The NHL reportedly will no longer hold an Olympic sendoff event at the home of the New York Islanders this season and will instead hold All-Star Weekend at UBS Arena in 2027, according to ESPN.
The NHL announced in May plans to hold an Olympic sendoff event at UBS Arena in place of All-Star Weekend in February, with players, coaches, and staff set to gather in New York before flying out of John F. Kennedy International Airport to Milan for the Winter Olympics.
After the success of the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament during All-Star Weekend earlier this year, officials questioned whether to return to traditional All-Star Weekend festivities, such as a skills competition and either a game or the 3-on-3 tournament.
The Winter Olympics will take place from Feb. 5 to Feb. 22. The league will have a mid-season break during that time rather than an All-Star Weekend.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in April that the format for the 2027 All-Star Weekend is not yet finalized.
“We’ll have an event at UBS before we go to the Olympics but then we’ll do something that’s more focused on a major hockey event for the following year,” Bettman said. “We have a little bit of time to finalize what we’re doing.”
According to ESPN, the NHL hopes to have the 2027 All-Star Weekend at UBS Arena from Feb. 5-7.
