NHL All-Star Game 2023 format, explained: What to know about rules, rosters & more

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It's a best-on-best competition taking place down in South Florida this weekend, as the NHL All-Star Game is set for Saturday afternoon. 

Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, Nathan MacKinnon and more members of the league's elite class will get to showcase their skills today at the All-Star Game. In total, there are 44 players participating in the action. 

For those that are fans of 3-on-3 overtime hockey, you're in luck. The entirety of today's games consists of 3-on-3 competition. There will be plenty of open ice for slick moves and snipes for fans' favorite players. 

MORE: Watch the 2023 NHL All-Star Game on fubo TV: Sign up today!

The Sporting News has you covered on the All-Star Game format, rosters and more. 

2023 NHL All-Star Game format

The All-Star Game is unique in the NHL. In fact, it is not just one game, but three. 

Starting in 2016, the league changed the format of the games to a 3-on-3, single-elimination tournament featuring four teams, one for each division. There are two semifinal games before the two winners meet in the All-Star Game Final. 

Each game consists of two, 10-minute halves. If there is a tie after 20 minutes, then it will go to a three-round shootout, plus extra rounds as needed to determine the winner. 

2023 NHL All-Star Game schedule

There will be two semifinal games before a final game played to determine the All-Star winner. 

The Central Division faces off against the Pacific Division in the first semifinal. It will be followed by the Metropolitan vs. Atlantic teams. 

The winners of those two games play in the championship. 

Time (ET) Matchup
3 p.m. ET Central vs. Pacific
4 p.m. ET Metropolitan vs. Atlantic
5 p.m. ET TBD vs. TBD

2023 NHL All-Star rosters

Atlantic Division

Player Position Team
Nikita Kucherov Forward Tampa Bay Lightning
Dylan Larkin Forward Detroit Red Wings
Mitch Marner Forward Toronto Maple Leafs
Nick Suzuki Forward Montreal Canadiens
Rasmus Dahlin** Defenseman Buffalo Sabres
Brady Tkachuk Forward Ottawa Senators
Matthew Tkachuk Forward Florida Panthers
Linus Ullmark Goalie Boston Bruins
David Pastrnak Forward Boston Bruins
Andrei Vasilevskiy Goalie Tampa Bay Lightning
Aleksander Barkov* Forward Florida Panthers

* = replacement for Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs)

** = replacement for Tage Thompson (Buffalo Sabres)

Metropolitan Division

Player Position Team
Sidney Crosby Forward Pittsburgh Penguins
Johnny Gaudreau Forward Columbus Blue Jackets
Kevin Hayes Forward Philadelphia Flyers
Jack Hughes Forward New Jersey Devils
Brock Nelson Forward New York Islanders
Alexander Ovechkin Forward Washington Capitals
Igor Shesterkin Goalie New York Rangers
Andrei Svechnikov Forward Carolina Hurricanes
Artemi Panarin Forward New York Rangers
Adam Fox Defenseman New York Rangers
Ilya Sorokin Goalie New York Islanders

Central Division

Player Position Team
Seth Jones Defenseman Chicago Blackhawks
Kirill Kaprizov Forward Minnesota Wild
Clayton Keller Forward Arizona Coyotes
Cale Makar Defenseman Colorado Avalanche
Josh Morrissey Defenseman Winnipeg Jets
Jason Robertson Forward Dallas Stars
Juuse Saros Goalie Nashville Predators
Vladimir Tarasenko Forward St. Louis Blues
Mikko Rantanen Forward Colorado Avalanche
Nathan MacKinnon Forward Colorado Avalanche
Connor Hellebuyck Goalie  Winnipeg Jets

Pacific Division

Player Position Team
Kevin Fiala Forward Los Angeles Kings
Nazem Kadri Forward Calgary Flames
Erik Karlsson Defenseman San Jose Sharks
Connor McDavid Forward Edmonton Oilers
Elias Pettersson Forward Vancouver Canucks
Troy Terry Forward Anaheim Ducks
Logan Thompson Goalie Vegas Golden Knights
Bo Horvat Forward Vancouver Canucks
Leon Draisaitl Forward Edmonton Oilers
Stuart Skinner Goalie Edmonton Oilers
Chandler Stephenson* Forward Vegas Golden Knights

* = replacement for Matty Beniers (Seattle Kraken)

Author(s)
Bryan Murphy Photo

Bryan Murphy is an NHL content producer at The Sporting News.