NHL Breakaway Challenge Does Not Showcase Skills
FollowThe NHL Breakaway Challenge featured in the All-Star Skills competition on Saturday night is the NHL’s failed attempt to compete with the MLB (home run competition) and the NBA (dunk competition). The problem with the NHL’s version is that many of the moves attempted would never be attempted in a real game situation. The NHL should leave the showboating to the other sports and focus on the game of hockey.
The athletes that play in the NHL are some of the most skilled in the world. The real product is fast and hard hitting and while a competition like the breakaway challenge may be mildly entertaining it really does nothing to market the real product. Many of the moves attempted in this particular competition wouldn’t even be attempted during an NHL practice, let alone a real game scenario. If the league really wants to revamp the NHL All-Star game, they should look at the content (including the skills competition) and make tweaks that will market the game as opposed to trying to compete with other major sports.