ALL-STAR GAME QUICK HITS
* The Greater Columbus Sports Commission estimates that 140,000 people, including 8,000 to 10,000 from out of town, will attend NHL All-Star events over the weekend. Visitor spending is pegged at $12 million and media exposure is valued at $50 million.

* Although 2015 NHL All-Star Shea Weber has never won the Hardest Shot event in the Skills Competition, he did record the second-fastest blast in the contest’s history in 2012 in Ottawa. Weber’s shot was clocked at 106.1 mph, an effort topped only by Zdeno Chara’s record 108.8 mph shot later in the event.

* The first NHL All-Star Game, held at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens in 1947, matched the defending Stanley Cup champion Maple Leafs against the NHL All-Stars. The All-Stars overcame a 3-1 deficit to defeat Toronto 4-3.

* Prior to the first NHL All-Star Game, the concept of pitting the League’s elite against each other was used in three games staged to benefit the families of former NHL stars Ace Bailey (1934), Howie Morenz (1937) and Babe Siebert (1939).

HOMETOWN STAR JOHANSEN GOES FIRST IN FANTASY DRAFT
Blue Jackets forward and hometown star Ryan Johansen was the first overall pick in the 2015 NHL All-Star Fantasy Draft presented by DraftKings, held on Friday at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.

The 2015 NHL All-Star Fantasy Draft presented by DraftKings divided the All-Stars and rookies into two teams for the 2015 NHL All-Star Weekend. Team Foligno won a ‘puck toss’ to pick first overall, with Nick Foligno selecting linemate and first-time All-Star Johansen.

“[Johansen] had to be my first pick,” Foligno said. “He’s a guy who’s battled with me all year long so I wanted to make sure he was first.”

Team Toews chose Maple Leafs forward Phil Kessel as its first choice and the second overall selection. Kessel later was traded to Team Foligno in exchange for Stars forward Tyler Seguin, marking the first trade in NHL All-Star Fantasy Draft history.

“It’s all in fun,” Kessel said. “I think everyone had a good time tonight.”

The teams alternated drafting the remaining All-Stars through 18 rounds. In addition, the four rookies participating in the 2015 Honda NHL All-Star Skills Competition were divided into two groups of two and placed on each All-Star roster by captains’ selections.

“It was actually a lot more of fun than I expected,” said Team Foligno assistant captain Drew Doughty. “We had a lot of fun with the guys that I was drafting and the guys on the other team. I enjoyed it.”

Click here for the full rosters.

RULES AND FORMAT FOR SKILLS COMPETITION
The 2015 Honda NHL All-Star Skills Competition, which will be held tonight at Nationwide Arena (7:00 p.m., NBCSN, CBC, TVA), consists of six events:

* Bridgestone NHL Fastest Skater
* Honda NHL Breakaway Challenge
* DraftKings NHL Accuracy Shooting
* Gatorade NHL Skills Challenge Relay
* AMP NHL Hardest Shot
* Discover NHL Shootout

Team captains will select the participants for each event this morning. See below for the rules and format of the 2015 Honda NHL All-Star Skills Competition:

Event 1

Participants
* Four skaters from each team

Points
* Five points available
* Winner of each matchup scores one point
* The team with the player who has the fastest time scores one bonus point

Procedure / Rules
* The contest consists of four races (two players skating at one time).
* One skater from each team is positioned side-by-side on the start line, both skaters race toward the same end zone, both turn outward, skate to the opposite end zone, turn back and skate past center ice to the finish line.
* The winner of each match is the skater with the fastest time as recorded by the timing devices. In case of a clock malfunction, the official time will be recorded by the referee’s stopwatch.

Tie Situation
* If a race ends in a tie, each of the teams will be awarded one point. If at the completion of the event the skaters who tied have the fastest overall time, then the skaters will race again to determine which team receives the bonus point.

Event 2

Participants
* Three shooters and one goaltender from each team

Points
* One point available
* Shooter with highest percentage of fan votes scores one point

Procedure / Rules
* Shooters can start their routine from anywhere in the neutral zone and have full access to the offensive zone, including behind the net (NHL penalty shot rules do not apply).
* Each skater will attempt three shots.
* Players alternate after each skater attempts one shot.
* The in-arena and television audiences will vote via Twitter for their choice of winner.

Note
* Blue Jackets forward Ryan Johansen won the Honda NHL Breakaway Challenge Fan Vote Campaign and automatically will participate in the event.

Event 3

Participants
* Four shooters and two passers from each team

Points
* Five points available
* Winner of each matchup scores one point
* The team with the player who has the fastest time scores one bonus point

Procedure / Rules
* Four head-to-head matches featuring one shooter from each team.
* Four destructible Styrofoam targets 15 inches in diameter are attached to the goal posts, one target in each corner.
* Two players, one on each side of the net, alternately pass pucks to a shooter positioned 25 feet out from the goal line.
* Shooters compete at opposite ends of the rink, alternating attempts.
* The shooter who hits all four targets in the least amount of time wins the match.
* Any contact of a target by a puck that is shot is scored as a hit.

Tie Situation
* If a matchup ends in a tie, each of the teams will be awarded one point. If at the completion of the event the players who tied have the fastest overall time, then the players will compete again to determine which team receives the bonus point.

Event 4

Participants
* 14 skaters and two goaltenders from each team

Points
* Three points available
* Fastest time in each heat scores one point
* The team with the fastest overall time scores one bonus point

Procedure / Rules
* Event consists of five relays with the following skills:

• One-Timers – three shooters, one passer (each shooter must score two goals)
• Passing – one passer (passer must complete a pass into each of the four nets)
• Puck Control – one skater (skater with puck skates through a series of cones)
• Stick-Handling – one skater (skater controls puck through a series of pucks)
• Goalie Goals – one goaltender (goaltender must score two goals)

* For one of the relays, the one-timer shooters must be lefties and for the other they must be righties.
* Each skill must be completed before moving on to the next skill. Referee whistles/signals start of next skill.
* This is a timed event, with the fastest time winning.

Tie Situation
* If both teams in the same heat have the same fastest time, each team will be awarded one point. If at the completion of the event the heat that recorded a tie is the fastest overall time, then both teams will be awarded one bonus point.

Event 5

Participants
* Four players from each team

Points
* Five points available
* Winner of each matchup scores one point
* The team with the player who has the fastest speed scores one bonus point

Procedure / Rules
* Four head-to-head matches featuring one shooter from each team.
* Players alternate shots. Two attempts for each player.
* A single puck is positioned on the ice 30 feet from the center of the goal. A player, starting no further than the nearest blue line, may skate toward the puck and shoot it from its positioned spot into the goal. The highest recorded shot (in mph) of two attempts will be scored.
* Shots must be on goal to be calculated and all shots are recorded by radar in miles per hour.
* If a puck enters the goal uncalculated due to a malfunction of the radar equipment, the shooter will be allowed an additional attempt.
* If the shooter breaks his stick, he will be given another attempt.

Tie Situation
* If a matchup ends in a tie, each of the teams will be awarded one point. If at the completion of the event the players who tied have the fastest overall speed, then the players will compete again to determine which team receives the bonus point.

Event 6

Participants
* All players participating in the 2015 NHL All-Star Weekend

Points
* Goals scored using game pucks count as one point
* Goals scored using a Discover Card puck count as two points

Procedure / Rules
* Event consists of three rounds.
* Each round is two minutes.
* Seven skaters and one goaltender from each team participate in each round.
* For each round the clock is set for two minutes, a goaltender from each team is in the net and seven skaters from each team are lined up to face the opposing goaltender.
* Each round begins on the referee’s whistle. The first player to shoot is from the team that is trailing in overall competition points. If the score is tied, the home team shoots first.
* Teams alternate shooting and each player has a maximum of 10 seconds to take a shot.
* The seven participating skaters in each round continue rotation until time runs out.
* Every third puck put in to play will be a Discover Card puck.
* Each scoring attempt is officiated in accordance with NHL shootout rules.

NHL UNVEILS LEGACY INITIATIVE FOR ALL-STAR GAME
The NHL and Blue Jackets – along with 2015 NHL All-Stars Patrice Bergeron, Jonathan Drouin and Nick Foligno as well as NHL Alumni Andrew Cassels and Jamie Allison – unveiled on Friday a hockey-themed treehouse within the stairwell at the Columbus Ronald McDonald House, the largest Ronald McDonald House in the world.

The League invested $190,000 into the Columbus Ronald McDonald House as part of the 2015 NHL All-Star Legacy Initiative, an ongoing philanthropic endeavor in which the League, the local club and partners support community organizations in the host city of an NHL event.

The treehouse – which helps bring the outdoors into an indoor space – spans three floors and six flights of stairs with a unique hockey-themed activation in each area. It also features climb ropes, ladders, rock walls, and protective hockey padding and netting around the handrails to provide safety.

Click here for complete details.

LOOSE PUCKS
Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad, who leads rookie defensemen in goals (t-6), assists (19) and points (25) in 44 games this season, has been added to the roster for the 2015 Honda NHL All-Star Game. He already was scheduled to participate in the weekend as a rookie in the 2015 Honda NHL All-Star Skills Competition . . . The Stars signed forward Travis Morin to a two-year contract extension . . . ICYMI: Blues goaltender Brian Elliott cut short his vacation in Turks and Caicos to participate in the 2015 NHL All-Star Weekend.

the above information was provided by the NHL PR department