John Klingberg and Tyler Seguin are in Tampa for the 2018 NHL All-Star Weekend. How might these Dallas Stars be used in the Skills Competition tonight?
RECENT UPDATE: it was announced moments ago that John Klingberg will compete in the Hardest Shot Competition and Tyler Seguin will compete in the Puck Control Relay.
All-Star Weekend is in full swing, and the two Dallas Stars representatives are already having plenty of fun.
Whether it’s playing with puppies, going golfing, telling dad jokes, or hanging out with parrots, it seems as though John Klingberg and Tyler Seguin are having a blast. If you have yet to see any of this, a good chunk of it can be found through the Dallas Stars Snapchat or Tyler Seguin’s Instagram. Make sure to give them a follow so you can keep up with the latest.
But back to the All-Star Weekend hype. Over the next two days, the NHL’s best and brightest players will go at it in Tampa to kick off one of the best times of the year in hockey.
Last night, the Pregame event was hosted just outside of Amalie Arena and included appearances by various NHL stars. Tonight, the on-ice activities will commence.
A Winning Habit
And it all begins with the annual Skills Competition. The competition will start at 6:00 p.m. and can be viewed on NBCSN, CBC, and SN. One thing is for sure: you will NOT want to miss it.
Tonight’s competition includes six different events, with a various number of players competing in each. Unlike in past years, the participants in these events will not be based on the four divisional teams. Instead, they will be individual competitions, with the winner of each competition earning $25,000. So cheering for the Central Division will have to wait until tomorrow.
The six events include Enterprise NHL Fastest Skater, Dunkin’ Donuts NHL Passing Challenge, GEICO NHL Save Streak (focuses on goaltenders), Gatorade NHL Puck Control Relay, PPG NHL Hardest Shot, and Honda NHL Accuracy Shooting. Many of these are self-explanatory from their titles, but if you have any questions, feel free to click here. Each event offers an opportunity for the variety of skills present for the All-Star Game.
But how will the Dallas Stars contribute? In other words, in what events will Tyler Seguin and John Klingberg compete?
The NHL Department of Player Safety will choose which players compete in which events and in which order they will go. The final lists will be announced sometime before the festivities begin, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make some educated predictions, right? With two Stars to choose from, which events will they have the best chance at walking away with the grand prize?
First up, there’s Tyler Seguin. He’s been an All-Star in every season since joining the Dallas Stars in 2013. With that being said, he’s taken part in plenty of different skills events. Seguin has participated in fastest skater, hardest shot, and the skills challenge relay over the years.
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But what will he get himself into this year? With 36 total skaters to choose from and a limited number of spots in each event, it’s probably not likely that any player will participate in more than one or two events. That’s okay, though, because Seguin could succeed in many of these events.
We’ve seen Seguin go in the fastest skater competition before, and after his achilles injury in 2016, he may not have the most potential. But there are plenty of other events where no. 91 could run the table.
Seguin would likely do best in the Puck Control Relay and the Accuracy Shooting event. His stick handling skills are some of the best in the NHL and he has incredible puck control. In addition to that, he can also pick a corner when shooting the puck. Seguin could do well in both of these events and even have a chance at winning it all.
John Klingberg could also find success in multiple events. It’s the first ever All-Star appearance for the Dallas Stars defenseman and is another chance for him to show off.
Klingberg would likely do well in the Passing Challenge as well as the Puck Control Relay and even Accuracy Shooting. As a defenseman, his shot from the blue line is incredibly accurate. He also quarterbacks the Dallas Stars power play. With that being said, his passing skills are sharp.
Wherever they end up competing, just know that the Dallas Stars have two qualified representatives who could be walking away with some cash tonight.
Next: Klingberg Takes Third In Early Norris Trophy Voting
The Skills Competition is a great appetizer to the exciting All-Star Game on Sunday night. With that being said, you won’t want to miss it. It all starts at 6 p.m.