NHL All-Star Game 2023: Everything we learned from the league's annual exhibition

With the NHL All-Star Game Weekend over and done with, here is everything we learned about the 2023 event as it was happening.

1. NHL Players are skilled as ever and not afraid to show it

Goals were plentiful throughout the afternoon and night as the number of two on nones, breakaways, and bardown clappers were staggering. In the first two games combined there were 26 total goals scored, the most scored was five by Dylan Larkin. It seems as though the 3 on 3 format has garnered the NHL’s intended result of more offense, and the Florida Panthers crowd was electric throughout the contest.

2. Seeing brothers play together is fun

Vancouver Canucks fans, like fans across the NHL can tell you how fun it is to watch two brothers play together, it makes it even better when they’re in front of the hometown crowd and are a part of hockey royalty. Over the two games the Atlantic team played, the two sons of Vancouver Canucks legend Keith Tkachuk, Brady and Matthew combined for five goals. Matthew scored four, with a hat trick in Game 1, and a goal 37 seconds into the All-Star Final in Game 2. The Panthers crowd was electric for their only All-Star in Matthew Tkachuk, who also earned three assists with the goals and was elected the event’s MVP.

3. Having white as a primary color for both team’s jerseys might not be the best idea

One component that posed a problem for multiple players throughout the game were the jerseys worn by both teams. Although one jersey was primarily black, the back of the jersey was primarily white and almost identical to the other one. This caused confusion for multiple passes throughout the game, for example, Minnesota Wild player Kirill Kaprizov passing the puck to the wrong team which led to a goal in the NHL All-Star Final.

4. Fall-Out Boy still has it

Members of the media questioned if Fall Out Boy was a relevant enough act for in-game entertainment, however the doubters were proven wrong as Fall Out Boy rocked FLA Live Arena in their show between the second and third games of the day.

5. Homestead, Florida is almost a perfect choice for a host city

Throughout the weekend, the theming and events were impeccable. The beach setting in florida was even better for the players and proved to be one of the best All-Star locations in history, with skills competitions on the beach and the golf course, and a full margarita bar on the NHL ESPN broadcast.