By STEPHEN WHYNO AP Hockey Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — The NHL has canceled an Olympic sendoff event scheduled for February at the New York Islanders’ arena and plan to hold All-Star Weekend festivities there in 2027, according to two people with knowledge of the situation.
The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the decision had not been announced. ESPN was first to report the move during the network’s coverage of the game between Boston and defending Stanley Cup champion Florida.
UBS Arena was announced to host 2026 All-Star Weekend when the league figured it would experiment with the event as a jumping off point for players, coaches and staff to gather there and fly out of John F. Kennedy International Airport to Milan.
The massive success of the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament earlier this year led officials to wonder about how much sense it made to have a traditional All-Star Weekend with a skills competition and either a game or the 3-on-3 tournament that has become a fixture for hockey’s midseason event for almost a decade. The NBA altered its format to a U.S. against the world game as a way to mix things up.
NHL officials had said the Islanders would likely get the All-Star Game in the odd-numbered year between the return to the Olympics and the 2028 World Cup of Hockey. The hope is to use the Feb. 5-7 weekend in 2027 for that.
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