NHL All-Star Weekend in Toronto is quickly approaching and there is no better time to take in all of the great festivities throughout the weekend!
The NHL All-Star game dates back to 1934 when the first unofficial game was conducted as a charity event for Toronto Maple Leafs legend, Ace Bailey, who suffered a devastating career-ending injury earlier in the season.
Over the past 90 years, Toronto has hosted the All-Star game several times in its history, including the first official All-Star Game in 1947, as it used to be a game of the league’s best players against the previous year’s Stanley Cup winner. In 2000, Toronto hosted its first official All-Star Weekend that had Team World, captained by Mats Sundin, defeat Team North America.
To celebrate this special weekend, HockeyStickMan is a proud sponsor of the NHL All-Star Game and we could not be more thrilled to get first-hand footage of the league’s best players and gear!
With an exciting weekend ahead, here is a list of some of the amazing hockey-themed festivities throughout the city that you can attend!
Thursday
NHL All-Star Thursday - Metro Toronto Convention Center, South Building & Scotiabank Arena
Begin your All-Star Weekend at the 2024 Hyundai Fan Fair event at the Greater Toronto Convention Center for interactive games, player and alumni meet and greets, and a chance to see the Stanley Cup! In the evening, you can attend the NHL All-Star Game Draft, the NHL Alumni Man of the Year ceremony, and the inaugural PWHL 3 on 3 game at Scotiabank Arena!
Scotiabank Hockey for All Rink & Outdoor Skating - Nathan Phillips Square, Bentway Trail, Colonel Sam Smith Park
The iconic outdoor rink outside Toronto’s City Hall is open from 7 am to 10 pm, Thursday through Sunday, with tons of fun activations and a chance to get a skate in as you prepare to celebrate with some of the league’s best! Other places to skate in the area are the Bentway Trail located at 250 Fort York Blvd and Colonel Sam Smith Park located at 3145 Lake Shore Blvd W in Etobicoke.
Gretzky’s Basement Pop-Up Experience - 549 Richmond St. West, Toronto, ON
This event is a free experience where you can explore a replica of Wayne Gretzky’s childhood basement! This event will have many of the Great One’s legendary memorabilia such as gear and individual trophies as well as event merchandise and beverages from the Wayne Gretzky Estate.
Spittin’ Chiclets Live Show - Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Center, 189 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M5B 1M4
Catch Ryan Whitney, Paul Bissonette, and R.A. as they bring the most popular hockey podcast to the live stage on February 1st at 9 p.m. at the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Center!
Friday
NHL Esports All-Star Open - Hockey Hall of Fame, 30 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M5E 1X8
The NHL is hosting their Esports All-Star Open at 1 pm at the Hockey Hall of Fame. Head over to see many of the best Chel players as well as celebrate hockey’s past with thousands of amazing artifacts at the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Spittin Chiclets Meet & Greet - King Taps,100 King St W, Toronto, ON M5X 1A9
In addition to their live show at the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Center, the Chiclets crew is hosting a meet and greet at King Taps restaurant at 5 pm. Head on down to grab a good bite and a drink as you can get a chance to meet the boys of the world’s biggest hockey podcast!
NHL All-Star Friday Night - Scotiabank Arena
The newly formatted NHL All-Star Skills Competition takes center stage Friday night with 12 of the NHL’s best players such as Auston Matthews, Connor McDavid, and Nathan MacKinnon. Skaters will participate in four of six events - fastest skater, hardest shot, stick handling, one-timers, passing challenge, and accuracy shooting. The top eight point-getters will move on to the second-round shootout. After this, the top six players will compete in an obstacle course where the winner gets a huge payout of $1 million.
Saturday
Hockey Diversity Alliance Winterfest - Trinity Bellwoods Park, 790 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M6J 1G3
This free event located in Trinity Bellwoods Park looks to celebrate Canadian heritage and diversity in hockey this All-Star weekend. Attendees can look forward to a celebrity hockey game, youth ice and ball hockey competitions, and a hockey skills showcase. There will also be several food vendors on site which look to highlight the many different cultures celebrated within the city.
NHL All Star Game - Scotiabank Arena
The night we have all been waiting for! A celebration of the league’s 44 best players in a 3 on 3 style tournament! Doors open at 1 pm with the first game beginning at 3 pm.
Restaurants
While trying to fit all of these events into your schedule, there needs to be time to grab a bite to eat. One of the most popular places to look out for is Real Sports Bar and Grill located in Maple Leaf Square directly across from Scotiabank Arena. This restaurant has a 39-foot HD big-screen TV and live music which makes it the perfect place to take in the atmosphere of a highly-anticipated All-Star weekend. For other quality restaurants in the area, follow this link for more, https://www.opentable.ca/landmark/restaurants-near-the-air-canada-centre.
