The National Hockey League announced on June 3 a major overhaul to its All-Star Weekend, introducing a new international format for the 2027 Honda NHL All-Star Game and Skills competition. The event will take place at UBS Arena on Long Island on February 5 and 6.
The revised format replaces the traditional divisional games with a five-team international round-robin tournament in a fast-paced 3-on-3 setup. Teams representing the United States, Canada, Sweden, Finland, and a “Rest of World” group will compete. Each team will have eleven players—nine skaters and two goaltenders—and participate in ten five-minute games without overtimes or shootouts. Points will be awarded as follows: two for a win, one for a tie, and none for a loss. The top two teams from the round-robin stage will advance to play in a ten-minute championship final. The winning team will split a $2 million prize.
The entire tournament is scheduled to air live on ABC in the United States and Sportsnet in Canada. Matchups are set to feature notable rivalries such as USA versus Canada in Game 1 and potential encounters between club teammates representing different nations throughout the schedule.
In addition to Saturday’s tournament, Friday’s festivities shift focus toward young talent with an exclusive skills showcase featuring only players aged twenty-five years old or younger. Ten selected stars from across the league will compete in preliminary rounds covering events like Fastest Skater, Hardest Shot, Passing Challenge, One Timers, Stick Handling, and Accuracy Shooting. Top performers advance through dynamic shootout rounds before facing off in an obstacle course finale; the champion receives $1 million.
Fan participation is also central to this year’s changes: fans can vote starting in December to select eight players per national squad from pools chosen by the NHL and NHL Players’ Association (NHLPA). After fan voting concludes, league officials along with NHLPA representatives will choose three additional roster spots—one forward, one defenseman, one goalie—for each team.
