56th National Hockey League All-Star Game

The 56th National Hockey League All-Star Game was played on January 27, 2008 in Atlanta , Georgia . The game's first-time hosts since it was founded in 1999 have been the Atlanta Thrashers .

Atlanta was supposed to be the site of the All-Star Game during the 2004/05 season , but the entire season was canceled due to the lockout . As compensation, the city was given the opportunity again for the 2007/08 season . The transmission rights to the game were held in the United States TV network Versus and in the Canadian CBC .

The event, which took place in the Philips Arena , was attended by the best players from the National Hockey League . In a worldwide vote on the Internet, the starting formations of the Western Conference and the Eastern Conference were determined, while the remaining places in the squad were allocated by the NHL. When selecting the players, particular care was taken to ensure that each of the 30 NHL teams was represented by at least one player.

The coaches for the two All-Star teams were due to be announced on January 4, 2008, but two days earlier it was clear that Mike Babcock of the Detroit Red Wings and John Paddock of the Ottawa Senators would be the team's head coach. The teams of the two Canadians were at the top of their respective conference at the time and could not be overtaken by the deadline.

Events

Logo of the non-played NHL All-Star Game in 2005

In addition to the All-Star Game, in which the best players in the Western Conference competed against the best players in the Eastern Conference , there were other events on the days before. The All-Star Weekend opened on Thursday, January 24th with a concert by the rock band OneRepublic . A benefit concert by R&B musician Usher and Wyclef Jean followed on January 25, as well as the start of a three-day ice hockey tournament for nine to twelve year olds. The next day, a two-day hockey trading card and souvenir fair began, attended by comic artist and co-owner of the Edmonton Oilers, Todd McFarlane . During the day the band Jonas Brothers performed before the first sporting highlights of the weekend came in the evening. In the YoungStars Game, the best players in the league under the age of 23 met each other and in the SuperSkills Competition, the players of the All-Star teams put their skills to the test in various areas, such as shooting strength or speed. A new highlight of the SuperSkills Competition was a shootout competition in which the players tried to score the most spectacular goals possible.

Teams

Eastern Conference Head Coach : John Paddock , Ottawa Senators assistant coach : Don Waddell , Atlanta Thrashers 8 # country player Item team goalkeeper - Martin Brodeur 5 New Jersey Devils 39 Rick DiPietro 5 New York Islanders 30th Tim Thomas 5 Boston Bruins 29 Tomáš Vokoun Florida panthers defender 79 Andrei Markow Montreal Canadiens 33 Zdeno Chára Boston Bruins 51 Brian Campbell Buffalo Sabers 55 Sergei Gonchar Pittsburgh Penguins 15th Tomáš Kaberle Toronto Maple Leafs 44 Kimmo Timonen Philadelphia Flyers attacker - Sidney Crosby 4 C. Pittsburgh Penguins 4th Vincent Lecavalier - C. C. Tampa Bay Lightning 11 Daniel Alfredsson RW Ottawa Senators 17th Ilya Kovalchuk 4 LW Atlanta Thrashers 19th Scott Gomez C. New York Rangers - Dany Heatley 2 LW Ottawa Senators 18th Marián Hossa RW Atlanta Thrashers 71 Yevgeny Malkin 4 C. Pittsburgh Penguins 8th Alexander Ovechkin LW Washington Capitals 10 Mike Richards C. Philadelphia Flyers 91 Marc Savard 2 C. Boston Bruins 9 Jason Spezza C. Ottawa Senators 12 Eric Staal C. Carolina Hurricanes 26th Martin St. Louis RW Tampa Bay Lightning

Western Conference Head Coach : Mike Babcock , Detroit Red Wings assistant coach : Ron Wilson , San Jose Sharks # country player Item team goalkeeper - Roberto Luongo 1 Vancouver Canucks 30th Chris Osgood 1st Detroit Red Wings 34 Manny Legace 1 St. Louis Blues 20th Yevgeny Nabokov San Jose Sharks defender 5 Nicklas Lidström Detroit Red Wings 3 Dion Phaneuf Calgary Flames 55 Ed Jovanovski Phoenix Coyotes 2 Duncan Keith Chicago Blackhawks 27 Scott Niedermayer 6 Anaheim Ducks 25th Chris Pronger Anaheim Ducks - Sergei Subov 6 Dallas Stars attacker - Henrik Zetterberg 7 LW Detroit Red Wings 13 Pavel Datsyuk C. Detroit Red Wings 12 Jarome Iginla - C. RW Calgary Flames 61 Rick nash 7 LW Columbus Blue Jackets 19th Jason Arnott C. Nashville Predators 9 Marián Gáborík RW Minnesota Wild 15th Ryan Getzlaf C. Anaheim Ducks 10 Shawn Horcoff C. Edmonton Oilers 11 Anže Kopitar C. Los Angeles Kings 18th Corey Perry 7 RW Anaheim Ducks 63 Mike Ribeiro 3 C. Dallas Stars 33 Henrik Sedin C. Vancouver Canucks - Paul Stastny 3 C. Colorado Avalanche 97 Joe Thornton C. San Jose Sharks

• Fat: player in the starting line-up
• G = goalkeeper; D = defender; C = center; LW / RW = winger
• ¹ Roberto Luongo was selected as a starter in the Western Conference but was unable to play for personal reasons. Manny Legace was nominated for him. Luongo was replaced in the starting lineup by Chris Osgood.
• ² Dany Heatley was unable to play because of an injury. Marc Savard was nominated for him.
• ³ Paul Stastny was unable to play because of an injury. Mike Ribeiro was nominated for him.
• ⁴ Sidney Crosby was unable to play because of an injury. Yevgeny Malkin was nominated for him. Crosby was replaced in the starting lineup by Ilya Kovalchuk.
• ⁵ Martin Brodeur was unable to take part in the match. Tim Thomas was nominated for him. Brodeur was replaced in the starting line-up by Rick DiPietro.
• ⁶ Sergei Zubov was unable to take part. Scott Niedermayer was nominated for him.
• ⁷ Henrik Zetterberg was unable to take part in the match. Corey Perry was nominated for him. Zetterberg was replaced in the starting line-up by Rick Nash.
• ⁸ Don Waddell replaced Brent Sutter of the New Jersey Devils .

SuperSkills Competition

In the SuperSkills Competition, which took place the day before the All-Star Game, the players had to prove their skills in different areas, such as speed or shot hardness. The players of the Eastern Conference competed against those of the Western Conference.

winner

Final score: Eastern Conference 9 - 6 Western Conference

competition	Team ranking	Individual evaluation
Obstacle relay	Eastern Conference	-
Fastest runner	Western Conference	Shawn Horcoff
Elimination Shootout	-	Dion Phaneuf
YoungStars Game	draw	-
Shooting accuracy	Eastern Conference	Tomáš Kaberle
Hardest shot	Eastern Conference	Zdeno Chára
Breakaway Challenge	Western Conference	Alexander Ovechkin

All-Star Game

After winning the Skills Competition the day before, the Eastern Conference also won the All-Star Game with 8–7. The team laid the foundation stone for this in the first third, which it won 5–1 despite an early goal from Rick Nash . Nash's goal after twelve seconds was the fastest in the history of the All-Star Game. In the second third, the West was able to shorten to two goals thanks to a good-natured Yevgeny Nabokov , who parried all eight shots on his goal. Most recently, Nikolai Chabibulin the NHL All-Star Game in 2002 kept his goal in a third clean. The rising trend of the Western Conference players continued into the final third, when they took the lead thanks to another three goals at half time of the final third. With a total of three goals, Rick Nash played a key role in the successful comeback. This was not rewarded, however, as Eric Staal , who was also voted the most valuable player of the game with two goals and a preparation , and Marc Savard turned the game again in favor of the Eastern Conference.

January 27, 2008 6:00 p.m.
	Western Conference	7–8 (1-5, 2-0, 4-3)	Eastern Conference	Philips Arena Atlanta , Georgia
	R. Nash (0:12) R. Nash ( P. Dazjuk ) (29:34) S. Niedermayer ( J. Thornton , H. Sedin ) (35:08) R. Getzlaf ( E. Jovanovski ) (40:41 ) R. Nash ( J. Iginla ) (41:56) D. Phaneuf ( R. Getzlaf , J. Arnott ) (45:07) M. Gáborík ( H. Sedin ) (50:57)		E. Staal ( B. Campbell , J. Malkin ) (1:20) A. Markow ( M. Richards , M. Hossa ) (9:43) A. Ovetschkin ( J. Spezza , M. St. Louis ) (13 : 35) B. Campbell ( J. Malkin , V. Lecavalier ) (15:10) A. Ovetschkin ( M. St. Louis , J. Spezza ) (17:49) M. Hossa ( S. Gomez , Z. Chára ) (44:08) E. Staal ( I. Kowaltschuk , M. Savard ) (52:35) M. Savard ( B. Campbell , E. Staal ) (59:39)

YoungStars Game

The YoungStars Game, which has been held since 2002 , has undergone a format change for the first time since its introduction and was part of the modernized SuperSkills Competition of the All-Stars. Instead of the previous nine forwards, four defenders and one goalkeeper per team, only four attackers and four defenders per team were nominated. Instead of the game of three thirds of ten minutes each, they only played a 3-on-3 comparison of two halves of six minutes each with a running clock. The goalkeepers who were nominated for the actual All-Star Game stood in the goal. On the side of the Western Conference, Chris Osgood guarded the goal in the first half. Tim Thomas stood between the posts for the Eastern Conference . Manny Legace replaced Osgood and Tomáš Vokoun Thomas in the second half .

Brandon Dubinsky was chosen as the MVP of the YoungStars Game by the Eastern Conference team , who scored two goals.

Eastern Conference # country player Item team defender 39 Tobias Enström * Atlanta Thrashers 58 Kristopher Letang * Pittsburgh Penguins 39 Mike Lundin * Tampa Bay Lightning 18th Marc Staal * New York Rangers attacker 19th Nicklas Bäckström * C. Washington Capitals 23 David Clarkson * 1 RW New Jersey Devils 17th Brandon Dubinsky * C. New York Rangers - Tyler Kennedy * 1 C. Pittsburgh Penguins 17th Milan Lucic * LW Boston Bruins

Western Conference # country player Item team defender 23 Alexander Edler * Vancouver Canucks 6th Erik Johnson * St. Louis Blues 3 Jack Johnson * Los Angeles Kings 5 Matt Niskanen * Dallas Stars attacker 89 Sam Gagner * C. Edmonton Oilers 88 Patrick Kane * RW Chicago Blackhawks 88 Peter Mueller * C. Phoenix Coyotes 57 David Perron * LW St. Louis Blues

• Fat: player in the starting line-up
• G = goalkeeper; D = defender; C = center; LW / RW = winger , * rookie

• ¹ Tyler Kennedy was unable to play due to illness. David Clarkson was nominated for him.

result

January 26, 2008
	Western Conference	6-7 (2-6, 4-1)	Eastern Conference	Philips Arena Atlanta , Georgia
	1–2 Patrick Kane 2–5 Peter Mueller 3–7 Patrick Kane 4–7 Erik Johnson 5–7 David Perron 6–7 Sam Gagner		0–1 David Clarkson 0–2 Nicklas Bäckström 1–3 Brandon Dubinsky 1–4 Marc Staal 1–5 Milan Lucic 2–6 Brandon Dubinsky 2–7 Nicklas Bäckström

Individual evidence

1. ↑ nhl.com, Wings 'Babcock, Sens' Paddock will be head coaches in the 2008 NHL All-Star Game
2. ↑ nhl.com, Blackhawks' Kane 1 of 16 rookies heading to NHL Young Stars competition

Web links

• Official website of the NHL All-Star Game
• Official website of the Philips Arena