* After a pair of shootouts in the semifinals Team Matthews outlasted Team McDavid in the final of the 2024 Honda (U.S.) / Rogers (Canada) All-Star Game to win the 3-on-3 tournament and $1 million.
* Auston Matthews scored twice in the final and racked up 2-2—4 across the two games to become the first Maple Leafs player in 33 years to win All-Star Game MVP.
* Team Matthews celebrity captain Justin Bieber took the ice for warmup before stepping behind the bench for each of his team’s victories, celebrating alongside head coach Jim Montgomery.
* The 2023-24 schedule picks back up again Monday with a pair of games, including the Islanders visiting the Maple Leafs and the Rangers hosting the Avalanche. The NHL Morning Skate won’t miss a beat, returning Monday to preview the action.
TEAM MATTHEWS WOWS HOME CROWD TO CLAIM 3-ON-3 ALL-STAR TITLE
Team Matthews, loaded with four Maple Leafs skaters in Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and Morgan Rielly, along with celebrity captain Justin Bieber on the bench, defeated Team Hughes and Team McDavid to capture the All-Star title in front of a sellout crowd of 18,819 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
* This marked the first time the 3-on-3 All-Star format was contested by teams that were not separated by division – with the captains selecting their rosters during the return of the 2024 Tim Hortons NHL All-Star Draft on Thursday. It also matched the most tightly-contested trio of games under the 3-on-3 format – including the first two shootouts since the tournament’s inception in 2016. The 2024 and 2016 All-Star Games both finished with a combined margin of victory of five goals.
* The final saw three tying goals in the first half, including two tallies in a five second span to match the fastest two goals under the 3-on-3 format. It also saw three goals in a record-setting 18-second span.
MATTHEWS BECOMES 11TH PLAYER TO WIN ALL-STAR MVP AT HOME
Auston Matthews registered2-2—4 across the two contests, including 2-1—3 in the final to take home All-Star Game MVP honors. It marked the second consecutive season a player from the host city won the award (Matthew Tkachuk in 2023 w/ FLA). It also marked the first time a U.S.-born player won MVP in consecutive All-Star Games.
* Matthews became the fifth player in Maple Leafs history to win All-Star Game MVP and the first in 33 years, following Vincent Damphousse (1991), Bruce Gamble (1968), Frank Mahovlich (1963) and Eddie Shack (1962). Gamble, Mahovlich and Shack also captured the award in an All-Star Game contested in Toronto.
BIEBER SOAKS UP ALL-STAR GAME EXPERIENCE
Justin Bieber was all over the All-Star Game on Saturday saying “this is a dream” in a pre-game interview. ESPN opened with a video narrated by Auston Matthews that featured Bieber’s hometown and photos from his minor hockey days. In addition to being behind the bench for Team Matthews, Bieber took warmup with the All-Stars in which he posed for pictures with multiple players and sparked an NHL.com player page before capturing the All-Star title.
OTHER CELEBRITY CAPTAINS LEAVE MARK ON ALL-STAR GAME
The three other celebrity captains for the 2024 Honda (U.S.) / Rogers (Canada) NHL All-Star Game, Will Arnett (Team McDavid), Michael Bublé (Team Hughes) and Tate McCrae (Team MacKinnon), also shared the spotlight Saturday to delight the Toronto crowd.
* Arnett, a noted Maple Leafs fan, narrated Sportsnet's broadcast open for the first All-Star Game hosted by his favorite team since 2000.
* Michael Bublé, who isn’t shy about his love for the Canucks, stood behind the bench for Team Hughes which included five players from his favorite team: Quinn Hughes, J.T. Miller, Thatcher Demko, Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson.
* McCrae had a busy All-Star Game, standing behind the bench for Team MacKinnon in the first semifinal and then performing during the break between the second semifinal contest and the final.
MORE NOTES FROM THE ALL-STAR GAME
* In the first semifinal game, Connor McDavid scored the tying goal with 5.4 seconds left in the second half to tie the game and force the first shootout since the 3-on-3 All-Star format was introduced in 2016. He also tallied one of two Team McDavid shootout goals to help his team advance to the final.
* Nikita Kucherov scored his eighth career goal in the 3-on-3 All-Star format, tied with Sidney Crosby and Johnny Gaudreau for the most among all players. Connor McDavid collected 1-2—3 to boost his career totals to 4-13—17, tying Crosby (8-9—17, including 0-2—2 Saturday) for the most career points under the 3-on-3 format.
* Oliver Bjorkstrand scored for Team MacKinnon in the first semifinal game while making his All-Star debut. He became the first Danish-born player to score a goal in an All-Star Game (and the third to appear in the event following Frederik Andersen in 2020 and 2022, and Frans Nielsen in 2017).
* Auston Matthews (2-2—4) was one of five members of Team Matthews with at least four points – along with Alex DeBrincat (3-3—6), Mathew Barzal (1-5—6), Filip Forsberg (3-2—5) and Clayton Keller (1-3—4) – and part of a group of seven players overall who did so (also Team McDavid forwards Leon Draisaitl: 1-4—5; and David Pastrnak: 2-2—4).
COMMUNITY EVENTS CONTINUED ON FINAL DAY OF ALL-STAR
The NHL celebrated the 2024 NHL All-Star Weekend in Toronto, one of the world’s most multicultural cities, with a double-digit number of community events and initiatives focused on making hockey fun and accessible to everyone. The week of community events, many of which are outlined here, continued Saturday with a pair of events.
* More than 50 boys and girls, many of whom were learning hockey for the first time, came together for a fun morning at the NHL All-Star Youth Hockey Jamboree. The kids, who were joined by NHL Officials and PWHL players Alina Müller, Savannah Harmon and Ella Shelton, were part of the NHL/NHLPA First Shift and Learn to Play programs, which provides affordable hockey to families including head-to-toe equipment.
* The NHL, Scotiabank and Pride Tape hosted players from the Toronto Gay Hockey Association, one of the largest LGBTQ+ hockey associations in the world, for a ball hockey game, with players competing for the Pride Cup trophy. Commissioner Gary Bettman was on hand to present the trophy and a $25,000 donation to the organization.
ALL-STAR QUICK CLICKS
* Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon savor being All-Star teammates
* Connor Bedard draws crowd as judge at All-Star shooting contest
* Rasmus Dahlin lends marine biology expertise to Toronto aquarium
* Joey Votto attempts to meet every NHL mascot at All-Star Game
* Looking back at All-Star Games held in Toronto
REGULAR-SEASON SCHEDULE RESUMES MONDAY
The 2023-24 regular-season schedule starts up again Monday with a pair of games, including the Islanders (20-17-12, 52 points) looking to track down a playoff spot visiting the team currently holding the first Wild Card position in the Eastern Conference, the Maple Leafs (25-14-8, 58 points) on Sportsnet and TVA Sports. Also on tap, a couple division leaders will go head-to-head when the Avalanche (32-14-3, 67 points) visit the Rangers (30-16-3, 63 points).
