Ice hockey superstar Connor McDavid from the Edmonton Oilers has won the NHL All-Star Skills 2024.
The 27-year-old secured one million dollars in prize money. “I think it was entertaining. The guys worked hard to put on a good show,” McDavid said.
In the competition on the evening before the All-Star Game, the skills competition was determined in a new format. Twelve players from the North American professional ice hockey league NHL competed to determine the winner in eight disciplines. The disciplines included, among others, the hardest and most precise shot, speed and stick handling.
McDavid, a congenial partner of Germany’s star player Leon Draisaitl, secured the title as the fastest player for the fourth time and also showed his exceptional talent in shot precision and stick handling. The top eight point collectors then competed in a penalty shootout against a goalkeeper they had previously chosen.
The sextet with the most points overall was admitted to the final: the obstacle course. As the last starter, McDavid set the best time and relegated his Canadian compatriot Cale Makar (Colorado Avalanche) and the American Austin Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs) to the other places in the overall standings.
In addition to McDavid, Alexander Georgiev also had something to celebrate. The Russian from the Toronto Maple Leafs won $100,000 in prize money as the event’s best goaltender. He made nine saves in the penalty shootout against McDavid.