Before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman announced new formats for the 2027 All-Star festivities on Long Island. Both announcements can benefit the Devils both on and off the ice. This change involves both the skills competition and the All-Star Game itself.
For the skills competition, it now comprises only 25-under players. They will compete across eight events. The events are fastest skater, hardest shot, passing challenge, one-timers, stick-handling, and accuracy shooting. After those events, the top four players will move on to a shootout. Finally, the top two from that faceoff in the obstacle course finale, which has a $1 million prize.
The NHL has announced MAJOR changes to All-Star Weekend this year at UBS Arena on Long Island 👀
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 2, 2026
-Skills Comp comprised of only 25-and-under players
-All-Star Game will be a 3v3 round robin tournament featuring a USA, Canada, Sweden, Finland and Rest of World team pic.twitter.com/7VdjBMquHW
When it comes to the All-Star Game, the NHL has decided to keep the international tournament momentum going. The league teams of Canada, USA, Finland, Sweden, and the "World," which will be made up of other players outside of the countries mentioned. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly announced Russian players will indeed be allowed to play in this event. This is massive news for both the NHL and the Devils, as it will be the first time since 2021, players from Russia can play in a tournament like this.
Each All-Star team will have nine skaters and two goalies. There will be a 3-on-3, round-robin tournament. Each team will play four 5-minute games, with a win earning them points. Two points for a win, one point for an OT loss, and zero for a regulation loss. The winning team earns a $2 million prize.
There's opportunities for the New Jersey Devils in the new All-Star format
This is a great opportunity for the Devils' stars like Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, and Jesper Bratt. Hughes, he'll be 25 by the time the events happen. He'll very likely be a part of both the skills competition and the international tournament. Hischier will look to ease the sting of losing the Gold Medal at this year's World Championships with this opportunity. Bratt will have a chance to redeem himself after barely playing in the Olympics this past year.
Other guys that could get a shot if they have strong seasons could be Luke Hughes, Dougie Hamilton, Simon Nemc, Jacob Markstrom, and Arseny Gritsyuk. It's not just the play on the ice that will benefit the Devils, but the off-the-ice marketing that will get more people to watch these games and learn about the entire league, including New Jersey. Either way, it's a huge opportunity for everyone to make the All-Star events more interesting and exciting.
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