Though the rain unfortunately canceled our Saturday plans of competing with the mascots at the beach fest, it didn't hold us back. We were lucky enough that the Stanley Cup was moved inside and got the honor to grab photos with it.
We headed straight from pictures to get to the All-Star Game for warmups and the game. Seeing division rivals brought together and able to have fun with their skills. It's fun seeing what the guys can really do when they have free ice. Getting to see duos like the Tkachuk brothers score together, along with Bo Horvat and Elias Pettersson working together for one final goal as teammates, is always entertaining as a fan. This year's entertainment choice of Fall Out Boy was also one of my favorite NHL music performances ever. The arena was completely lit up with wristbands and the music really set the tone of the game!
Me and the rest of the the Power Players got the surprise of our lives when we saw NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman sitting in a box behind us for an interview. It was neat to wave back to him and see what he does during these major events. The All-Star final game kept us on the edge of our seats, with the Central scoring multiple goals against the Atlantic in the last minutes of the game to try and push to overtime. In the end, seeing the home city crowd celebrate their division's win was the best outcome I could have asked for.
This year's All-Star Weekend was enjoyable for me but bittersweet, as it's my last time attending as an official member of the Power Players board. The NHL has given me the opportunity at a young age to explore all my career options and make a difference in the game that I've loved since I was a child. I'm looking toward to returning to All-Star Weekend next year as an alumnus, and hopefully, an official reporter, to continue to help make a change in the sport that gave me a home.