There will be a 3-on-3 tournament featuring teams from various countries at the 2027 All-Star Game

Marc-Olivier Cook
There will be a 3-on-3 tournament featuring teams from various countries at the 2027 All-Star Game
Credit: Joel Auerbach/Getty Images

For several years now, people have been saying that the NHL All-Star Game is… boring.

So the league has decided to revamp its format to offer fans a different kind of event for the upcoming season.

What's it all about? Let's find out together!

Basically, here's what's going to happen.

On February 5, there will be a skills competition featuring 10 players aged 25 and under. And the next day, instead of the All-Star Game itself… the NHL will host a three-on-three mini-tournament featuring teams from several countries.

Canada, Finland, Sweden, the United States, and a “Rest of the World” team will face off for the occasion. It's a bit different… and I'm sure I'm not the only one looking forward to seeing how it turns out.

It's worth noting that Russian players will be allowed to participate in the tournament as part of the World Team. That, too, is a rather… interesting development.

All in all, kudos to the league for the initiative. The executives must know that the show put on in recent years has been a bit lackluster, and seeing the NHL try some new things to entertain the fans is a good thing in itself.

At the very least, it's likely to be more enjoyable than watching the guys drag their feet on the ice in a meaningless three-on-three competition. Here, at least, the players will be competing for their country, and they'll certainly want to win.

Especially since there's money on the line ($2 million for the winning team)!

Finally, it's worth noting that Gary Bettman has denied rumors that he is on his way out.

The 74-year-old commissioner is working on a succession plan… but nothing is imminent at this time. Those hoping to see him leave will apparently have to wait a little longer!


In a nutshell

– Okay.

– Well done.

– Yes.

– News from MLB.

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