NHL All-Star Weekend community digest

The 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend is finally here, with events scheduled all over Toronto starting Wednesday and running through Sunday.

Though most of the action will take place on the ice at Scotiabank Arena, starting with All-Star Thursday, which includes the Tim Hortons NHL All-Star Player Draft, the NHL Alumni Man of the Year, Honoring the 1967 Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Canadian Tire Professional Women's Hockey League 3-on-3 Showcase, the 2024 NHL All-Star Skills presented by DraftKings Sportsbook on Friday and the 2024 Honda (U.S.)/Rogers (Canada) NHL All-Star Game on Saturday, there will be plenty of action around town, and NHL.com will have it covered with our All-Star Weekend community blog.

February 2

Referees step into Fan Fair spotlight

For an hour on Friday, the officials for the 2024 Honda (U.S.)/ Rogers (Canada) NHL All-Star Game, referees Frederick L'Ecuyer and Francis Charron and linesmen Brandon Gawryletz and Trent Knorr, informed and entertained a large crowd at the 2024 Hyundai NHL Fan Fair, talking candidly about their lives on and off the ice.

The men in the striped jerseys, everyone would learn, are human beings after all.

It was a rare moment in the spotlight for the officials, who tend to do their work as quietly as they can before slipping off to the airport and a flight to their next assignment.

"You want to make sure that you start the game the right way, to see everything," said L'Ecuyer, who will work his 1,000th regular-season game next week. "It's super-fast on the ice and we're far from perfect. Sure, we're going to miss calls, but our job is making sure we don't miss many.

"For me, if people don't talk about me at the end of the game, then I did my job."

The first-time fan session seems likely to be brought back at the All-Star Game in the future, given the full hall at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre South Building, and the scope of topics covered, pulling back the curtain on the officiating profession and the many challenges presented by working in 32 cities.

In the back of the hall enjoying all of it was Stephen Walkom, NHL executive vice-president and director of officiating.

The forum was moderated by Gord Stellick of SiriusXM NHL Radio, whose extensive hockey background produced a well-researched question and answer session that ultimately yielded the floor to fans who had come dressed in jerseys from practically every NHL team.

The officials spoke about their roots in hockey, the joy of having their families with them during 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend, travel, chirping from players and coaches, video review and assignments earned in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

They spoke of a constant desire to be consistent and invisible, of their personal role models, injuries, favorite teams growing up and favorite arenas in which they work, and advice they'd offer to anyone who might wish to follow their path.

And how often, came a question that gave all a laugh, are they required to visit an optometrist.

"What do you do when referees don't agree on a call?" a young fan asked, to which Knorr replied, "Arm wrestle!"

That reflected the light-hearted, breezy session, the officials clearly comfortable to be in the spotlight out of stripes and skates, not a whistle in the room. -- Dave Stubbs, columnist

Photo: All-Star Game officials (from left) Frederick L’Ecuyer, Brandon Gawrlyetz, Francis Charron and Trent Knorr.

EA SPORTS NHL 24 All-Star Open championship hosted at Hockey Hall of Fame

CadCooks (Samuel Landry), representing the Washington Capitals, won the EA SPORTS NHL 24 All-Star Open championship at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto on Friday.

CadCooks, the reigning North American champion, defeated Polgz (Ethan Kerr-Polgar; representing the Toronto Maple Leafs), his friend and teammate from other competitions, 2-1 in the best-of-3 championship round at NHL All-Star Weekend and took home a $2,000 USD cash prize. CadCooks won the final match 4-3 in overtime.

“I’m still shaking to be honest,” CadCooks said after winning the All-Star Open title. “That was such a sweaty series. I got destroyed in Game 1 (of the championship series) and had to find a way to bounce back. That might have been crazier than (anything) last year.”

After a 9-3 loss in the first game of the championship round, CadCooks responded with a 7-6 overtime win in the second game -- followed by the championship-clinching victory in another extra session. It was a dramatic finish to the tournament for the participants, fans in attendance in Toronto and others watching live on Twitch, including CadCooks’ parents while on their trip to Costa Rica.

“Thank you to all the people who supported me in this dream,” CadCooks said.

The semifinal round featured another tight matchup between friends and teammates and also went the distance, with CadCooks defeating Geimer (Matthew Geim; representing the Calgary Flames) 2-1 in the best-of-3 series. In the other semifinal, Polgz had a 2-0 sweep against Deeks (Dany-Karl Lavesque, representing the Montreal Canadiens) in the best-of-3 set.

This marked the first LAN (Local Area Network) event of the EA SPORTS NHL 24 World Championship esports season and featured the top four finishers from All-Star Open qualifying. The competitors were facing each other in the Hockey Hall of Fame gallery, with fans passing by throughout the day to watch the live action, view the surrounding memorabilia and shoot pucks at the nearby nets.

The competitors’ rosters featured a mix of NHL legends, from Wayne Gretzky to Mario Lemieux, Teemu Selanne, Mike Modano and more, and current players, including NHL All-Stars Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Jack Hughes, William Nylander and others.

All four competitors have automatically qualified for the EA SPORTS NHL 24 North American Bracket beginning March 9, joining 64 players from the Club Championship and 56 players from Online Open Play. 

For more tournament information, visit www.nhl.com/NHL24. -- Pete Jensen, NHL.com Director

All things hockey available at Hyundai Fan Fair

Alfonso Yumuo developed a greater appreciation for what participants in the Cheetos NHL Accuracy Shooting competition will have to go through after he visited the 2024 Hyundai NHL Fan Fair in Toronto on Friday.

Alfonso, 10-year-old from Toronto, worked up a sweat at the NHL Street shooting accuracy rink at the Fan Fair trying hit targets in each corners of a goal and then shoot a hockey ball into a bucket tied to the middle of the crossbar.

"It's not that easy," he said. "You have to aim and use a little bit of force."

The NHL All-Stars will have their turn at the NHL All-Star Skills presented by DraftKings Sportsbook on Friday (7 p.m. ET; SN, TVAS, ESPN, ESPN+).

The NHL Street exhibit is one of many displays and booths dedicated to all things hockey inside the 300,000 square-foot family friendly festival at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre South Building, which runs through Sunday.

Darryl Sittler was all smiles as he sat behind a replica Sportsnet broadcast desk and signed autographs at the Rogers Hardest Shot skills section at the fair.

"I've been to a number of NHL All-Star Games over the last number of years, one of which we had here 24 years ago, so it's nice that it's back in Toronto," said Sittler, a 1989 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee who had 1,121 points (484 goals, 637 assists) in 1,096 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings. "It's nice that it's back in Toronto. … For guys like myself who played the game for so many years and are still around it, it's nice to be invited back to sign a few autographs, take a few pictures with the fans and be part of the weekend."

James Wallace, a 13-year-old student at St. Paul Catholic School in Toronto, said he enjoyed visiting the United By Hockey Mobile Museum, which is parked inside the Fan Fair for All-Star Weekend.

The museum offers a unique interactive experience that celebrates the sport's trailblazers, change-makers and business leaders spanning multiple underrepresented and multiracial demographics, highlighting that hockey is for everyone.

James said he was particularly struck by the museum's disabled hockey exhibit which features a sled that belonged to U.S. Para ice hockey player Gabby Grave-Wake and a puck used for blind hockey.

"I learned that even if you have a disability, don't let it stop you," James said.

Individual tickets for each day of the Fan Fair are available for purchase at NHL.com/FanFair. -- William Douglas, staff writer

NHL/NHLPA Future Goals takes over Fan Fair

Nicholas Matobu said he likes learning about math and science through hockey and the Future Goals Hockey Scholar program. 

But the 10-year-old from Toronto said he especially enjoyed seeing hockey and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) in action at NHL All-Star Future Goals Kids Day presented by SAP on Friday at the 2024 Hyundai NHL Fan Fair.

“I wanted to come here to play hockey with my friends for a while and see mascots and hockey players,” Nicholas said.

Nicholas was one of about 500 Toronto-area students who participated in the Kids Day activities which allowed them to have exclusive access to the Fan Fair before it opened to the public on Friday.

They listened to a STEM panel that featured NHL Director of Youth Strategy, Andrew Ference; Glenn Moffatt, vice president, Canada, Midmarket, and National Programs at SAP; Hockey Hall of Fame forward Darryl Sittler; and panel host Danielle Emanuele, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ in-game host.

“Future Goals has been pretty successful the last few years, SAP has kind of thrown their weight behind it and allowed us to be able to scale it up,” said Ference, a retired defenseman who played 907 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Calgary Flames, Boston Bruins and Edmonton Oilers. “Today is a celebration of what they’ve been doing and of the program itself, kind of a neat chance to talk about the program.”

Ference, with the aid of two students, gave an exhibition on the use of force and angles by trying to shoot a street hockey ball over a small SAP scoreboard above a street hockey rink inside the Fan Fair.

“It’s really nice to know about what angles to use, the amount of pressure, that kind of stuff,” said Theo Wahl, a 9-year-old student at the McMurrich Junior Public School in Toronto. “It’s really fun.”

Future Goals Hockey Scholar is a free online program, developed and delivered by EVERFI, that uses STEM concepts to inspire boys and girls to develop STEM-based skills in a fun and engaging way. Nearly 4 million students at more than 22,100 schools have recieved 7.58 million hours of learning through Future Goals since 2014. 

Future Goals is one of several programs that has benefitted from the NHL/NHL Players’ Association Industry Growth Fund, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this season.

The IGF was created to help grow the game at all levels on and off the ice with an emphasis on youth. Established as part of the NHL/NHLPA Collective Bargaining Agreement in 2013, the IGF has contributed more than $180 million to development programming, host events and provide education that drives awareness and brings hockey communities together.

“I was there for that collective bargaining agreement,” Ference said. “You’re going to bring people into the sport in different ways. Some people are going to brought in by their parents or friends. Others are never going to know a thing about hockey from their family, but it might be through something at school or an event like this that kind of sparks something in their brain about how they learn, and they connect it to hockey, and they start to have some interest in hockey.” -- William Douglas, staff writer

February 1

Future Stars All-Star Girls Clinic held at Nathan Phillips Square

Gem Winter didn’t score during the shootout portion of the Future Stars All-Star Girls Clinic held at Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square rink on Thursday, but she was thrilled just being coached by some of the best women to play the sport.

“Yeah, all the OGs are here, so I have to show what I got,” said Gem, a 12-year-old defenseman from Toronto. “I was disappointed about the shootout, but it was fun.”

About 21 elite girl’s players representing Hockey Equality and the Black Girl Hockey Club performed drills and scrimmaged under the watchful eyes of Hockey Hall of Famer Angela James, former professional women’s player-turned broadcaster Saroya Tinker, former Canadian college hockey star Kryshanda Green and others.

They boarded buses afterward and traveled to Scotiabank Arena to watch Professional Women’s Hockey League Players play the Canadian Tire PWHL 3-on-3 Showcase as part of NHL All-Star Thursday.

“It meant a lot to play against them and with them because they’re the best players who look like us,” said Kristina Eccleston, a 14-year forward from Brampton, Ontario. “It’s good to see where we can be in the future if we keep working.”

The clinic was co-hosted by retired NHL players Anthony Stewart and Mark Fraser, members of the NHL Player Inclusion Coalition. The players represented Hockey Equality and the Black Girl Hockey Club.

Hockey Equality, chaired by Stewart, seeks to grow the sport by lowering financial and other barriers that impact BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) and female youth.

BGHC’s mission is to inspire and sustain passion for hockey within the Black community, especially women, and to provide access to the sport through education and scholarships.

“I love that we are using this platform to promote our professional women, but we have to see these girls coming up,” said Hockey Equality executive director Chante Eastmond. “All the girls out here play high level hockey. They look up to those women every day. For them to be showcased and getting their flowers and an opportunity for everyone to see them is amazing.”

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHL Players’ Association Executive Director Marty Walsh attended the clinic and said they were impressed by what they saw.

“It demonstrates the power of our game to bring more and more people, no matter what their background, into the game,” Bettman said.

“I think we’ve got to do more of this,” Walsh said. “When you see young Black girls playing hockey out there, playing hockey with other girls, it’s awesome, it’s incredible to see. It’s great for the sport and, more importantly, it’s great for the kids.” -- William Douglas, staff writer

SickKids honors late Walter Gretzky

Wayne Gretzky couldn't help but smile when he talked about his late father, Walter, and what Walter's reaction would be to have his name now a part of SickKids hospital, where he often visited ailing children.

"I know my dad, as shy as he was, he would be very arrogant about this," Gretzky said to laughs on Thursday. "He would love it."

In honor of Walter Gretzky, the Bitoves, a prominent family in Toronto who recently committed $1 million to the SickKids VS Limits campaign to help build a new hospital, are dedicating their gift by naming an emergency department nursing station the Walter Gretzky Team Station.

Walter died March 4, 2021, nine-years after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. He was 82.

Walter Gretzky was known as "Canada's Hockey Dad." Wayne Gretzky was seven months old when his father and mother, Phyllis, bought a home in Brantford, Ontario, 90 minutes southwest of Toronto. He later built a rink in his backyard to teach Wayne hockey fundamentals.

Wayne Gretzky has the NHL records for most regular-season goals (894), assists (1,963) and points (2,857) and won the Stanley Cup four times with the Edmonton Oilers. He also played for the Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers.

Vonna Bitove, whose brother Tom co-owned Wayne Gretzky's restaurant with the Gretzky family from August 1993 to when it closed in October 2020, said she remembers Walter often making the 25-minute walk from the restaurant to visit children at SickKids.

"Even when I offered a ride, Walter said there was no need. He enjoyed the walk," Vonna said. "Walter's compassion for children was not forgotten.

"He was a man of integrity, kindness and humility who always put others before himself. Even though his contributions to hockey and the community will never be forgotten, our hope is that when a nervous parent brings a sick child through the emergency doors and sees Walter's name, they might be sent relief. May his spirit move on in the many lives he's touched."

Walter Gretzky made an impact on and off the ice during his life. His legacy will live on in a special way at SickKids.

"My dad was a very special husband, father, grandfather," Wayne Gretzky said. "He was wonderful for our country. He always bragged about his parents being immigrants, coming here and how great Canada was, how proud he was to be Canadian, how much he loved living here.

"I had a brother (Glen) who came through (SickKids) years ago, I had a nephew (Zach) who came through here just recently, so it's been a special place, not only for people and families that come here but for our family also." -- Tracey Myers

Hockey 4 Youth helping grow game in non-traditional markets

Rouba El Khatib said hockey came naturally the first time she picked up a stick in gym class.

The 17-year-old was not familiar with the sport having immigrated to Canada with her family from Lebanon, but the Hockey 4 Youth program gave her and hundreds of young people like her a chance to play.

"When I first hopped on the ice, I was so scared because I was sliding everywhere, but I used to roller skate in Lebanon and I stuck to the same movements and it worked," El Khatib said. "A lot of the girls on the ice were surprised that it was my first time and so were my teachers, but I really love it."

Hockey 4 Youth was founded by Moezine Hasham, whose parents immigrated to Canada from Uganda when people of South Asian decent were expelled from the African country in the early 1970s.

"At the age of 6, I got my first set of equipment from my neighbor across the street, my mom had talked to her and her son had outgrown the equipment," Hasham said. "That's how I got started and I played right through university."

Hasham was inspired to start the program by his late father Noorali along with Willie O'Ree, the first Black player in the NHL. It introduces the game to Canadian newcomers, providing ice time, equipment and lessons. There is also an off-ice component, which helps develop life skills.

Launched in 2015, the Hockey 4 Youth Foundation offers 11 programs to schools in Vancouver and Vernon, British Columbia; Windsor, Toronto and Ottawa, Ontario; and Montreal, Quebec. Over 700 youth representing 41 different countries have taken part in the program.

A group of 20 players were selected to represent the program are at the NHL All-Star Weekend in Toronto as guests of Rogers, who presented Hockey 4 Youth with a $50,000 donation at the Red Carpet entering Scotiabank Arena on Thursday. Prior to the presentation, the group had an opportunity to meet Marie-Philip Poulin captain of the Canadians women's national team and Montreal of the Professional Women's Hockey League, along with Tom Wilson of the Washington Capitals.

"Hockey is not just a game, it's Canadian culture," said Firaol Yadetta from Ethiopia, who went through the program and now is a director with Hockey 4 Youth. "When I learned to play hockey, I was learning about the Canadian culture, and it was a very good experience for me."

The Hockey 4 Youth program features young players from non-traditional hockey countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Central and South America. Most had never seen the game before putting on skates and equipment.

Among those who made the trip to Toronto were Valentina Rodriguez, 18, Ayuesa Arquero, 15, and Evelyn Powless, 14.

"I usually played individual sports, but playing hockey gave me the opportunity to play with other people," Joy Uchenna, 17, originally from Nigeria said. "That collaboration and seeing people work together for one common goal, I love that about it, that's what motivated me to try it." -- Derek Van Diest

January 31

Mascots take over Toronto

Six NHL mascots helped Toronto get ready for NHL All-Star Weekend and the 2024 Rogers (Canada)/Honda (U.S.) NHL All-Star Game by taking a Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) subway ride with fans to Scotiabank Arena.

The hometown tour guide, Carlton the Bear from the Toronto Maple Leafs, led the pack, which included NJ Devil (New Jersey Devils), Fin the Whale (Vancouver Canucks), Stormy (Carolina Hurricanes), Slapshot (Washington Capitals) and ThunderBug (Tampa Bay Lightning).

Toronto locals and hockey fans got a pleasant surprise on their commute, thanks to Rogers and the NHL.

The mascots played pranks, ran around the stations and set the tone for the weekend, along the route toward toward their arrival at Union Station.

The 2024 NHL All-Star Game is set for Saturday (3 p.m. ET; ABC, CBC, SN, TVAS, ESPN+).

Fans took pictures and got to interact with their favorite mascots, along with former Maple Leafs forward Shayne Corson. The Barrie, Ontario native knows firsthand how much the sport of hockey means to this city as both a player and a local.

“Being a Leaf fan growing up I knew they were great fans, but until you play here you didn’t realize how engaged they were and how much they loved the game of hockey,” said Corson, who played 19 seasons in the NHL, including three with the Maple Leafs (2000-03).

Upon leaving the subway, the mascots took to the streets of Toronto on their way to the arena. They handed out hats, took videos, danced and more. The mascots will continue to make appearances throughout the weekend at the Hyundai NHL Fan Fair, along with other events.

Corson said he's thrilled about NHL All-Star Weekend being in Toronto this year.

“The All-Star Game is a great event," he said. "You have the greatest players in the world come here to showcase their talent, and for Toronto to be hosting that, it’s incredible for the city and the fans.” --* Anna Dua*