Dubnyk harkened back to his first appearance at the All-Star Game in Nashville in 2016, an experience he was nervous about before the game had even started.
With the new 3-on-3 format, nobody really knew what to expect ... but it was clear it probably wouldn't be goaltender friendly.
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"I didn't want to look like an idiot," Dubnyk said. "Then you give up five and you're down. But then you realize that, literally, nobody cares that you let in five goals. So you have to take that opportunity: It's the one game where you can let in five goals in 10 minutes and nobody actually cares."
By the time he went back a second time in Los Angeles in 2017, Dubnyk said, he was able to relax and soak in some of the other events surrounding the game itself.
It helps that Dubnyk's sons are getting old enough to appreciate watching their old man play. Two of his three boys, 5 1/2-year-old Nate and 3-year-old Parker, will be in San Jose to watch enjoy all the experiences that come with the event.
"It's so laid back as far as your preparation. You really just go to the rink when you have to go to the rink, and it's all based to allow family to be acpart of it, see what goes on and have your kids there and down around the dressing room," Dubnyk said. "During the regular season, that's just something that's not allowed to happen."
Dubnyk does have one goal in mind for his experience in San Jose: He wants to get a win. The Central Division has bowed out early in each of his previous two years and haven't had the opportunity to vie for the $1 million prize.
After it's all split up, it comes out to $100K per person.
"That's a lot of money; I don't care what you're making," Dubnyk said with a laugh. "That's a nice chunk of change. My first two years, we haven't got there, but that'd be a fun situation to be in."
Dubnyk won't be the only Wild player in the Bay Area taking part in festivities this weekend. Forward JT Brown will take part in the NHL's first-ever "House of Chel" in Palo Alto, California.
The event -- hosted from Thursday through Saturday -- will be played via a series of live steams on the NHL Twitch channel, through unique content releases on NHL platforms, on participants' social media channels, via hosted chat sessions and with special guest drop-ins. Along with streaming EA SPORTS™ NHL19 gameplay, Brown and fellow gamers will take part in a series of fun events and challenges that utilize the one-of-a-kind aspects of the amazing property. Fans can stay connected to all the action by following #NHLGWC.
The backdrop for the three-day event will be Silicon Valley icon Scott McNealy's multimillion-dollar mansion in the hills of Palo Alto. The home, equipped with an ice rink, golf course, movie theater, sports court, pizza room, massage room, game room and turf field, will provide a multitude of activities to keep players and fans at the edge of their consoles.
"What's so cool, and very unique to sports, is that one minute you can be playing and streaming EA SPORTS NHL 19 on your console and the next minute you can turn on your TV and see the live game action and the NHL players you have been virtually playing with," Brown said. "I was thrilled when the NHL invited me to participate in the House of Chel and am very excited to connect with the gaming community over the three-day event."
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