All-Star Weekend (Toronto 2024)

[Pengwin7]

Just curious - as I consider "Dobber" world to be centralized most closely to NHL-Toronto - anybody checking out any of the events?

Not a thread for people to poo-poo the All-Star Game.
I know most people love to say "it's not interesting"...
But for fans... to have it near your city... it is a fun once or twice in lifetime thing to checkout all the NHL teams, with some different events, mascots, etc.

Toronto-people...
Keep us posted.
Any of you going?
(If anybody takes photos... or has stories... I'd love to hear them).

Last ASG in Toronto was 2000, well before the birth of DobberHockey!

Apparently there's a $1m prize for winner of highest point score... among 12 contestants competing in 8 events!
https://www.nhl.com/events/all-star/...ls-competition







Tickets for Upper Bowl of Skills is a bit bonkers... at a minimum of $235 right now!
https://www.ticketmaster.ca/2024-nhl...818.1706734399

[blayze]

There hasn't been much buzz about it surprisingly...

I'm not going, NHL all star weekend has always been a snooze fest for me personally

[2014olympicgold]

Toronto also hosted the first ASG when it was the previous Stanley Cup champions vs the all stars, and the last ASG under that format in 1967 (heard on the radio).

I'm going to the draft tmo and the PWHL to help out a friend who works with event setups, but I'll be gone by 5pm (stuff starts at 6pm). Can't say I would actually pay for the tickets lol. But I'm also heading into Toronto Friday Night for my fiances Bday. Wonder if the bar/club will have any famous ppl in it.

[Feenom]

There hasn't been much buzz about it surprisingly...

I'm not going, NHL all star weekend has always been a snooze fest for me personally

Same. Should be a ton of parties around town though.

[pmorrow]

The buzz will be harder to absorb if you aren't going to the events as its cold so people aren't "out" as much. For instance, Maple Leafs Square and surrounding areas would have been hopping in a warmer time of year. Most of the 'fest' stuff is happening at the Toronto Convention Center, or the arena, and there are other things like the SDPN podcast people doing their shows live, as well as TSN 1050 doing a show at a bar downtown this weekend. I don't know if I'll be going to any of it, but there is definitely stuff happening downtown if you know where to look.

[2014olympicgold]

To be fair, this weekend is great weather considering what it could have been. Last yr at this time it was like -10 to -15C. This yr it's like +3 to -3

[Axeman33]

I cant remember which one, but I was listening to a podcast recently and they were saying the ticket prices were ridiculous for all events, not that anyone should be surprised by that.

[2014olympicgold]

Thursday (Draft+PWHL game) - $44 on Ticketmaster
Friday (Skills comp) - $232-300 on ticketmaster
Saturday (AS Game) - $315-$330 on Ticketmaster

[blayze]

The buzz will be harder to absorb if you aren't going to the events as its cold so people aren't "out" as much. For instance, Maple Leafs Square and surrounding areas would have been hopping in a warmer time of year. Most of the 'fest' stuff is happening at the Toronto Convention Center, or the arena, and there are other things like the SDPN podcast people doing their shows live, as well as TSN 1050 doing a show at a bar downtown this weekend. I don't know if I'll be going to any of it, but there is definitely stuff happening downtown if you know where to look.

What do you mean cold? It's like 5 degrees celsius... this is as warm as it gets for this time of year lol

[butch]

I'll probably tune into the draft tonight . Probably a few good laughs to be had .

does the last pick of the draft still get a prize ?

hopefully Barzal doesnt tweak anything if he's in the fastest skater comp .

[finnys_fanatsy]

im mildly interested. the re-vamped skills might be worth watching, but the ASG itself is a hard pass for me. The draft might be worth watching, but i feel that goddamn Bieber will be on the screen more than necessary along with AM34

[hockeyrobot]

Did anyone watch the draft? Was it on at like 5pm??

[2014olympicgold]

6pm EST.

It was dull. Until Buble admitted post draft in a presser that he was so high on mushrooms lol.

Couple of things they can do next yr:
- Have Biz or Subban host it. Amber and the other guy sucked.
- Don't have players on the mics. Have 4 actors who are fine being in front of a crowd who might not know everything. Or, have the ESPN guys (bizz, Gretzky) be there. Or the podcast guys that Bizz works with. It was too robotic with people who want to work the crowds, and guys who want nothing to do with the crowds (McDavid).
- I understand the reasoning having it at the arena, but I think in a studio would work better.
- Improve the computer interface. The constant "You need to pick a goalie here" was annoying, especially when Buble didn't.
- Turn off the hot mics. Players were not comfortable with that. Have a mic on the podium that activates when you press a button.
- Encourage trades. Include like "Arnett trades Player A + $10,000 to charity for Player B".
- Have a PR co-op student write up interesting potential trades based off real NHL history. The Kessel/Seguin trade was jokes. Hand out the forms prior to the draft to the captains.

[finnys_fanatsy]

There is no way you can tell me that wasn’t a staged draft. They had the player’s jerseys made up?! I guess they could have had 4 sets for each player made but I dunno.

Ya the interactions btwn Amber and the players was tough to watch. And I’m thinking the leafs are not really into Beiber as much as Beiber is into the leafs. They just kinda shunned him as he sat there trying to look cool and not pouty.

[Invictus]

What do you mean cold? It's like 5 degrees celsius... this is as warm as it gets for this time of year lol

Ha that was my thoughts too!
Same around here… my pond rink is now a swimming pool