ALL-STAR WEEKEND
The 2014-15 All-Star game weekend in Columbus is spread over three nights. Tonight will be the fantasy draft, in which captains Nick Foligno (with Patrick Kane and Drew Doughty designated as alternates) and Jonathan Toews (along with Rick Nash and Ryan Getzlaf) will choose their respective rosters in alternating pickup-game style. The fantasy draft will air on NBCSN at 8 p.m. EST.
It is entirely possible that Flyers' representatives Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek will end up on "opposing" sides -- quotation marks added because competitiveness is not part of the equation. The only two objectives of the event are to avoid injuries and put on a show.
Saturday night will be the skills competition, which along with the pregame player introductions, are usually the best part of the All-Star weekend. The skills competition will air live on NBCSN at 7 p.m. EST. The six events will be as follows:
1. Fastest skater (formerly nicknamed "The Pavel Bure event"): Two skaters on opposite sides of the red line, race one time around the outside perimeter of the rink. Four players from each team race.
2. Breakaway challenge: Four players aside, three shots each. This event, not to confused with the shootout relay at the end, is the one where creativity and showmanship takes precedence. Giroux is on three player up for fan voting for an automatic spot in the competition, along with Johnny Gaudreau and Ryan Johansen (the likely voting winner, since the event in is Columbus). The other spots will be chosen by the team captains.
3. Accuracy shooting competition (the "Ray Bourque event"): Four head-to-head rounds, one shooter aside. Fifteen-inch targets in each of the four corners. Hall of Fame defenseman Bourque often went 4-for-4 or, at worst, 4-for-5 in this event and his staggering accuracy year after year still remains the gold standard well into retirement.
4. Skills challenge relay: This will be broken down into five segments: One-timers (three shooters and one passer per team), passing (one passer per team), puck control (one skater per team), stickhandling (one skater per team) and Goalie goals (one goalie per team). Each segment must be completed before moving on to the next one, with the winning side being the one to finish all five challenges in less time.
5. Hardest shot competition (the old "Al MacInnis event," more recently the "Zdeno Chara event"): Four shooters, two shots apiece from 30 feet away from the night. The higher velocity shot of the two attempts counts.
6. Shootout finale: The current format involved all 48 All-Star Game participants -- 14 shooters, two goals per round -- on a timer (10 seconds to take a shot, two minutes per round).
The All-Star Game itself will air on Sunday at 5 p.m. EST on NBCSN. Here is an historical rundown of Flyers' participants in the NHL All-Star Game (or substitute events):
1967-68 Leon Rochefort 1968-69 Ed Van Impe, Bernie Parent 1969-70 Bobby Clarke, Bernie Parent 1970-71 Bobby Clarke 1971-72 Bobby Clarke, Simon Nolet 1972-73 Bobby Clarke, Gary Dornhoefer 1973-74 Bobby Clarke, Bernie Parent, Ed Van Impe, Joe Watson 1974-75 Bobby Clarke, Bernie Parent, Ed Van Impe, Jim Watson,Bill Barber, Fred Shero (Coach) 1975-76 Bill Barber, Andre Dupont, Reggie Leach, Rick MacLeish (sub for Bobby Clarke), Fred Shero (coach), Wayne Stephenson, Jim Watson 1976-77 Tom Bladon, Bobby Clarke, Gary Dornhoefer, Rick MacLeish, Bernie Parent, Fred Shero (coach), Jim Watson, Joe Watson 1977-78 Bill Barber, Tom Bladon, Bobby Clarke, Bob Dailey, Fred Shero (coach), Wayne Stephenson, Jim Watson 1978-79 Challenge Cup vs. USSR: Bill Barber, Bobby Clarke 1979-80 Bill Barber, Norm Barnes, Reggie Leach, Rick MacLeish, Pete Peeters, Brian Propp, Jim Watson 1980-81 Bill Barber, Bob Dailey, Paul Holmgren, Pete Peeters, Pat Quinn (coach), Behn Wilson 1981-82 Bill Barber, Brian Propp 1982-83 Mark Howe, Pelle Lindbergh, Darryl Sittler 1983-84 Tim Kerr, Brian Propp 1984-85 Tim Kerr, Pelle Lindbergh 1985-86 Bob Froese, Mark Howe, Mike Keenan (coach), Tim Kerr, Dave Poulin, Brian Propp 1986-87 Rendezvous '87 vs. USSR: Ron Hextall, Mark Howe, Tim Kerr, Dave Poulin 1987-88 Ron Hextall, Mark Howe, Mike Keenan (coach), Dave Poulin, Kjell Samuelsson 1988-89 Rick Tocchet 1989-90 Brian Propp, Rick Tocchet 1990-91 Rick Tocchet 1991-92 Rod Brind'Amour 1992-93 Mark Recchi 1993-94 Gary Galley, Eric Lindros, Mark Recchi 1995-96 Eric Desjardins, John LeClair, Eric Lindros, Craig MacTavish 1996-97 Paul Coffey, Dale Hawerchuk, John LeClair, Eric Lindros 1997-98 Eric Lindros, John LeClair 1998-99 Eric Lindros, John LeClair 1999-2000 Roger Neilson (Assistant Coach), Eric Lindros, John LeClair, Mark Recchi, Eric Desjardins 2000-01 Simon Gagne, Roman Cechmanek 2001-02 Jeremy Roenick 2002-03 Jeremy Roenick, Ken Hitchcock (Assistant Coach) 2003-04 Keith Primeau, Jeremy Roenick, Ken Hitchcock (Assistant Coach) 2006-07 Simon Gagne 2007-08 Mike Richards, Kimmo Timonen 2008-09 Jeff Carter 2010-11 Claude Giroux, Daniel Briere, Peter Laviolette (Coach) 2011-12 Claude Giroux, Kimmo Timonen, Matt Read (rookie), Sean Couturier (rookie), Scott Hartnell 2014-15 Claude Giroux, Jakub Voracek
On the Flyers' official site, there is a photo gallery of Flyers players in their All-Star Game uniforms.