Barzal, Debrincat help lead Team Matthews to NHL All-Star Game victory
CHL alumnus Mathew Barzal (Seattle Thunderbirds) and Alex Debrincat (Erie Otters) helped lead Team Matthews to victory at the 2024 NHL All-Star game in Toronto Saturday.
In a pair of games, both Barzal (1G, 5A) and Debrincat (3G, 3A) finished with six points.
“It’s fun to contribute and it’s fun to win,” said Debrincat, who has 43 points (18 goals) with Detroit this season. “You see all those great players out there and it’s obviously fun to play against those guys.
“Overall, it was a great weekend and a very cool experience.”
Team Matthews beat Team McDavid 7-4 in the final where Barzal and Debrincat each had three points (1G, 2A). Team Matthews also featured CHL alumnus Mitch Marner (London Knights), Morgan Reilly (Moose Jaw Warriors) and Vincent Trochek (Saginaw Spirit / Plymouth Whalers), all of whom will receive a share of the US$1 million prize.
What a beauty 🤩 pic.twitter.com/cPiAJXs2VZ
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) February 3, 2024
“We’re here to have a great time, to enjoy it and just have a lot of fun with it,” said Marner, who has 53 points (20 goals) with the Maple Leafs this year. “All of us have dreamt of being All-Stars our whole life and to be a part of it is amazing.”
In the semi-final, Debrincat had the shootout winner as Team Matthews defeated Team Hughes 6-5 while in regulation he had three points (2G, 1A).
Cat sends Team Matthews to the Final! 😼 #NHLAllStar
🇺🇸: @espn or @ESPNPlus ➡️ https://t.co/Pp9X7OGP3W
🇨🇦: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ ➡️ https://t.co/sEijvXhbA1 pic.twitter.com/KohZ4C2dA2— NHL (@NHL) February 3, 2024
In all, 18 CHL alumnus participated in the event with Nathan MacKinnon (Halifax Mooseheads) and Connor McDavid (Erie Otters) selected as team captains. On Friday, McDavid collected US$1 million after he won the NHL All-Star skills competition.
The champs signing off from Toronto. 🫡 #NHLAllStar pic.twitter.com/o1x7AzVs4n
— NHL (@NHL) February 4, 2024