Here Are Some Options For The NHL Skills Competition To Replace The Breakaway Challenge With

For the past few years, the highlight of the NHL All Star Skills Competition has been the Breakaway Challenge. To be perfectly honest, it’s really the only reason to tune into the skills competition altogether. It has given us moments like this one above with PK Subban dressed as Jaromir Jagr and Brent Burns in his natural habitat as Chewbacca. It has given us Jake Voracek giving a young fan the experience of a lifetime.

It’s given us Super Kane

And even gave Alexander Ovechkin a chance to become a true maple-syrup-blooded Canadian.

It was a great way for NHL players to let loose and show some personality. It was a fun little show and because it was fun, the NHL has decided to cancel it this year. Gary Bettman really staying on brand with that decision.

So without the Breakaway Challenge next Saturday night to keep everybody entertained at home, there’s a huge hole to fill. Which is why I’ve come up with a few ideas for the perfect replacement.

Handshake Gauntlet

• Everybody knows that the Hockey Handshake is the greatest tradition in all of sports. Guys battling against one another for an entire playoff series and then coming together at the end to express their mutual respect for one another. Doesn’t get much better than that. Anyway, the Handshake Competition would be pretty interesting. I think you give each player 60 seconds on the clock. Then you have to shake as many hands as you can while also giving sincere respect to each player. So it’s not just a speed competition to see who can shake hands the fastest. But finding that happy medium between shaking a shit ton of hands while also display tremendous sportsmanship.

Line Change-a-palooza 

• Like I said in the first episode of Beer League Heroes, line changes are one of the most underrated parts of hockey. A perfect line change can lead to a perfect goal. It’s something that isn’t worked on enough at the younger levels and it’s become a bit of a lost art. Which is why I think it would be perfect for the Skills Competition to bring line changes back to the forefront of what makes a great hockey player. Hell, you could even do this as a team event. Get one guy to dump the puck in the zone, then have him come to the bench for a line change and have another guy there ready to hop the boards. Nothing gets my dick harder than a good ol’ fashion Dump&Change.

Bare Knuckle Brawl

• I have to imagine that everybody saw this one coming. But if you want to get the Skills Competition ratings up, the best thing to do would be to have a shit ton of fights right at center ice. And the thing about this is that it’s an all star lineup. I know John Scott was in the mix last year, but this year’s Bare Knuckle Brawl competition would be a bunch of skill guys throwing hands. It wouldn’t be strictly goons in there muckin’ it up. So let’s give these guys a chance to be their own enforcers. Also, I just want to watch Wayne Simmonds murder somebody.

Locker Room Talk

• Not even a competition here. Just put some hidden cameras in the locker rooms and air the footage when you normally would have aired the Breakaway Challenge. But if you did want to make a competition out of it, then I’d think you’d have to go with a little post-game wrap up. Anybody who has ever played hockey knows that you always want to be one of the first guys to get your equipment off so that you don’t have to wait around for a shower to be available. But you also don’t want to be the first guy with your equipment off because then you’re stuck turning on all the showers and your first few seconds are with freezing cold water. So let’s see who can time that up the best.

El Pres Goalie Challenge

• As mentioned previously today, it’s been having a significant impact on players all across the league.

So yeah, I didn’t want to be one of those guys who bitch about something but never have any suggestions of their own. Those right there are my own personal solutions for the Breakaway Challenge. I think a couple of them could work, maybe a couple of them couldn’t. Either way, it’s better than just bitching without anything to add. So if you any of you have suggestions of your own, feel free to let them fly over my way on Twitter @BarstoolJordie