer Tate McRae as celebrity captain.

Who are the 12 players in the skills competition?

The selected 12 players represent various teams, such as J.T. Miller, Quinn Hughes and Elias Pettersson from the Vancouver Canucks, Matthews and William Nylander from the host Maple Leafs, Jack Hughes, MacKinnon, Makar, McDavid and Draisaitl, along with Nikita Kucherov from the Tampa Bay Lightning and David Pastrnak from the Boston Bruins.

In the NHL All-Star Skills competition, these players partake in four of the initial six events, earning points based on their performance. The top eight progress to the Honda NHL Shootout, and the top six advance to the final Pepsi NHL Obstacle Course, where points are doubled.

NHL All-Star ticket info

Hockey fans eager to attend the All-Star Game can acquire tickets through ticketmaster.com, with prices ranging from $44 to $74 for Feb. 1, $154 to $588+ for Feb. 2 and $181 to $882+ for Feb. 3.

For an enhanced experience, fans have the option to purchase the Official Ticket Package from nhlexperiences.com. Tickets for the NHL All-Star Game within this package range from $1,599 to $2,999, providing a variety of exclusive perks. These include pre-game hospitality, opportunities for Stanley Cup photos and premium choices such as arena tours and postgame photos.