Hear complete coverage of the 2023 NHL All-Star Weekend on NHL Network Radio

Mick Kern
January 30, 2023

2023 just got started, and we’re already turning the calendar over to February, and traditionally the second month of the year means it’s time for the annual NHL All-Star Game.

Okay, so the game itself doesn’t count in the standings, and nobody means to throw a body check out there, but after all these years, the annual mid-winter break still holds relevance for hockey fans of all ages.

The 2023 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend is this weekend, and who doesn’t want to spend the first weekend of February luxuriating down in balmy Florida? Live Arena in Sunrise will be ground zero for all the happenings as the National Hockey League takes a brief break from a hectic yet highly entertaining first half of the regular season.

The All-Star Weekend is the perfect place for fans to gather to celebrate the game of hockey, to meet up with old friends, to make new ones, and to whine and complain about their favourite hockey team…unless you’re a Bruins fan. Not much going wrong there.

While the actual halfway mark of the regular season sailed by a couple of weeks ago, the All-Star Break is the spiritual halfway point, the eye of the storm. It’s a chance to catch a breath, take a look around, and wonder if the gathering of NHL GMs will produce some pre-trade deadline fireworks.

This marks the second occasion in which the Florida Panthers have hosted the All-Star Game, having previously done so back in 2003. It’s going to be difficult to tear yourself away from the sun and the surf, even in February, but Media Day is set for this Thursday, starting at 3 pm Eastern/12 pm Pacific.

That’s business lingo for the opportunity for various NHL All-Stars to get together, mingle, and swap stories with the assembled media from across the continent. Everybody’s pretty much in a relaxed mood, so we wouldn’t miss it. In fact, we’re sending Scott Laughlin, Gord Stellick, and Steve Kouleas to mingle with your favourite players. You can listen in on the proceedings on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio Channel 91.

For fans in attendance, there’s the Truly Hard Seltzer Beach Festival down at Fort Lauderdale State Park beginning on Friday. No, Scotty, Steve, and Gord will not be at this event, as they’ll be busy prepping for a busy couple of days.

Since we’ve sent the Three Amigos all the way down to South Florida, we might as well put them to work covering the NHL All-Star Skills Competition set for later that evening, beginning at 6 pm Eastern/3 pm Pacific. Steve and Gord will bring you all the play-by-play of this entertaining event. Meanwhile, we’re sending Scotty down to the benches to stick a mic in the face of your favourite players.

Even after all these years, the players still have fun being put through their paces, and many will tell you this is the highlight of the All-Star Weekend.

Each of the four NHL divisions will be represented by an All-Star squad comprised of top-notch players. The Pacific Division is represented by the likes of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Matty Beniers (how ‘bout those Kraken), while the Central Division colours will be flown by the likes of Jason Robertson, Josh Morrissey, and Cale Makar.

From the East, the Atlantic Division is represented by, amongst others, Linus Ullmark, Tage Thompson, and local boy Matthew Tkachuk, while the Metropolitan Division squad is led by Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, and Jack Hughes (how ‘bout those Devils?)

The Beach Festival continues on Saturday afternoon, leading up to the 3 pm Eastern/12 noon Pacific start for the 2023 Honda NHL All-Star Game. And for the first time ever, we’re not only carrying the play-by-play of the game for you, but we’re also doing it.

Steve Kouleas will be at the mic handling the play-by-play (the place he was born to be) with all the scintillating descriptions of the All-Star Game. He’ll be accompanied by Gord Stellick, who will provide colour analysis, delivered with no doubt a healthy helping of Gord’s signature humour.

Once again, Scott Laughlin will be down near the benches, conducting player interviews as the game proceeds. This is an enjoyable event for all involved, and SiriusXM NHL Network Radio gets you upfront and as close to the participants as one can possibly get.

Come Sunday, everybody scrambles to get on a plane and fly back to whence they came. The NHL regular season schedule gets going again that Monday, with six games on tap, including the Florida Panthers hosting their cross-state rivals, the Tampa Bay Lightning. Since both those teams don’t have to make the mad dash to the airport, maybe they’ll have time to drop by the Meet The Mascots breakfast that morning.

I told you NHL All-Star Weekend is fun.

Here’s your NHL All-Star Week schedule. You can hear all the action on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio.

Thursday, February 2nd:

3 pm Eastern/12 pm Pacific – NHL Media Day with Steve Kouleas, Gord Stellick and Scott Laughlin,

Friday, February 3rd:

6 pm Eastern/3 pm Pacific – NHL All-Star Skills Competition with Steve Kouleas (play-by-play), Gord Stellick (colour analyst), and Scott Laughlin (player interviews from the benches).