The NHL's All-Star Skills competition came and went on Friday night with a myriad of new and returning champions that took center stage in Florida. Here’s who won and how they did it from the league's night of stars.
NHL Fastest Skater: Andrei Svechnikov (Hurricanes) - 13.699 seconds
Andrei Svechnikov skated his way to the winner of the Fastest Skater competition after the two favorites, Dylan Larkin and Cale Makar, bowed out in the first round. Cale Makar fell down in the second turn before recording the worst time of anyone. Dylan Larkin, who had previously won the competition, couldn’t get past Kevin Fiala to get to the championship. Svechnikov outraced Fiala in the final.
Pitch 'n Puck: Nick Suzuki (Canadiens)
In the first year of the league’s golf themed competition, Nick Suzuki opened up the competition with the best opening tee shot, landing his puck on the edge of the fairway. He followed up his opening drive with a fantastic double bounce that landed his puck on the green closer to the flag than anyone and put it in cleanly.
Tendy Tandem: Central Division (Juuse Saros and Connor Hellebuyck)
The Central Division won the Tendy Tandem behind a full ice shot from Juuse Saros that gave extra skaters and shooters to the central.
NHL Splash Shot: Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen (Avalanche)
The Colorado Avalanche duo put both the Penguin’s Sidney Crosby and Rangers Adam Fox into the water during the brand new Splash Shot competition. The Rangers team of Fox and Igor Shesterkin stumbled in the second round due to Shesterkin having trouble accurately shooting with a goalie stick while Rantanen sunk Fox.
NHL Hardest Shot: Elias Pettersson (Canucks) - 103.2 mph
Elias Pettersson fired the hardest shot on goal and no one else in the competition even came close. Not even Alex Ovechkin, the veteran known for one of the hardest shots around, could top the century mark.
NHL Accuracy Shooting: Brock Nelson (Islanders)
In the fiercest competition of the night, Brock Nelson won out over Nazem Kadri in the final with the fastest shooting time. Connor McDavid set the second fastest time ever in the first round, but was upset by Kadri in the semifinals before Nelson took home the crown in the championship.
NHL Breakaway Challenge: Alex Ovechkin (Capitals), Sidney Crosby (Penguins), Sergei Ovechkin
In the cutest moment of the night, classic rivals Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby gave the breakaway shot to Alex’s four year old son Sergei, who fired it five hole on Roberto Luongo en route to a perfect 40 score.