2027 All-Star Weekend at UBS Arena to be 'tentpole event'

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The New York Islanders expect their wait for the 2027 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend to be well worth it.

The NHL and NHL Players’ Association announced on Tuesday revamped formats for the All-Star Skills, which will take place on Feb. 5, and the All-Star Game, which will be played on Feb. 6. The events will coincide with UBS Arena celebrating its fifth season since opening in Elmont, New York, in 2021.

“It's our fifth-year anniversary, so this is definitely the opportunity make it a tentpole event,” Islanders president of business operations Kelly Cheeseman said before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights at Lenovo Center on Tuesday. “As you know, the arena is spectacular, the campus is spectacular, the racetrack is opening up next year. So, it's all perfect. It's a perfect combination. It's almost worth waiting.

“I think it's an opportunity for our fans and the League and the entire industry to be able to see how special UBS Arena is to Long Island and to metro New York.”

UBS Arena was originally scheduled to host the NHL All-Star Weekend this season, but the event was not held with players participating in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. The League eventually decided to push it back one year, so NHL All-Star Weekend will now take place between the Olympics and the World Cup of Hockey 2028.

Building off the success of the 4 Nations Face-Off last season and the 2026 Olympics, the 2027 All-Star Game will feature teams from Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States, along with a “World” team comprised of players from outside the other four countries, competing in a 3-on-3, round-robin tournament.

“First of all, I want to thank the League and the Players’ Association for coming up with a new and interesting format,” Cheeseman said. “The best-on-best format has been a high priority for the players and the League, and seeing that continue into what we're going to have at UBS Arena next year is really exciting. I think it's something new and energetic for our fans and just a reason for them to come out. So, we're excited for that.”

Cheeseman also believes the new All-Star Skills could be a showcase for 18-year-old Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer, who won the Calder Trophy as the League’s rookie of year this season after getting 59 points (23 goals, 36 assists) in 82 games.

The skills competition will feature 10 young stars (25 or younger) competing in as many as six events, out of eight total selected by the NHL and NHLPA, depending on how far they advance.

“Seeing the young players really shine in the format is really cool,” Cheeseman said. “Obviously, we have one of those young players that I think will be participating. Our fans will get to see Matthew shine, which I think should be exciting for us.”

Cheeseman acknowledged there were some delays while the planning to bring All-Star Weekend to UBS Arena evolved, though he thinks, with the changes the NHL and NHLPA came up with, it will be an exciting way to showcase both the League’s players and the Islanders’ home.

“It's been a lot of anticipation for our fans,” Cheeseman said. “We've had a few starts and stops on this a couple times. So, to see something that was innovative, well thought through -- the players, the players’ union, the commissioner, everybody weighed in on it, so everybody had their opinion on it. So, I think it's well thought out.”

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said it was important for the NHL to follow through on its commitment to the Islanders and UBS Arena and that the new format for All-Star Weekend will add to the excitement.

“Our fans like (All-Star Weekend),” Commissioner Bettman said. “Our (All-Star Weekend) has worked well. We haven’t had some of the issues that some of the other leagues have had. Yes, we even blew ourselves up with 4 Nations by taking it to a whole new level, but there was never anything wrong with the All-Star format that we’ve been using for the last few years. And we think what we’ve laid out to you today is going to be fun and entertaining, and that’s really what it’s all about.”

The Islanders last hosted the NHL All-Star Game in 1983, when the Campbell Conference All-Stars defeated the Wales Conference All-Stars 9-3 at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. Wayne Gretzky was named the valuable player at that event.