Defenseman Adam Fox, Shesterkin's teammate with the Rangers, may have had the best experience of all the first timers. In addition to sharing a bench with Ovechkin and Crosby, he played on a line with the two NHL superstars in the 3-on-3 tournament Saturday.
"Playing with Sid and Ovi on our team, seeing them doing stuff out there together," Fox said. "It's cool for a younger guy like me to be around that stuff."
Fox, one of seven first timers on the Metropolitan roster, said the whole experience was surreal.
"It's weird to see it on TV, and then you're the one on the bench the guys are coming giving knuckles to after an event," Fox said. "It was cool to see it so up close."
Like Ullmark, it took some time for Winnipeg Jets forward Josh Morrissey to get to an NHL All-Star Game.
"I don't know if it's really set in yet for me, but I just tried to enjoy it," Morrissey said. "It's a cool experience for me being in my seventh year and first [All-Star] game."
Carolina Hurricanes forward Andrei Svechnikov may have made the biggest splash among the first timers, winning the NHL Fastest Skater event during the skills competition. Other first-year All-Stars were Philadelphia Flyers forward Kevin Hayes, New York Islanders forward Brock Nelson, Rangers forward Artemi Panarin, Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson, Golden Knights forward Chandler Stephenson and Los Angeles Kings forward Kevin Fiala.
"It's lots of fun. It's great to spend these couple of days with the best players," Svechnikov said. "You don't realize how many players you meet [over] the three days. I'll maybe realize in a week or so."