From Joe Sudberg,
NHL fans have never experienced an All-Star event like they will in 2016. Instead of a traditional game format, fans showing up live to watch the 2016 NHL All-Star Game at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN will be introduced to a fun 3-on-3 format. The new All-Star game style takes the thrill of regular NHL overtimes and puts it into an even more exciting All-Star setting.
The NHL picked 11 players from each division to compile three separate groups for a short 3-on-3 tournament with 20 minute games. The Central Division will play the Pacific Division and the winner will battle the team that emerges out of a showdown between the Atlantic Division and Metropolitan Division. The final winning team gets their hands on a $1 million cash prize, which - along with the new format - hopes to ignite more intensity in the NHL’s All-Star game.
The trial run of the new format is one reason to head to Nashville to take in the action live, while all of the NHL All-Star game skills challenges will also provide for a good amount of excitement. The action gets started on Saturday night for the skills challenge, which features Fastest Skater, Breakaway Challenge, Accuracy Shooting, Skills Challenge Relay, Hardest Shot and Shootout competitions. Hockey fans looking to head out specifically for the skills challenge event can find NHL All-Star Saturday tickets for $334.03 on average ($128 to get in the door), per TiqIQ.com.
The real draw is undeniably going to be the actual game, which goes down on Sunday and starts out at $522.83 ($174 for the cheap seats). Fans can even bundle the entire weekend and save some cash, with NHL All-Star Weekend tickets starting at $683.42 ($300 to get in). Those aren’t cheap prices, but fans coming in for the weekend can at least save a little money on their travels, with Nashville flights on Hipmunk.com coming in at reasonable prices. The savings are even more obvious when you start talking about lodging, as hotels in Nashville on Hipmunk.com can be found for as low as $54.
A wild and crazy weekend of hockey is really made even crazier with the 2016 NHL All-Star festivities going down in Nashville, famously known as Music City. Nashville’s own team, the Predators, have been just an average bunch during the 2015-16 NHL season (22-18-8) but fans will want to come out to see some of their players participate in the skills challenge competitions and Sunday’s 3-on-3 tournament. Goalie Pekka Rinne and defender Shea Weber will be suited up for the festivities, giving Nashville one more reason to be a little rowdier come this weekend.
While most hockey fans know who Weber and Rinne are, the stars are really coming out for this one, as Patrick Kane, Nicklas Backstrom, Alex Ovechkin, Jonathan Toews and Steven Stamkos will be on hand, among others. The Central Division, backed by a combined 148 goals from their selected participants, should start the 2016 NHL All-Star game as the favorite to win the first ever 3-on-3 tourney.
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