Yahoo Movies A guide to what’s happening around South Florida for the 2023 NHL All-Star Game
The NHL All-Star Game will be back in Sunrise next week for the first time since 2003, and there will be plenty to do across Broward County even before the Florida Panthers host the actual 2023 NHL All-Star Game on Feb. 4 at FLA Live Arena.
The week includes events in Fort Lauderdale, Coral Springs and, of course, the NHL All-Star Skills Competition and the actual All-Star Game at the arena next weekend.
All-Star schedule of events
Sunday, 9 a.m. — Florida Panthers FTL Beach Sweep
All-Star weekend in South Florida officially kicks off this weekend with a volunteer event on Fort Lauderdale beach. The Panthers are encouraging fans and community members to chip in and come to help clean their hometown’s beaches. The sweep will begin on the beach at the intersection of Florida State Road A1A and Las Olas Boulevard. The beach sweep will begin with a few words from Panthers executives, city and local officials, and more.
Fans can register for the sweep ahead of time at the team website.
Tuesday, 5:30-8 p.m. — Sunrise and Florida Panthers Hockey Festival
The first of several local festivals will take place at Flamingo Park, just a few miles south of FLA Live. This is another free event and will feature live music, food trucks, street hockey clinics, appearances and photo opportunities, including one with the Stanley Cup.
The on-site street hockey clinic, which is open to fans up to 14, requires registration at the team website.
With first break in almost three weeks, Panthers get healthy and ready for playoff push
Wednesday, 5 p.m. — Coral Springs Hockey Festival and Alumni Game
Another local festival will take place at the Florida Panthers IceDen and feature most of the same activities as the Sunrise festival, with one big addition: At 8 p.m., Florida’s alumni will face off against alumni from all other NHL teams at the Panthers IceDen.
Tickets are required for the alumni game, and information will be made available at a later date.
Florida will also host three on-ice clinics Wednesday — Learn to Skate, Public Skate and Girls Try Hockey for Free — and fans can register for those at the IceDen website.
Thursday, noon-8 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. — NHL All-Star Beach Festival
Fort Lauderdale Beach Park will be the main hub for fan festivities throughout All-Star weekend, starting Thursday and running through Feb. 4. The free three-day festival will have interactive games and attractions, appearances from current NHL players and alumni, and an opportunity to see the league’s new United by Hockey Mobile Museum. There will also, of course, be another chance to take a picture with the Cup.
On Thursday, the Beach Festival will also be the site of the “NHL 23” All-Star Open Final. The inaugural All-Star Open Final is an Esports event for fans to watch several top gamers and hockey stars play each other in the popular EA Sports video game. The Open Final goes from noon until 5:30 p.m. in the Esports Tent.
Friday, 7 p.m. — NHL All-Star Skills Competition
The All-Star Game undercard takes place the night before at FLA Live and will be televised at ESPN. The list of participants is not yet available, but the competitions are.
As always, there will the NHL Hardest Shot, NHL Accuracy Shooting and NHL Fastest Skater competitions, as well as the NHL Breakaway Challenge, which returned to the Skills Competition after a five-year hiatus last year and was one of the highlights of the 2022 festivities. This year, Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender Roberto Luongo, who’s jersey is retired in Florida, will be a celebrity goalie.
There are also a few Florida-specific competitions: The NHL Pitch ‘n Puck on a golf course and the NHL Splash Shot on the beach. Both events will be prerecorded and air as part of the Skills broadcast.
The taping of the Splash Shot, at least, will be open to the public. The competitions will take place Thursday at 2 p.m. at the Upper Deck Rink at the Beach Festival. Seating will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis for fans to watch the target-shooting competition, which will end with players being dropped into a dunk tank.
The NHL has not yet announced the location or fan availability at the Pitch ‘n Puck, which will have players compete on a par 4 hole with an island green using a combination of golf and hockey shots.
There’s one other new Skills event this year: The NHL Tendy Tandem will have goalies compete against one another in a shootout-style competition live at the arena.
Feb. 4, 3 p.m. — NHL All-Star Game
The week wraps up with the All-Star Game at FLA Live and it will still have the four-team, 3-on-3 format. Rosters will be broken up by division for a four-team, single-elimination tournament.
Right wing Matthew Tkachuk is, as of now, the Panthers’ lone representative and will suit up for the Atlantic Division alongside left wing Brady Tkachuk, his younger brother.
The game will air on ABC.
