NHL All-Star 3-on-3 Tournament
When: Sunday, Jan. 29, 3:30 p.m. ET
Where: STAPLES Center, Los Angeles, Calif.
TV: NBC (U.S.); CBC, Sportsnet, TVA Sports (Canada)
It was so good last year, they're doing it again. And three remains the magic number.
The 2017 All-Star Game will follow in the footsteps of 2016: The world's best players - and its poor, helpless goalies - will decide divisional supremacy in a 3-on-3 three-game tournament.
Related: Everything you need to know about Saturday's Skills Competition
Sunday's Schedule
| Game | Teams | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Semifinal 1 | Central vs. Pacific | 3 p.m. ET |
| Semifinal 2 | Metropolitan vs. Atlantic | 4:30 p.m. ET |
| Final | SF 1 Winner vs. SF 2 Winner | 6 p.m. ET |
Tournament Format
- Four teams representing each division: Atlantic, Metropolitan, Central, and Pacific
- The Atlantic Division won Saturday's Skills Competition, and opted to face the Metropolitan Division in the afternoon's second semifinal, meaning the Central and Pacific will lead off.
- Three 20-minute games played at 3-on-3 (teams will change ends at the 10-minute mark)
- Games tied after 20 minutes will go to a shootout
- $1 million goes to the winning team
Remembering 2016
Last year, All-Star weekend in Nashville, Tenn., became The John Scott Show.
The enforcer, with the Arizona Coyotes when the calendar turned to 2016, was voted to the annual showcase by fans online, much to the dismay of the NHL. Scott was traded on Jan. 15, 2016 to the Montreal Canadiens, and sent to the club's AHL affiliate in St. John's. Four days later, with much uncertainty around Scott's status, the NHL announced it would let him participate in All-Star weekend, as captain of the Pacific Division.
In the end, the big man stole the show.
Scott was given a rousing standing ovation during the Skills Competition, the only All-Star wearing his All-Star tournament jersey, since he was technically a member of the Eastern Conference, playing in the AHL, while representing the Pacific Division. (Yeah, only in the NHL.)
The 3-on-3 tournament began with the Atlantic defeating the Metro in the first semifinal, 4-3. Three-on-three at the All-Star Game was born, and it was beautiful.
In the second semifinal, with the Central up 1-0 after 26 seconds, Scott would make his mark only 21 seconds later, tying the game 1-1. The Pacific wouldn't trail in the tournament again.
Scott - who celebrated his first goal with a brilliant fist pump, like a man who'd scored a lot more than five goals in the NHL - finished with two goals, and the Pacific won 9-6.
The final was a tight-checking affair, obviously, with the Pacific prevailing 1-0 on Corey Perry's tally. Goalies Jonathan Quick and John Gibson were stellar and stopped all 17 shots they faced.
Scott, tied for the team lead with two goals in two mini-games, was rightfully named tournament MVP. Sweet justice.
Scott's now retired, and isn't in L.A., but he went out a champion and MVP. His legacy is forever.
2017 Team Captains
- Atlantic Division: Carey Price (Montreal Canadiens)
- Metropolitan: Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins)
- Central: P.K. Subban (Nashville Predators)
- Pacific: Connor McDavid (Edmonton Oilers)
2017 All-Star Rosters
Each team is made up of six forwards, three defensemen, and two goalies.
Atlantic
| Player (Position) | Team |
|---|---|
| Nikita Kucherov (F) | Lightning |
| Brad Marchand (F) | Bruins |
| Auston Matthews (F) | Maple Leafs |
| Frans Nielsen (F) | Red Wings |
| Kyle Okposo (F) | Sabres |
| Vincent Trocheck (F) | Panthers |
| Victor Hedman (D) | Lightning |
| Erik Karlsson (D) | Senators |
| Shea Weber (D) | Canadiens |
| Carey Price (G) | Canadiens |
| Tuukka Rask (G) | Bruins |
Metropolitan
| Player (Position) | Team |
|---|---|
| Cam Atkinson (F) | Blue Jackets |
| Sidney Crosby (F) | Penguins |
| Taylor Hall (F) | Devils |
| Alex Ovechkin (F) | Capitals |
| Wayne Simmonds (F) | Flyers |
| John Tavares (F) | Islanders |
| Justin Faulk (D) | Hurricanes |
| Seth Jones (D) | Blue Jackets |
| Ryan McDonagh (D) | Rangers |
| Sergei Bobrovsky (G) | Blue Jackets |
| Braden Holtby (G) | Capitals |
Central
| Player (Position) | Team |
|---|---|
| Patrick Kane (F) | Blackhawks |
| Patrik Laine (F) | Jets |
| Nathan MacKinnon (F) | Avalanche |
| Tyler Seguin (F) | Stars |
| Vladimir Tarasenko (F) | Blues |
| Jonathan Toews (F) | Blackhawks |
| P.K. Subban (D) | Predators |
| Duncan Keith (D) | Blackhawks |
| Ryan Suter (D) | Wild |
| Corey Crawford (G) | Blackhawks |
| Devan Dubnyk (G) | Wild |
Pacific
| Player (Position) | Team |
|---|---|
| Connor McDavid (F) | Oilers |
| Jeff Carter (F) | Kings |
| Johnny Gaudreau (F) | Flames |
| Bo Horvat (F) | Canucks |
| Ryan Kesler (F) | Ducks |
| Joe Pavelski (F) | Sharks |
| Brent Burns (D) | Sharks |
| Drew Doughty (D) | Kings |
| Cam Fowler (D) | Ducks |
| Martin Jones (G) | Sharks |
| Mike Smith (G) | Coyotes |
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