Nov. 19--In an attempt to revive a sagging spectacle, the NHL is revamping its All-Star Game for this season -- and it's going to have a totally different look.
The game, which will take place in Nashville, Tenn., on Jan. 31, will feature a 3-on-3 tournament format, with each division fielding a team of six forwards, three defensemen and two goaltenders.
The Atlantic will face the Metropolitan while the Central will face the Pacific in two 20-minute games. The winners then will face each other in another 20-minute game with $1 million awarded to the winning team.
"Change is necessary," Hawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "Some (games) are hard to watch. ... The pace of the game isn't anything close to being representative to how they normally would play. Hopefully this will be a good change."
Fans will vote for one player on each division's team while the NHL's hockey operations department will select the other 40. Each of the 30 NHL teams will have at least one representative in the games.
