Auston Matthews and Connor Bedard highlight the group of 32 players selected by the NHL to play in the 2024 NHL All-Star Game at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Feb. 3.
Matthews, who leads the NHL with 30 goals, will represent the host Toronto Maple Leafs. Bedard, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, leads the Chicago Blackhawks and all NHL rookies with 33 points (15 goals, 18 assists).
Fans will select the final 12 players (eight skaters, four goalies) through the 2024 NHL All-Star Fan Vote presented by MassMutual, which is underway and runs through Jan. 11. Fans can vote at NHL.com/vote and via X (formerly Twitter) and the NHL App.
“I grew up watching every All-Star Game, you know, so I’ve been a part of a couple so far and they’ve been fun,” Montreal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki said. “It’s cool and there’s a lot of good players there, and it’s cool to interact with them.”
Bedard is one of seven players selected to make their first appearance in the NHL All-Star Game. The others are Anaheim Ducks forward Frank Vatrano, Columbus Blue Jackets forward Boone Jenner, Dallas Stars goalie Jake Oettinger, Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart, Seattle Kraken forward Oliver Bjorkstrand and St. Louis Blues forward Robert Thomas.
“Pretty cool accomplishment, especially it being in Toronto,” Thomas said. “My family and friends are so excited. My grandma is super-stoked to be there. It should be a cool experience for all of us.”
Bedard is also one of six No. 1 picks in the NHL draft to be selected for the game.
Matthews, the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, will be making his fifth All-Star Game appearance, while Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, will make his seventh. Other No. 1 picks selected to play in the All-Star Game this year are Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (2005), who is making his sixth appearance, Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (2013), who is making his fifth appearance, Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (2018), who is making his third appearance, and New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes (2019), who is also making his third appearance.
"It's always an honor to be among all the guys and all those elite players. It means a lot,” Crosby said. “It's not something you think about until it's kind of getting closer to it, but I don't think I ever take that for granted."
All-Star Weekend, which runs from Feb. 1-3, will have a completely new look this year. The player draft will return to as part of a new event: NHL All-Star Thursday.
Celebrities will be paired with captains, who will pick the four teams of 11 players (nine skaters, two goalies) for the NHL All-Star Game.
The NHL Alumni Association will announce its Man of the Year in a tribute to the 1967 Toronto Maple Leafs, their last team to win the Stanley Cup. The Professional Women’s Hockey League will play a 3-on-3 game.
“Toronto will be cool,” MacKinnon said. “I have family that lives there, friends that can just fly up easily. It'll be a little different this year. Last year, Florida was fun; little better weather there for sure, but I don't mind the cold."
The skills competition, which will be held Feb. 2, will have a new look this year as well, with 12 NHL All-Stars competing for points in eight events, with the NHL All-Star who accumulates the most points taking home a prize of $1 million (USD).
Each player will compete in four of the first six events listed below, earning points for their respective finish in each event.
The events are: Fastenal NHL Fastest Skater; Rogers NHL Hardest Shot; Upper Deck NHL Stick Handling; NHL One Timers; NHL Passing Challenge; Cheetos NHL Accuracy Shooting.
The top eight point-earners will advance to the seventh event, the Honda NHL Shootout, where each player will choose which goalie they shoot against. Following the Honda NHL Shootout, the top six point-earners will advance to the eighth and final event, the Pepsi NHL Obstacle Course, where the point totals are doubled.
“We’ve decided to add a third night to an already vibrant weekend,” NHL chief content officer Steve Mayer said. “We felt like this was a year to make some changes.”
Tickets to the 2024 NHL All-Star Skills presented by DraftKings Sportsbook are available at Ticketmaster Verified Resale, the official resale partner of the NHL. In addition, tickets to the 2024 Hyundai NHL Fan Fair, the official fan festival of the 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend, are available for purchase at NHL.com/FanFair while supplies last. NHL All-Star Thursday is open to the public and tickets are available here.
First 32 players selected for 2024 All-Star Game (with number of appearances)
F Frank Vatrano, ANA (1st)
F Clayton Keller, ARI (4th)
F David Pastrnak, BOS (4th)
D Rasmus Dahlin, BUF (3rd)
F Elias Lindholm, CGY (1st)
F Sebastian Aho, CAR (3rd)
F Connor Bedard, CHI (1st)
F Nathan MacKinnon, COL (5th)
F Boone Jenner, CBJ (1st)
G Jake Oettinger, DAL (1st)
F Alex DeBrincat, DET (2nd)
F Connor McDavid, EDM (7th)
F Sam Reinhart, FLA (1st)
G Cam Talbot, LAK (2nd)
F Kirill Kaprizov, MIN (3rd)
F Nick Suzuki, MTL (3rd)
F Filip Forsberg, NSH (2nd)
F Jack Hughes, NJD (3rd)
F Mathew Barzal, NYI (3rd)
G Igor Shesterkin, NYR (2nd)
F Brady Tkachuk, OTT (4th)
F Travis Konecny, PHI (2nd)
F Sidney Crosby, PIT (6th)
F Tomas Hertl, SJS (2nd)
F Oliver Bjorkstrand, SEA (1st)
F Robert Thomas, STL (1st)
F Nikita Kucherov, TBL (5th)
F Auston Matthews, TOR (5th)
D Quinn Hughes, VAN (2nd)
F Jack Eichel, VGK (4th)
F Tom Wilson, WSH (2nd)
G Connor Hellebuyck, WPG (4th)
