Did the NHL finally get the Skills competition right?

Was it perfect? No. The NHL Skills competition will never achieve that. Not when a few of its participants bring the “trying isn’t cool” mentality of eighth graders in a school play. But for what felt like the first time in forever, there was a lot to like about the event, which went down at Scotiabank Arena Friday as part of the 2024 festivities. The revamped format brought more excitement and showcased the players’ raw skill better than it has in years.

In a perfect world, you want the most talented players to fare the best in the skills competition, because that means, in theory, the events are properly calibrated. Connor McDavid is the greatest player of his generation and arguably the greatest pure hockey talent, independent of era, we’ve ever seen. It thus felt right when, in the 12-player, eight-event circuit, he took home the Fastest Skater, Stickhandling and Shooting Accuracy events. It felt appropriate when it came down to McDavid and Makar, arguably the greatest player in a generation at his position, trying to clinch the overall $1 million title during the Obstacle Course event to close out the night.

The NHL consulted McDavid on how to improve the events for this season, so he got to see his input come to fruition on top of taking home the million, some of which he said he’ll donate and some of which might go to teammates.

“I thought it was entertaining,” McDavid said. “I know from a competitive side, it definitively got competitive out there. I was huffin’ and puffin’, guys were working hard trying to put on a good show. And I feel like we did that. We really feel good about it. Ultimately it’s up to the fans, and I hope they enjoyed it.”

The throwback events, Fastest Skater, Hardest Shot and Accuracy, weren’t broken, so it wasn’t a surprise to see them work. But penultimate event, the 1-on-1 challenge, in which the top eight participants advanced and chose which goaltenders they faced, stood out as particularly memorable. The Colorado Avalanche’s Alexandar Georgiev took home the $100,000 goalie prize after a memorable battle with McDavid in which Georgiev used multiple pokechecks to thwart the world’s greatest player.

“I just tried to get it in and it worked the first time, so I’m like, ‘OK, maybe I try a second time.’ And then I’m like, ‘Maybe I try a third time,’ ” Georgiev said.

After the field got narrowed to a final six, there was a genuine sense of suspense in the building for the Obstacle Course; after the saucer pass portion of the course tripped up contender Mathew Barzal of the New York Islanders, McDavid, who was the last up, admitted he was extremely nervous. There was thus a sense of crescendo when he traversed the course and finished on time to clinch the win.

The night had the right mix of drama – even some boos. Atlantic Division members David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins and Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning were mercilessly jeered every time they competed in an event

“I didn’t mind it,” Pastrnak said. “I like it. We created rivalry with Toronto. It was fun.”

How’s this for irony: it appears the NHL has finally scored a Skills format that works…just in time for the All-Star Game to go on hiatus. The 4 Nations Face-Off, the NHL’s new mid-season event pitting Canada, the U.S., Sweden and Finland against each other, will replace it next season. But when the time comes to bring the All-Star weekend back, it looks like finally there’s a winning formula in place.